Becker County, MN (trfnews.i234.me) – Joshua James Tougas, 35, of rural Lake Park, has been sentenced in Becker County District Court for felony receiving stolen property after a plea agreement dropped a second-degree drug charge.
Court records reveal that on July 25, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant on a property in Lake Park. Methamphetamine was found on tables inside a shop building where numerous people, including Tougas, were present. A Remington 870 sawed-off shotgun, a stolen Winchester rifle, and other firearms reported stolen in Fargo were recovered. DNA evidence linked Tougas to two of the firearms.
Tougas admitted to purchasing methamphetamine in the past. Authorities confirmed the seized substance as methamphetamine, totaling approximately 32 grams.
On August 21, 2024, Judge Gretchen Thilmony issued a stay of imposition, meaning the felony theft conviction could become a misdemeanor upon successful probation completion. Tougas was sentenced to 30 days in custody, 30 days of electronic monitoring, and fined $1,150. Additional conditions include supervised probation for five years, abstaining from drugs or alcohol, and attending a MADD Impact Panel.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for trfnews.i234.me