Beltrami County (trfnews.i234.me) — Prosecutors have filed a drug charge in Beltrami County District Court after an arrest in Bemidji, according to court records in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District.
The complaint names Simon Jay Whipple, born Nov. 4, 1996, of Cass Lake, Minnesota, as the defendant.
Charge Filed
Whipple is charged with a gross misdemeanor count of fifth-degree drug possession, court records say.
The complaint alleges he possessed a mixture containing fentanyl.
What Court Records Say Happened
Court records say an officer was on patrol around 9:10 p.m. on Dec. 7, 2025, in the area of Washington Avenue South in Bemidji.
The officer was looking for a juvenile runaway, according to the complaint.
Records say the officer saw a male who matched the runaway’s description walking toward Dollar General.
The complaint says the officer made contact with the male.
Court records say the male identified himself as Simon but gave a false last name.
He also told the officer he had no identification, according to the filing.
The complaint says the officer later learned the person was Simon Jay Whipple.
Court records say a warrant from Cass County was confirmed.
Search and Items Found
Records say Whipple was arrested on the warrant.
The complaint says Whipple told police he had a BB gun in his backpack.
Court records say the item was found and was determined to be a toy firearm.
The complaint also says police found a large bindle of white powder in Whipple’s pocket.
Records say Whipple claimed the substance was sugar.
Court records also describe a needle located in his bag.
Testing Cited in Complaint
Court records say a smaller tinfoil bindle was located in Whipple’s belongings.
The complaint says the substance was weighed and field tested.
Records say that the test indicated the presence of fentanyl.
The complaint lists the weight of that substance as about 0.13 grams.
Court records say the larger bindle was also tested.
The complaint says that the test was inconclusive for cocaine.
Records say the items were sent for additional testing.
Prior Record Listed
The complaint lists several prior convictions in Whipple’s record.
Those include misdemeanor cases and older felony cases, according to court records.
Readers can review Minnesota drug laws at the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.
Court case information is available through the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
For lab information, see the Minnesota BCA.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.