Bemidji (trfnews.i234.me) — A Red Lake man is facing a gross misdemeanor DWI charge after a traffic stop in Bemidji.
According to a Beltrami County District Court complaint, Ronald Leigh Cobenais Jr., 35, is charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance.
The case was filed in Minnesota’s 9th Judicial District under court file number 04-CR-26-887.
Traffic Stop In Bemidji
The complaint says the incident happened around 8:38 p.m. on April 19, 2026.
Police were on patrol in the 600 block of 24th Street NW in Bemidji.
Officers reported seeing a silver Honda Accord. They also reported seeing the driver using a cell phone while driving.
Police then activated emergency lights and stopped the vehicle.
The driver was identified as Ronald Leigh Cobenais Jr. of Red Lake.
Signs Reported By Police
According to the complaint, officers reported signs they believed showed impairment.
Those signs included dilated pupils, glassy eyes, eyelid tremors, and heat bumps on the back of the tongue.
Police then asked Cobenais to complete field sobriety tests.
The complaint says he did not perform the tests in a satisfactory way.
Ronald Leigh Cobenais Jr.
Blood Sample Sought
Cobenais was taken into custody after the stop.
He was transported to Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
The complaint says police applied for a search warrant for a blood or urine sample.
A judge granted the request.
Cobenais agreed to give a blood sample.
That sample was sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for testing.
More information about Minnesota DWI laws is available from the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.
Court case information may be available through Minnesota Court Records Online.
Charge Filed In Beltrami County
The charge is listed as a gross misdemeanor.
The complaint says the maximum sentence is 364 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.
The complaint also cites one or more aggravating factors.
Court records listed in the complaint say Cobenais was on supervised probation in two prior cases.
One case involved fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance.
Another involved fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, fourth-degree DWI, and driving after revocation.
A criminal complaint is not a conviction.
Cobenais is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.