Records, Feb. 27, 2007

District Court

* A 22-year-old St. James man was sentenced Friday on a felony drug charge.

Michael Bruce Macmaster faced a felony charge of fifth-degree controlled substance violation along with misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle and not having proof of insurance.

Macmaster pleaded guilty to the felony charge Nov. 20 under the agreement that the remaining charges would be dismissed. As part of the agreement, Macmaster also asked for a stay of adjudication at sentencing.

A stay of adjudication would have meant that the charge would not show up as a conviction and that the matter would be removed from Macmaster's record if he was able to comply with conditions set at sentencing.

However, Judge Donald M. Spilseth instead issued a five-year stay of imposition on Macmaster's sentence. Spilseth also fined Macmaster $1,500 and ordered him to serve three months in jail and complete a chemical dependency program as conditions of the stayed sentence. Macmaster was given credit for 59 days already spent in jail.

The stay of imposition will reduce the felony conviction to a misdemeanor on Macmaster's criminal record if Macmaster complies with the sentencing conditions.

Charges were filed against Macmaster after an Aug. 13 traffic stop, during which he was found in possession of marijuana and cocaine.

A Minnesota State Patrol trooper stopped Macmaster for speeding on U.S. Highway 71, near County Road 90. The complaint states that Macmaster admitted he and his passenger had been smoking marijuana in the vehicle.

During a search, a half-gram of cocaine was also found in Macmaster's wallet.

* A 29-year-old Spicer woman was sentenced Friday on a felony drug charge stemming from an incident when she received a prescription in the name of another woman and forged the other woman's signature.

Angela Lynn Linhoff faced felony charges for fourth- and fifth-degree controlled substance violations along with forgery.

Linhoff pleaded guilty to the fifth-degree controlled substance charge Feb. 8 under the agreement that the remaining two charges would be dismissed. The fifth-degree controlled substance charge carries a minimum sentence of six months in jail.

Judge Donald M. Spilseth sentenced Linhoff to 13 months in prison and fined her $50. Spilseth stayed all of the prison time and ordered Linhoff to spend 6 months in jail, complete chemical dependency and comply with probation for 10 years. Linhoff was given credit for 88 days already spend in jail.

In the past two years, Linhoff has faced 10 fifth-degree controlled substance charges. Although she has faced little jail time for the previous convictions, her most recent conviction constitutes a probation violation on several of the previous cases.

The most recent charges were filed after a woman reported to the Willmar Police Department that she was billed for prescription medication she never received.

According to the complaint, the Willmar Medicine Shoppe delivered a prescription of vicodin Nov. 30 to the Comfort Inn, which was signed in the woman's name. The woman and Linhoff both work at the Comfort Inn. The woman told officers that she didn't work the night the medicine was delivered and never used the Willmar Medicine Shoppe for her medication.

Further investigation by officers showed that the prescription was transferred from the Litchfield Medicine Shoppe to Willmar. The person who delivered the medicine was also able to identify Linhoff from a photo lineup.

* An 18-year-old Appleton man pleaded guilty to a felony charge Monday after he was found driving a stolen pickup.

David Martin Fust faced a felony charge of receiving stolen property along with misdemeanor charges of fleeing an officer, criminal damage to property and motor vehicle tampering.

Fust pleaded guilty to the felony charge under the agreement that he would receive a stay of imposition at sentencing -- meaning the conviction would be reduced on his record to a misdemeanor if he complies with conditions set at sentencing. The remaining charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

Fust was released conditionally on his own recognizance after the plea hearing.

Charges were filed after a Jan 16 incident when Fust was found driving a pickup stolen from Litchfield.

According to the complaint, a Willmar police officer located the reportedly stolen GMC pickup around 2:15 a.m. driving along U.S. Highway 12 and attempted to stop the vehicle. Fust jumped from the vehicle without putting it into park and fled officers on foot. The complaint states that the truck rolled into the back of another squad car.

Fust was pursued by authorities through several residential yards before a Minnesota State Patrol trooper cut off his escape path. Fust was arrested but refused to give any statement, according to the complaint.

Fust is scheduled to be sentenced April 24.

* A 26-year-old Willmar man pleaded guilty to a felony charge Feb. 20 for possessing a gun after his right to possess a firearm was restricted.

Jason William Power faced the felony charge along with a misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor charge after a Sept. 3 incident.

Power pleaded guilty to the felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm under the agreement that the remaining charges would be dismissed. Power's right to possess a firearm was restricted after two previous convictions.

According to the complaint, a Minnesota State Patrol trooper stopped Power along U.S. Highway 12 in Kandiyohi after receiving a report that Power had been hunting geese in rural Atwater. Power was found in possession of a 12-gauge shotgun, shells and a marijuana pipe.

Power is scheduled to be sentenced April 16.

* A 44-year-old Willmar man pleaded guilty to felony and gross misdemeanor charges Feb. 13 for using a false name.

Felipe Estrada-Mendoza faced felony charges of aggravated forgery and forgery. He also faced four gross misdemeanor charges for giving a false name to a judicial officer.

Estrada-Mendoza pleaded guilty to the forgery charge and one of the gross misdemeanor charges. The remaining charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Charges against Estrada-Mendoza were filed after a Willmar police officer noticed in October that a Roy Garza listed on a community parole sheet had an alias of Felipe Estrada-Mendoza.

According to the complaint, the sheet mentioning Roy Garza's alias contained a notation that mentioned Estrada-Mendoza was Garza's real name. Further investigation by the officer in December revealed that Garza was employed at Jennie-O Turkey Store and had four previous court cases in Kandiyohi County. Garza had pleaded guilty in all of the cases. No mention of Garza using an alias of Estrada-Mendoza was listed in any of the court files, the complaint states.

During a police interview Garza admitted that his real name was Estrada-Mendoza and that he had purchased the false name of Roy Garza while in Texas. Estrada-Mendoza had been using the false name for the past six years, the complaint states.

Estrada-Mendoza is scheduled to be sentenced March 26.

Theft

KANDIYOHI -- The theft of a mailbox was reported to the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Department around 9:20 a.m. Monday along the 400 block of a 82nd Street Southeast.

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The West Central Tribune publishes Records and Convictions as part of its obligation to inform readers about the business of public institutions and to serve as a keeper of the local historical record.

All items are taken from public documents at county courthouses and from law enforcement agencies.

It is the Tribune's policy that this column contain a complete record. Requests for items to be withheld will not be granted.