On or about June 4, 2026, at approximately 12:45 A.M., an officer with the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department was traveling north on U. S. Highway 169 near Wagidaaki Drive, in Onamia, Mille Lacs County, Minnesota. While on patrol, the officer noticed a vehicle traveling south on Highway 169, and noticed when it passed by, neither taillight was operative. The officer conducted a U-turn and activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop. The vehicle was slow to come to a stop, and continued traveling for approximately 25 seconds before stopping on Ataage Drive near Highway 169. During the southbound travel, the vehicle passed within 300 feet of Shaw Bosh Kung Park, a designated park by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, a federally recognized Indian Tribe.
The officer approached the vehicle and made contact with the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, later identified as HARRY CURTIS SANDOZ [DOB REDACTED]. SANDOZ stated he did not have a driver’s license with him nor did he have proof of insurance for the vehicle. SANDOZ informed the officer that he had recently purchased the vehicle from another, and the officer asked SANDOZ if he had any documentation relating to the purchase of the vehicle. SANDOZ opened the glove compartment, and the officer in plain view noticed drug paraphernalia, including a glass bubble pipe with black residue and a pink bubble pipe.
The officer noticed SANDOZ look in the glove compartment and immediately closing it, stating he had no paperwork. While speaking with SANDOZ, the officer observed SANDOZ to have extreme tooth decay, a symptom of long-term methamphetamine use. The officer asked SANDOZ to exit the vehicle, and he complied. The officer asked SANDOZ if he had used methamphetamine, and he stated “I have” and “now is just a weak moment.” The officer asked SANDOZ if the methamphetamine pipes in the vehicle were his, and SANDOZ stated “no, mine’s at home.” The officer elected to search the vehicle.
When SANDOZ was asked if he would find anything illegal in the vehicle, SANDOZ stated “yeah, you probably will.” In the vehicle, the officer located a tin container which contained a white crystal-like substance which in the officer’s training and experience was consistent with methamphetamine. The officer also discovered a scale, a spoon, a scoop, a cut straw, and multiple empty baggies. The officer returned to SANDOZ and placed him under arrest for possession of a controlled substance. SANDOZ was transported to the Mille Lacs County Jail without further incident.
The suspected methamphetamine weighed approximately 6.8 grams. SANDOZ has several prior convictions for Controlled Substance Crime in the Third and Fifth degrees. 3 ••-CR-••-•••• Filed in District Court State of Minnesota 6/5/2026 PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: Pursuant to Minn. Stat. 609.49, intentional failure to appear for duly scheduled court appearances may result in additional criminal charges, and in addition to any arrest warrant that may otherwise be issued by the Court.
