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CARLTON — A Duluth man who was arrested on June 12 was found to have more than 11 pounds of methamphetamine in his possession, according to a criminal complaint.
Tyler Lee Hautajarvi, 26, was charged with one count of first-degree drug possession of methamphetamine, which comes with a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both.
According to the criminal complaint, the Carlton County Sheriff's Office received a tip that Hautajarvi may be trafficking drugs in May and learned he was in possession of a "bulk" of U.S. currency and firearms.
Two other tipsters told authorities Hautajarvi had large quantities of methamphetamine in the Duluth area and they had purchased methamphetamine from him.
After corroborating the information, the complaint said officers placed a trap and trace order on Hautajarvi's phone.
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Officers observed his phone was in contact with a number known to be associated with drug distributing, and on the night of June 11, saw him travel south to Hinckley before returning north. Hinckley is frequented by drug dealers, the complaint said, as it is the midway point between Duluth and the Twin Cities.
St. Louis County Sheriff's deputies pulled Hautajarvi over on the morning of June 12.
Upon executing a search warrant, the complaint said officers discovered that Hautajarvi's vehicle was being driven by a woman, with Hautajarvi as the sole passenger. During the search, officers found a handgun and 11.61 pounds of a substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the criminal complaint.
Hautajarvi was arrested, He was transferred to the Carlton County jail on Monday, June 27.
Hautajarvi's bail was set at $300,000, and his initial appearance was scheduled for July 11.
