Man pleads to drug possession count in cocaine case

WILLMAR - Manuel Antonio Luna, 31, of Willmar, pleaded guilty Tuesday to an amended third-degree drug possession charge for 11 grams of cocaine found in his residence in December during a search by CEE-VI Drug Task Force agents.
As part of a plea agreement in Kandiyohi County District Court, the charge was reduced from second-degree level and a gross misdemeanor charge of child endangerment and petty misdemeanor counts of marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession will be dismissed. He will be sentenced June 19.
Luna and Nora Lizeth Luna, 30, of Willmar, were both charged with the same counts in the case. Nora Luna’s next appearance is Thursday.
According to the complaints, a search was conducted at the home around 8:45 a.m. Dec. 12 and revealed a total of 11 grams of cocaine, a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia found in a bedroom. The paraphernalia included a marijuana grinder and bong, drug pipes, a drug snorting tube and a WD-40 can used to conceal the cut corners of plastic bags, commonly used as drug packaging material.
The search also revealed drug paraphernalia in the kitchen and photos of marijuana and other drug items on digital memory cards.
Nora Luna was interviewed and claimed to know nothing about the cocaine, that she never saw her husband use cocaine and that he went outside of the residence to smoke marijuana. She denied using either cocaine or marijuana.
Manuel Luna admitted to using cocaine and that he had recently purchased 7 grams for $350, noting that the stash was in his sock drawer. He also told agents there was a half gram of cocaine in a red toolbox in the entry of the home and agents found the drugs in the toolbox.