Raymond man pleads guilty to drug charge, careless driving

WILLMAR -- A 46-year-old Raymond man pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony fifth-degree controlled substance crime and to a misdemeanor for careless driving in connection with a March 8 incident that involved running from an officer with almost a pound of marijuana in his vehicle.

Brian Scott Turbes will be sentenced Sept. 21 in Kandiyohi County District Court. As part of a plea agreement, two additional felony charges, plus another misdemeanor, will be dismissed.

The charges were filed after a Kandiyohi County sheriff's deputy on patrol around 3:30 a.m. March 8 observed a vehicle that didn't stop at the railroad crossing at 75th Avenue Southwest near Raymond.

The vehicle accelerated and the deputy followed at speeds reaching 70 to 75 mph on gravel roads.

The vehicle turned off onto a non-maintained field road and eventually stopped. Turbes was ordered out of the vehicle and handcuffed.

When questioned, he admitted to having a small amount of marijuana, 9 grams, which was found in a pocket. Officers also found a plastic bag containing methamphetamine residue.

During a vehicle search, officers found a cardboard box in the bed of Turbes' pickup.

The box contained 378 grams of a green, leafy substance that tested positive as marijuana.

The vehicle was towed and Turbes was arrested and taken to the Law Enforcement Center, where a corrections officer found another bag, containing less than 3 grams of methamphetamine, in his pocket.