District Court, Kandiyohi County, Dec. 24
- Todd Alan Church, 45, no permanent residence, pleaded guilty Tuesday to an amended charge of fourth-degree controlled substance.
As part of a plea agreement, the charge was lowered from a first-degree controlled substance crime and two other first-degree charges, plus a misdemeanor, will be dismissed. He will be sentenced Feb. 5.
Church was arrested Nov. 19 during an undercover drug investigation in which he was alleged to have bought methamphetamine from a confidential informant in the parking lot of a Willmar business. After the sale, Church attempted to elude officers but his vehicle was stopped in the parking lot and he was arrested.
- Vianey Garcia, 23, of Willmar, pleaded guilty Tuesday to felony charges of wrongfully obtaining assistance and perjury.
As part of a plea agreement, the wrongfully obtaining assistance charge was lowered to a lower level felony and seven other felony charges for perjury and aggravated forgery will be dismissed. She will be sentenced Feb. 9.
According to the complaint, Garcia applied for and received public assistance, claiming she did not have a job while she was actually working at Jennie-O Foods under the name Laura Alvarez. Garcia. She wrongfully received $6,169.79 from May 2003 to January 2007.
The perjury and forgery charges stem from signing government documents that she knew contained inaccurate information.