A district court complaint links Mehtala to a stolen black 1998 Ford F-150.<\/p>\n
The truck was reported stolen from a Fargo residence.<\/p>\n
The owner valued the pickup at about $10,000, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n
The case is filed as 14-CR-26-2996 in Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District.<\/p>\n
Truck Found on Barnesville-Area Property<\/h2>\n
The owner later told investigators he suspected Mehtala and Xander Michael Quarve were involved.<\/p>\n
He also reported the truck was being kept at Michael Paul Johnson’s property near Barnesville.<\/p>\n
Authorities visited the property on April 28, 2026.<\/p>\n
A Ford F-150 matching the stolen truck was visible from a nearby road.<\/p>\n
The complaint says the truck was missing its doors, hood, and large parts of the engine.<\/p>\n
Investigators checked the vehicle identification number.<\/p>\n
The VIN matched the truck reported stolen in Fargo.<\/p>\n
Johnson told investigators that Mehtala and Quarve brought the truck to his property months earlier.<\/p>\n
He said they quickly removed the tires and began taking parts from the vehicle.<\/p>\n
Johnson said Quarve claimed the truck had been purchased through Facebook Marketplace.<\/p>\n
He also said the truck was damaged and later shot with a gun.<\/p>\n
Mehtala Denies Involvement<\/h2>\n
Investigators later contacted Mehtala at his Moorhead address.<\/p>\n
A different Ford F-150 was found there, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n
Investigators saw an air compressor and a spare tire inside Mehtala’s truck.<\/p>\n
Mehtala denied involvement in stealing the other truck.<\/p>\n
Quarve also told investigators he knew nothing about the vehicle.<\/p>\n
The stolen truck disappeared from Johnson’s property before authorities could remove it.<\/p>\n
It was found the next day in a ditch near Barnesville.<\/p>\n
The location was about four miles from where investigators had previously seen the truck.<\/p>\n
Investigators later reported seeing similar items at Johnson’s property.<\/p>\n
Those items matched an air compressor and spare tire seen earlier in Mehtala’s truck.<\/p>\n
Phone Records Cited<\/h2>\n
Authorities obtained search warrants for phone records linked to Mehtala and Quarve.<\/p>\n
The complaint says both phones used the same cell towers on April 28.<\/p>\n
Those towers covered the areas where the truck was taken and later found.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors allege Mehtala possessed or handled the stolen vehicle while knowing it was stolen.<\/p>\n
He is charged under Minnesota Statute 609.53<\/a>.<\/p>\n The complaint lists a maximum sentence of five years in prison.<\/p>\n It also lists a possible fine of up to $10,000.<\/p>\n The charge is an allegation and does not establish guilt.<\/p>\n Mehtala is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.<\/p>\n Readers can search public cases through the Minnesota Judicial Branch<\/a>.<\/p>\n I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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