Grand Forks County (trfnews.i234.me) — A Fargo man was sentenced after a traffic stop in Grand Forks County led to major drug charges.
Ronald Allen Ellis, 61, was sentenced Monday, March 2. Court records show he received a 20-year prison sentence. He must serve three years first. He also received credit for 137 days already served.
Ellis pleaded guilty to Class A felony possession of at least 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to deliver. He also pleaded guilty to marijuana possession with intent to deliver. In addition, he admitted to possessing drug paraphernalia and marijuana paraphernalia.
Traffic Stop Led to Drug Search
According to court records, a trooper stopped Ellis on Highway 2 on Oct. 16. The stop happened after a plate check. That check showed Ellis had an outstanding warrant in another county.
Records say Ellis agreed to a search. During that search, officers found a baggie in his pocket. It held a clear, crystal-like substance. Ellis admitted the substance was methamphetamine. Later testing confirmed that claim.
The meth found in his pocket weighed 8.5 grams with the packaging included.
Investigators then searched Ellis’ vehicle. In the center console, they found a one-gram bag of marijuana. They also found a 0.7-gram bag of methamphetamine.
In the rear seating area, officers found a cooler. Inside were two scales with drug residue. They also found a bag containing 57 grams of methamphetamine. Two more bags of marijuana were also inside. One weighed 16.93 grams. The other weighed 8.67 grams.
Additional drug items were found in other parts of the vehicle, according to court records.
Records say Ellis admitted the drugs and paraphernalia were his. He also said the passenger did not own any of the items. Court records state the passenger was searched. No contraband was found on that person.
Sentence Includes Probation
The total meth weight was 66.2 grams, including packaging. That equals about 2.34 ounces. The marijuana weighed 25.6 grams in total. That equals about 0.9 ounces.
The Class A felony carried a maximum 20-year sentence. Ellis received that sentence. Still, the court ordered him to serve three years in prison first.
After his release, Ellis will be placed on supervised probation for three years. If he breaks probation rules, he could return to prison. He would then face the remaining 17 years of the sentence.
Public case information can be found through the North Dakota Courts. State patrol information is available through the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.