Traffic stop near Moose Lake ends with crack find

A fairly routine traffic stop Sunday on Interstate 35 near Moose Lake ended with the discovery of 8 grams of crack cocaine in the rectum of the uncooperative defendant, according to authorities.

Amir Raheem McKeever, 19, of St. Paul was arrested and charged with felony second-degree drug possession of 6 or more grams of cocaine, gross misdemeanor obstruction of legal process and introducing contraband into the jail, as well as misdemeanor charges of driving after suspension and possession of more than 1.4 grams of marijuana in a motor vehicle.

According to the complaint:

Minnesota State Patrol Trooper David Vereecken was on routine patrol on Interstate 35 at 5:45 p.m. April 22 when he observed a familiar vehicle going 75 mph in a 70 mph zone near Moose Lake. When he stopped the vehicle, he recognized the driver, McKeever, from a previous stop when the St. Paul man was driving after suspension. His license still was suspended, so the trooper arrested him and made arrangements to have the vehicle towed and McKeever transported to the law enforcement center.

Though Vereecken reported finding a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle before it was towed, it wasn’t until the booking process that law enforcement officials found “a baggie of crack cocaine in his rectum that he would not voluntarily remove,” the complaint states. Police reported that McKeever was subdued and the baggie retrieved.

The contents tested positive for crack cocaine and were sent to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for official weight and analysis, according to the complaint.

McKeever’s bail was set at $3,000 and he was granted a public defender in State District Court in Carlton County.

According to public record, McKeever has three felony charges on his record as a juvenile, for fourth-degree burglary and fifth-degree assault as well as for theft.

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