St. Cloud Man Charged After Drug Bust Turns Up Large Quantities of Methamphetamine

(KNSI) — A St. Cloud man is charged after investigators say he sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Stearns County.

According to the criminal complaint, investigators with the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force first targeted 32-year-old Benjamin Peschl in January after working with a confidential informant who said they had previously bought methamphetamine from him. The informant showed investigators text messages arranging a purchase for about $300. After being searched and equipped with an audio recording device, the informant drove to Peschl’s apartment to buy the drugs. Shortly after arriving, a woman walked up to the car and got inside. She was recorded counting money and the drug deal taking place before getting out. Authorities then heard Peschl call the informant and ask how the transaction went. The informant later turned over a bag containing a crystal substance weighing 36.98 grams that field-tested positive for meth.

Investigators say the case continued developing through February when another informant reported that Peschl was distributing drugs while driving a dark blue Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. On March 5th, authorities learned Peschl had traveled to the Eden Prairie area to resupply and was believed to be heading to St. Cloud via Interstate 94.

Court papers say authorities found the truck in Clearwater and pulled it over. The woman who was driving admitted there was meth in the car, saying Peschl had told her about it. She also said the pair had been staying at a hotel near Mystic Lake Casino and that she had seen a bag of meth in their hotel room. She believed the drugs had been packed into a gray duffel bag belonging to Peschl.

According to the complaint, Peschl admitted to having drugs in his truck and told investigators exactly where to find them. They searched his luggage and found a red toiletry bag containing several plastic bags filled with a white crystal substance that appeared to be meth. The bags weighed a combined 114.5 grams. Investigators also found unused hypodermic needles and packaging materials commonly associated with drug sales.

Later the same day, investigators executed a search warrant at Peschl’s apartment. A safe found in his bedroom contained more meth, suspected Ecstasy pills, and psilocybin mushrooms. Investigators also recovered a digital scale, additional plastic baggies, and a magnetic box commonly used to hide drugs in a vehicle’s undercarriage.

Peschl is charged with first-degree sale of a controlled substance. He made an initial court appearance on Friday, where a judge set bail at $750,000 with no conditions or $100,000 with conditions. His next court appearance is set for April 2nd.

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