n Brandon Jerod Hoting, 24, of Willmar, made his first appearance Friday before Judge Michael Thompson on a charge of receiving stolen property. Hoting was released on his own recognizance. His next appearance is in December.
Hoting is alleged to have stolen a $50,000 Caterpillar skid loader owned by Weidema Construction on Monday from a work site west of Willmar.
Weidema is a contractor working on the conveyance portion of Willmar's wastewater treatment project.
On Thursday, the sheriff's office was notified that the loader may be at a rural residence in the 3900 block of 15th Avenue Southeast. Later, a sheriff's deputy followed a pickup truck pulling a trailer on which the loader was sitting and identified as the stolen loader.
The criminal complaint stated the deputy stopped the truck after the truck drove over the center line twice on County Road 9. Hoting was questioned about where he obtained the loader and was arrested.
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- Todd Alan Church, 45, no permanent residence, made his first appearance Friday on four drug-related charges. Judge Michael Thompson set unconditional release at $100,000 bond or cash and conditional release at $50,000 bond or cash.
Church was arrested Wednesday 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.
Church was charged with two counts of first-degree controlled substance crime, one count of first-degree aid-and-abet controlled substance crime and one count of possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle.
- Unconditional release bond was set at $100,000 for Russell Wayne Milner, 43, of Renville who made his first appearance Friday before Judge Michael Thompson. Milner was charged with first-degree controlled substance crime and first-degree conspiracy controlled substance crime.
Officers of a drug task force arrested Milner after Milner paid $2,200 to a confidential informant for one ounce of methamphetamine. The criminal complaint states that Milner gave the money to the informant in the parking lot of an Olivia business. He then drove to the parking lot of a Willmar business where the drug was exchanged.
- Unconditional release bond was also set at $100,000 or $25,000 for conditional release for Belle Marie Milner, 50, of Renville. She appeared before Judge Michael Thompson on Friday on charges of first-degree controlled substance crime, first-degree conspiracy controlled substance crime and third-degree aid-and-abet controlled substance crime.
The criminal complaint states that Milner purchased one ounce of methamphetamine from a confidential informant working for a drug task force on Wednesday in the parking lot of a Willmar business.
During an interview with police after she was arrested, Milner admitted to meeting the informant to pick up and bring the drugs to "Fargo'' people. She also said she wanted to pick up some drugs for her husband, Russell.
