One man and one woman are facing felony drug charges after a Cambridge business reported a suspicious vehicle parked in its parking lot on Aug. 4 on South Main Street.
Bernard Lee Reinke, 47, of Cambridge, and Caprice Renee Miller, 47, of Wyoming, were charged Aug. 5 before Judge Amy Brosnahan in Isanti County District Court in Cambridge.
Reinke was charged with felony third-degree drug sale and gross misdemeanor fifth-degree drug possession. His bail was set at $100,000 without conditions or $50,000 with conditions and his next court appearance for Aug. 10.
Miller was charged with gross misdemeanor fifth-degree drug possession and misdemeanor pharmacy, possession of hypodermic needles. Her bail was set at $6,000 without conditions or $1,000 with conditions and her next court appearance for Aug. 10.
According to court records, Reinke was convicted of second-degree possession of a controlled substance in Carlton County in January 2003, and Miller was convicted of felony fifth-degree drug possession in Anoka County in July 2014.
According to the criminal complaint:
On Aug. 4, at 7:26 a.m., officers Dan Owl and Jenni Caulk of the Cambridge Police Department were dispatched on a report of a white passenger vehicle parked against the fence near the business at 234 Main St. S.
Owl responded to the location and made contact with Reinke seated in the driver’s seat. When Reinke opened the door, Owl noticed a black case fall from the left outside edge of the seat down to the door sill on the driver’s side. Reinke indicated he was on his way to do concrete work. Owl noticed Reinke was nervous and fidgety, and his eyes were shifty and his pupils constricted.
Owl asked Reinke about his constricted pupils and Reinke replied he works a lot and that he is prescribed lithium. Reinke also admitted to controlled substance use in the past, specifically methamphetamine. Owl noticed Reinke’s arms were dotted with scabs on his veins, consistent with hypodermic needles and drug use.
Owl also had a conversation with Miller, who also indicated she has used methamphetamine in the past and has been on probation for drug offenses. Miller indicated the vehicle was hers, that she paid $200 for it, but she had failed to transfer the title to it. Miller also indicated Reinke was driving the vehicle. Owl requested permission to search the vehicle based on his concerns, and Miller granted him permission.
Owl went to the driver’s side of the vehicle and located the black case he saw fall when Reinke opened the door. The case was partially opened and Owl could see red straws that were cut and melted on one end. He also saw a clear bag. As he opened the case, a bag was noted to contain an amount of a crystal-like substance that later field-tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 0.5 grams.
Also in the case was a metal case that contained five bags that each contained a crystal-like substance consistent with methamphetamine. These each were later found positive for methamphetamine with a weight of 0.7 grams. Also in the case were five empty bags bundled together with a rubber band. This packaging of specific proportioned amounts is consistent with the intention to sell methamphetamine. Also inside the case was a syringe with liquid that field-tested positive for methamphetamine. A clear glass pipe was located in between the seats that field-tested positive for methamphetamine. Inside Miller’s purse were two empty hypodermic needles.
The total weight of the methamphetamine was determined to be approximately 4 grams.