Beltrami County ( trfnews.i234.me ) — A Bemidji woman is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after police say she was found with methamphetamine in a park zone and tested positive for drugs while driving.
According to court documents filed in Beltrami County District Court, 32-year-old Whitney Raenell Rognstad has been charged with felony third-degree possession of methamphetamine in a park zone and misdemeanor fourth-degree DWI. The charges stem from an incident that occurred on April 20, 2025.
At approximately 11:00 p.m., a Bemidji officer stopped a vehicle near Ridge Avenue Northwest and Paul Bunyan Drive Northwest, within a block of Bemidji City Park. Police had run the vehicle’s license plate and learned that the registered owner had a revoked driver’s license. The driver was identified as Rognstad.
Officers reported that Rognstad showed signs of recent drug use, including slow speech and dilated pupils that did not respond to light. She admitted to using fentanyl the day before and refused field sobriety testing. Rognstad was placed under arrest, and a search of the vehicle was conducted.
Police say suspected methamphetamine was located inside the vehicle. Rognstad later admitted the drugs belonged to her brother, who had been given a ride earlier in the evening. Testing confirmed the substance was methamphetamine.
A search warrant was obtained for a blood or urine sample, which later tested positive for methamphetamine. Based on the location of the stop near a city park, the drug possession charge was elevated to a felony third-degree offense, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
If convicted on all counts, Rognstad also faces up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for the misdemeanor DWI charge. The case remains active in Beltrami County District Court.
For more information on Minnesota drug laws, readers can review the Minnesota Statutes on Controlled Substance Crimes.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
