Thief River Falls Man Faces Felony Protection Order Charge

THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. (trfnews.i234.me) — Leanord Joseph Graham Jr., 33, faces another felony protection order charge in Pennington County.

Graham was arrested after police allegedly found him at a residence covered by an active protection order.

The new case followed an attempt to locate Graham on September 29, according to the criminal complaint.

Police had learned Graham failed to appear in court in another pending felony case.

A $300 bench warrant had been issued in that matter.

Police Locate Graham at Protected Residence

An officer first went to Graham’s Thief River Falls home.

Graham was not there, according to the complaint.

The officer then went to the home of Graham’s former girlfriend.

The officer knew an active protection order restricted Graham from approaching that residence.

The order prohibited Graham from coming within 100 feet of the home.

When the officer arrived, Graham was allegedly walking on the residence’s deck.

He was then arrested, according to the complaint.

The complaint also cites two prior convictions involving Graham.

One was a Pennington County misdemeanor domestic assault conviction from August 2024.

The other was a Roseau County gross misdemeanor interference with a 911 call conviction.

That conviction was entered in May 2022, according to the complaint.

The complaint did not say whether the woman in the current case was involved in either prior case.

Minnesota law makes it a crime to knowingly violate an order for protection.

A violation can become a felony when qualifying prior domestic violence-related convictions are present.

State law allows up to five years in prison for certain felony protection order violations.

A fine of up to $10,000 may also apply after conviction.

Readers can review Minnesota Statute 518B.01 through the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.

The allegations contained in a criminal complaint are not proof of guilt.

Graham is presumed innocent unless proven guilty through the court process.

Charges may also be amended, dismissed, or otherwise changed as the case proceeds.

Public court information may be available through Minnesota Court Records Online.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.