Thief River Falls Man Faces 4 Vehicle Charges

PENNINGTON COUNTY, Minnesota (trfnews.i234.me) — A Thief River Falls man faces four criminal charges following a September traffic investigation.

Brian Wyman Wilde, 64, of Thief River Falls, was charged with two gross misdemeanors and two misdemeanors.

Prosecutors allege Wilde drove without insurance, with a revoked license, and with expired vehicle registration.

He also faces a charge involving an alleged attempt to avoid vehicle registration taxes.

The charges were filed in Pennington County District Court under case number 57-CR-26-722.

Police Spot Pickup With Expired Registration

According to the criminal complaint, an officer was patrolling Pennington County on September 17, 2026.

During the patrol, the officer reported seeing Wilde driving a blue pickup truck.

The officer already knew Wilde’s driving privileges had been revoked, according to the complaint.

The pickup’s registration also showed an expiration date of August 2022.

That meant the registration had been expired for more than four years.

The officer contacted Wilde and asked whether the pickup had insurance.

Wilde reportedly acknowledged that he did not have insurance on the vehicle.

The first charge alleges Wilde intentionally failed to properly register the vehicle to avoid paying motor vehicle taxes.

That offense is a gross misdemeanor under Minnesota Statute 168.35.

The second charge involves operating an uninsured vehicle.

Prosecutors allege the offense qualifies as a gross misdemeanor because of previous insurance-related convictions.

Wilde also faces misdemeanor charges of driving after revocation and operating an unregistered vehicle.

The complaint includes several earlier traffic-related convictions involving Wilde.

Those records include registration, insurance, and driving-after-revocation offenses dated March 3, 2026.

Prosecutors cited Wilde’s driving history in the new criminal filing.

The complaint does not identify the amount of vehicle taxes allegedly unpaid.

Each gross misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of 364 days in jail, a $3,000 fine, or both.

Each misdemeanor charge carries a maximum of 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.

The case is filed in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District.

Readers can search case 57-CR-26-722 through Minnesota Court Records Online.

The complaint is a formal accusation, not a finding of guilt.

Wilde is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.

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