Man appears on two drug possession charges

WORTHINGTON -- Steven McKnight, 54, made an initial appearance at the Nobles County District Court Tuesday morning on two felony drug charges and a misdemeanor.

According to court records, a Minnesota State Patrol trooper stopped a Toyota Tacoma travelling westbound on Interstate 90 earlier this September. The pickup, which had a Washington license plate, was driven by McKnight. The trooper noticed McKnight was closely following behind a blue Toyota Tundra bearing Indiana license plates.

When the officer turned on his squad’s emergency lights, McKnight and Daniel Medlin, the Toyota Tundra driver, pulled over. McKnight told the officer that he and Medlin were traveling together. The officer informed Medlin that it is illegal to make a non-emergency stop on an interstate and requested to wait for his friend on the next exit.

The officer suspected both individuals were involved in criminal activity due to several factors. Noted were the slow speed at which they were driving, as well as that both of them were traveling from areas where narcotics are known to sold and bought.

Both men admitted to have marijuana inside their cars. McKnight possessed three grams of the drug, and Medlin had seven grams.

A K-9 unit was brought to both vehicles, and the dog alerted the presence of controlled substances both around and inside the cars. When the officer searched McKnight’s car, he found two pill bottles with a prescription that did not belong to him. The bottles contained dextroamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, and Tramadol, a Schedule IV controlled substance.

McKnight was transported to the Nobles County Jail, while Medlin was warned for possession of marijuana.

McKnight could be facing a maximum sentence of five years in jail, a fine of $10,000 or both. He is also charged with a misdemeanor for possessing over one-quarter gram of marijuana in a motor vehicle. The misdemeanor offense carries a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine or both.

A contested omnibus hearing is scheduled for October.