BENSON — A Benson man is serving 23 months in prison for violating a restraining order filed against him.
Alexander Michael Forsberg, 27, formerly of Robbinsdale and Moorhead, pleaded guilty in January to a felony charge of harassment — violating a restraining order against a victim under the age of 18.
In exchange, three other felony harassment counts were dismissed in the case and another Swift County case charging him with terroristic threats was also dismissed. The county attorney, according to the plea petition, also agreed to a "bottom of the box" prison sentence, meaning the shortest term within the expected sentencing guidelines range of 23-32 months, based on Forsberg’s criminal history score.
Judge David Mennis sentenced Forsberg on Feb. 27, and granted him credit for 119 days already served in custody.
Under Minnesota law, offenders are required to serve at least two-thirds of a sentence in custody and may be allowed to serve the remaining time on supervised release. According to the state Department of Corrections website, Forsberg's expected release date from the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Faribault is Feb. 12, 2024.
ADVERTISEMENT
According to the criminal complaint, Swift County District Court issued an ex parte order granting a harassment restraining order against Forsberg on Oct. 15, 2021, barring him from contacting a juvenile female or her mother.
In Minnesota, an ex parte order is an emergency relief typically granted when there is an immediate threat. The party filing for emergency relief must show cause to why the relief is necessary.
Forsberg was served the order the same day and did not request a hearing to contest the restraining order.
On Nov. 14, 2021, a Benson police officer responded to a possible violation of the order, learning that Forsberg had sent messages on Nov. 1 asking the girl's brother to get her to lift the restraining order.
According to the complaint, Forsberg had also posted on social media the license plate number of one of the family’s vehicles scrawled into a notebook, asking someone to contact them and tell them to lift the restraining order.
On Nov. 1, 2021, Forsberg sent multiple messages to the brother via SnapChat asking him to “take care of this for me,” and even promised the brother that he would buy him a car when it was done. The brother didn’t see the messages until Nov. 14, according to the complaint.
Forsberg made his first appearance on the charges on Nov. 19, 2021, and a competency evaluation was ordered less than a week later. Forsberg was found incompetent to stand trial by Judge Mennis in January of 2022.
Forsberg entered in-patient treatment in February 2022, and case proceedings resumed in July of 2022 after he was found competent.
ADVERTISEMENT
Forsberg’s public criminal history record shows two prior domestic violence-related convictions with the last 10 years, according to the criminal complaint. He was convicted of second-degree assault in Clay County during January of 2019 and was previously convicted in Swift County District Court for felony threats of violence in October of 2018.
The Trust Project
