Minnesota Drug Bust Nets 8 Grams Of Fentanyl + AR-15

An Iron Range drug bust has resulted in an arrest and multiple charges for a 40-year old Chisholm man. Justin Dean Stauffer is in custody in connection with the incident that occured on March 21.

According to details shared by the the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, the drug bust was the result of a search warrant that was executed by the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force (LSVOTF) in partnership with local law enforcement agencies. The warrant had been issued in connection with an investigation effort into Stauffer, who was residing at the residence on the 700 block of 3rd Street NW in Chisholm.

When the authorities arrived, Stauffer attempted to leave the residence. That's when K-9 "Bear" was put into action:

"Stauffer....exit[ed] the rear of the residence in what appeared to be an attempt to evade law enforcement. After a few warning barks from police K9 "Bear" who was guarding the rear perimeter, Stauffer complied with officer commands and was detained without incident."

When the LSVOTF searched the residence, they turned up a large amount of narcotics, weapons, and drug paraphernalia.

The incident report details what authorities found and confiscated:

AR-15 rifle and ammunition
Two gun magazines
2-ounces of methamphetamine
8-plus grams of Fentanyl
.6 grams of cocaine
A small amount of marijuana
Numerous Schedule 2 and Schedule 4 controlled pills
Various drug paraphernalia items - including a digital scale

According to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, 2 milligrams of Fentanyl is "considered to be a potentially lethal dose" - on average - depending on the body factors of the person ingesting it. "Therefore, 8 grams of Fentanyl seized equates to several thousand lethal doses".The department offered that "the impact of....8 grams of Fentanyl on a small Iron Range community is substantial".

Stauffer made his first appearance in court on March 24. During that arraignment hearing, bail was set at $300.000. Stauffer also "received multiple felony charges including First Degree sale of methamphetamine, Third Degree sale of Fentanyl, FIrst Degree possession of a controlled substance, and felon in possession of a firearm".

This isn't the first felony charge for Stauffer. He has multiple felony convictions on his record "relating to drug possession and fleeing law enforcement".

Things That Might Surprise First Time Minnesota Visitors

States with the most registered hunters

Stacker analyzed data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine which states have the most registered hunters. Read on to see how your state ranks on Stacker’s list.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.