Deputy Honored For Work Busting International Drug Ring

(KNSI) – A Stearns County deputy has been honored for his work busting an international drug ring that brought narcotics to central Minnesota.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Certificate of Appreciation was given to Deputy Joel Schmidt for his role in a case involving numerous arrests, including ties to Mexican cartels. He was honored at this week’s county commissioner meeting.

Schmidt was one of the people looking into the activities of Macalla “Kayla” Knot. The 30-year-old St. Cloud woman lived in Mexico and was trafficking large amounts of meth and fentanyl to various organization members in the country, including Minnesota and North Dakota.

The U.S. Attorney says Schmidt was one of the investigators who put in hundreds of hours to get the evidence and conduct the interviews to put together a case. As a result, 19 members were indicted, some receiving very long sentences. Officials say, more importantly, his work kept hundreds of pounds of fentanyl and meth from going into the community.

Knot is scheduled to be sentenced later this month. Two others have already learned their fates for their involvement. Twenty-eight-year-old Melanie Quick of St. Cloud was sentenced to nine years. Mary Thompson, age 29, from Moorhead, will spend eight years in prison.

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