Bemidji (trfnews.i234.me) — A Bemidji woman is facing a drug charge after a traffic stop and arrest in Beltrami County.
According to a criminal complaint, 31-year-old Elaina Joy Mewszel was charged with fifth-degree drug possession. The charge is a gross misdemeanor.
Court records say the case was filed in Beltrami County District Court. The complaint cites Minnesota Statute 152.025.
Traffic stop led to arrest
The complaint says the stop happened around 12:30 a.m. on March 17, 2026. An officer was on patrol on Paul Bunyan Drive in Bemidji.
The officer ran the vehicle plate and found the registered owner was Mewszel. The complaint says she had active felony warrants.
Authorities say the warrants were tied to two Beltrami County cases. One involved a probation violation. The other involved a pending sentencing after a guilty plea.
The complaint says the officer stopped the vehicle and identified the driver as Mewszel. Court records say she first denied being Elaina Mewszel.
Drug allegation in complaint
According to the complaint, an officer searched Mewszel after the arrest. During that search, the officer found an orange pill in her jacket.
Investigators identified the pill as amphetamine, according to the complaint. Prosecutors allege the pill was a Schedule II controlled substance.
The complaint says Mewszel told police she had been prescribed amphetamine a long time ago. She also said she did not remember whether she had used it.
She also told police she had worn the jacket for the past few weeks, the complaint says.
What happens next
A criminal complaint contains allegations. It is not a conviction. The charge will now move through the court process in Beltrami County.
If convicted on the count listed in the complaint, Mewszel could face up to 364 days in jail, a $3,000 fine, or both.
Readers can learn more through the Minnesota Judicial Branch and the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.