East Grand Forks: Meth Charge Near High School

Polk County (trfnews.i234.me) — A Grand Forks, North Dakota, man faces new charges. Police stopped him in East Grand Forks.

Prosecutors charged Chad Allen Gustafson, 51, with one felony and one gross misdemeanor. The case is filed in Polk County District Court. The court file is 60-CR-26-231.

What the police say happened

A criminal complaint says investigators got a tip on February 19, 2026. The tip said Gustafson had meth. It also said he was driving a red 2015 Ford F-150.

Police say they saw the truck leave a clinic on 20th Street NW. An officer then saw the truck roll past a stop sign. The stop sign was at 17th Street NW and 3rd Avenue NW.

The truck turned into an apartment lot and stopped. The complaint says the route was near East Grand Forks Senior High School. The filing calls the area a prohibited zone.

The officer reported watery eyes and slurred speech. The filing also describes rapid speech and mood swings. Gustafson denied recent meth use, according to the complaint.

Police asked Gustafson to do field sobriety tests. The complaint says he struggled to follow directions. A drug dog later alerted on the truck, police say.

Officers searched the truck and found a digital scale. The complaint says the scale had residue. Police say a field test was positive for methamphetamine.

Charges filed

Count 1 is a felony drug charge. It is listed as a third-degree controlled substance crime. It alleges possession in a prohibited zone. The statute cited is Minn. Stat. § 152.023.

Count 2 is a gross misdemeanor DWI-related charge. It is listed as third-degree refusal to submit to testing. The complaint says police got a warrant for blood or urine. It says Gustafson refused both samples. The statutes cited include Minn. Stat. § 169A.20, Minn. Stat. § 169A.26, and Minn. Stat. § 171.177.

If convicted, the felony count can carry up to 20 years in prison. The refusal count can carry up to 364 days in jail. Any sentence would be set by a judge.

Records noted in the complaint

The complaint cites a prior Minnesota drug conviction from March 23, 2020. It also lists past North Dakota cases. Those entries include drug and other offenses.

How to follow the case

Court records can change as the case moves forward. Minnesota filings are available through MCRO. The Minnesota Judicial Branch also explains the system here. North Dakota case records can be searched at North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry.

I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.