A multiyear investigation culminated in the arrest Monday of a White Earth, Minn., man on charges that he trafficked cocaine into the White Earth and Red Lake (Minn.) Indian Reservations.
David James Bower, 36, was arrested on a federal warrant at a White Earth residence early Monday and appeared in U.S. District Court in Bemidji later in the day.
Bower was ordered held without bond pending his next court appearance.
Another man charged in the case, Todd Douglas Miller, 24, of Bemidji remains a fugitive, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minneapolis.
Both men face several charges handed down by a federal grand jury, including conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine and more than 5 kilograms of cocaine.
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The two are accused of distributing drugs to minors and of using juveniles to distribute drugs, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
If convicted, Bower and Miller face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The investigation is ongoing and others may be charged in the future, Becker County Sheriff Tim Gordon said.
The investigation that led to Monday's arrest spanned several years and is one of the longest in Becker County's history, Gordon said.
Agencies participating in the investigation include the Becker and Mahnomen County sheriff's departments, the White Earth and Red Lake tribal police departments, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Gordon said.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Dave Olson at (701) 241-5555
