Crow Wing County (trfnews.i234.me) — A Walker man is charged after a visit to a Nisswa home.
Prosecutors say Jerry Allen Stangel, 50, wore a mask and knocked on the door.
The visit came the night before the planned testimony in a drug case.
That case involved Stangel’s wife, according to the criminal complaint.
Stangel faces three felony counts and one misdemeanor count.
The felonies include first-degree witness tampering.
They also include harassment with a dangerous weapon.
The misdemeanor charge is trespass, court records say.
What the police say happened
A resident, listed as MWJ, called police about suspicious activity.
MWJ is described as an off-duty law enforcement officer.
The caller said a masked man claimed he was out of gas.
MWJ did not open the door, according to the complaint.
The man left a short time later.
Police soon stopped a Jeep Grand Cherokee leaving the area.
Officers identified the driver as Jerry Allen Stangel.
Stangel said he was lost while driving from Elk River to Walker.
He said he was low on gas and needed help.
Officers released him at first, records say.
Police later learned MWJ was set to testify the next day.
That testimony was tied to the case against Stangel’s wife.
Officers later found Stangel at a Holiday gas station.
They arrested him there, according to the complaint.
Evidence recovered
Police say Stangel admitted he searched online for MWJ’s address.
He told officers he wanted to “beat him up,” the complaint says.
He also accused MWJ of altering evidence and lying in the drug case.
Police say Stangel threw a gun from his vehicle after seeing squad cars.
The next morning, officers followed footprints in the snow near the home.
They found a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun in a nearby snowbank.
The handgun had an extended magazine, police said.
Investigators also found a note with MWJ’s name and address.
The note was inside Stangel’s vehicle, the complaint says.
Charges and court action
The complaint cites Minn. Stat. 609.498 and Minn. Stat. 609.749.
Those laws cover witness tampering and harassment crimes.
Trespass is often charged under Minn. Stat. 609.605.
The alleged offense date is January 26, 2026.
The charges were filed on January 28, 2026.
Stangel appeared in court on January 28, 2026.
Judge Kristine DeMay set bail at $2,000,000 without conditions.
The case remains pending in Crow Wing County District Court.
For basic case access, the state points readers to MCRO.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.