Brainerd, Crow Wing County (trfnews.i234.me) — Sydney Paige Needham, 32, of Brainerd, has been charged.
She is accused of felony aiding an offender on probation, parole, or supervised release.
According to the criminal complaint, the case began on February 14, 2026.
Brainerd Police said they received a report about Devon William Coolen.
Police said Coolen was on intensive supervised release.
The complaint says he was supervised for a felony domestic assault conviction.
Police said Coolen cut off his GPS ankle monitor and fled his sober-living residence.
What the complaint says happened
Officers arrived at the sober residence around 12:10 a.m., according to the complaint.
Police said they found the cut ankle bracelet.
Coolen and his vehicle were gone, police said.
The complaint says a warrant was later issued for his arrest.
Police said they later found Coolen’s vehicle parked at an apartment complex.
The location was the 1000 block of Quince Street in Brainerd.
Police identified Needham as a resident at that apartment, the complaint says.
Investigators obtained a search warrant, according to the complaint.
Police executed the warrant around 9:15 a.m., the complaint says.
The complaint says Needham told police Coolen was “not here.”
She also said he was “out of town,” according to the complaint.
During the search, police said they found Coolen hiding in a closet.
Police took him into custody, the complaint says.
Statements described in court records
The complaint says Needham told investigators she was in a romantic relationship with Coolen.
She also said she knew he wore an ankle monitor.
Needham claimed she did not know he had cut it off, the complaint says.
She said Coolen entered her apartment with his own key while she slept.
The complaint says Coolen admitted he cut the bracelet.
He reportedly said he feared his probation officer would take him into custody.
He also reportedly said he wanted to spend Valentine’s Day with Needham.
Charge and court status
Needham is charged with one felony count of aiding an offender.
The alleged offense date is February 14, 2026.
The charge was filed in court on February 18, 2026.
Needham made her initial appearance in Crow Wing County District Court.
Bail was set at $0, with conditions of release, court records state.
Judge Charles D. Halverson set those conditions, according to court records.
More court directory information is posted by Minnesota’s Judicial Branch.
Background links
Minnesota’s aiding-an-offender law is published online as Minnesota Statute 609.495.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections also publishes an overview of Intensive Supervised Release.
The charges are allegations.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
