Two in court for alleged drug sales to informant

WILLMAR - Two of the three people charged in a drug case made their first court appearances Wednesday.
Both face felony third-degree drug sale charges for their alleged roles in selling methamphetamine to a CEE-VI Drug Task Force informant
Mariah Shanlee Koenen, 19, of Willmar, faces three counts. Mitchell Edward Bane, 20, of Willmar, faces two counts. Koenen’s bail was set at $20,000. Bane’s bail was set at $15,000. Both are scheduled to make their next appearance Nov. 12 in Kandiyohi County District Court.
A third person charged in the case, Dameon Alonzo Taylor, 34, of Willmar, failed to appear at the hearing.
According to the complaints, an informant purchased 0.9 grams of meth from the trio June 25 in a parking lot at the Willow Run Apartment complex in Willmar. The informant also told law enforcement officers that Koenen was carrying a 2- to 3-month-old infant during the drug deal.
On July 3, the informant purchased 0.4 grams of meth from Taylor and Bane at the same location.
On Aug. 14, the informant purchased 1 gram of meth in the parking lot of the Willmar McDonalds restaurant, with Taylor arranging the sale, and Koenen delivering the drugs and accepting payment.
Koenen was questioned by task force agents in September and allegedly admitted she knew that drugs were being sold. She also said that she had the child with her during the June 25 sale, that she knew Taylor was going to sell meth July 3 and that she traveled to another location Aug. 14 to get meth from another individual to sell.