Willmar, Minn., woman sentenced to probation for selling marijuana

WILLMAR -- Lauralee Mary Evans, 22, of Willmar, was sentenced Tuesday to 30 days in the county jail, five years of probation and 200 hours of community work service on a fifth-degree drug sale charge for her role in selling one-quarter pound of marijuana to a CEE-VI Drug Task Force informant in January.

As part of her sentence in Kandiyohi County District Court, Evans was also ordered to follow the recommendations of a chemical use assessment, to not enter bars or liquor stores, to not be where illegal drugs are used, sold or stored and to make progress toward her GED. The community service work must be completed within 90 days and is in lieu of a fine.

Evans is one of four people charged in the case. Sergio Balladares Jr., 20, and Tamara Dawn Mendoza, 22, both of Willmar, each have a Dec. 3 hearing. Mauro Berga Lopez-Rasmussen, 19, of Willmar, has a warrant for his arrest.

According to the complaints against Evans and Balladares, the informant arranged to purchase the marijuana for $350 on Jan. 25 in a parking lot along U.S. Highway 12 in Willmar. The informant and a CEE-VI agent met the pair in the parking lot and then another vehicle came to the lot. The second vehicle, later stopped by Willmar police, was driven by Mendoza, who with Lopez-Rasmussen subsequently met the informant in another parking lot to complete the sale. Mendoza told the officer that the deal was moved and delayed because Lopez-Rasmussen didn't want to sell the drugs to the informant.

The informant turned over the marijuana, in a fast-food bag, to agents. The drugs weighed 110 grams and field-tested positive as marijuana.