On January 16, 2026, at approximately 2:38pm, Deputy Jeremy Johnson of the Itasca County Sheriff's Office / AIM-VCET Drug Task Force applied for a search warrant for the residence at [ADDRESS REDACTED] 65 in Itasca County, including all outbuildings. The search warrant also included the person of Steven Scott Samuelson and Adrian Ernest Smock. The search warrant authorized the above premises and persons to be searched for controlled substances and related evidence. The search warrant was signed by the Honorable Kimberly Wimmer on January 16, 2026 at 5:33pm.
AIM-VCET was assisting Itasca County Health and Human Services in connection with a child [NAME REDACTED] in connection with three (3) children residing at the home, ages 7, 9, and 15. The caregivers for the children were identified as Steven Scott Samuelson, [DOB REDACTED] (grandfather), Adrian Ernest Smock, [DOB REDACTED] (father), and S. A. S., [DOB REDACTED] (mother). On January 20, 2026, at 11:59am, law enforcement arrived at the residence to execute the search warrant. Officers initially made contact with Adrian Smock outside the residence.
He was advised of the search warrant and was detained in the back of a squad. A search of his person was conducted which yielded multiple microbaggies containing a white residue and two (2) methamphetamine pipes. The residue inside the microbaggies subsequently tested positive for methamphetamine (a Schedule II controlled substance). Smock subsequently gave a Mirandized statement during which he admitted that prescription medications, pot pipes, and alcohol would be located inside the house. He made the statement that, "the most anyone can get me on is paraphernalia". He claimed that the kids were not allowed into his room and do not go down to the basement.
He claimed that he did not know what went on in the basement and only goes down there "to throw in a load of laundry". The basement of the residence was occupied by Steven Samuelson. He agreed to provide a Mirandized statement. When Deputy Johnson advised him that the house was not in a suitable condition for children to reside, he disagreed, stating that "they had heat and food". Samuelson stated, "the basement is mine". He admitted to using meth downstairs, but stated that a pipe would be the most law enforcement would find.
A search of his person yielded nothing of evidentiary value. Deputy Johnson later searched the basement where he located a blue organic vodka jar with a hole in the side fashioned to be a makeshift bong. Next to the blue jar was a marijuana bong. A red marijuana bong was located on an end table next to a chair. A pair of blue jeans hanging on the chair contained Samuelson's Minnesota driver's license. Mail addressed to Samuelson was also located in the basement. On the basement table, Deputy Johnson located a black AWS digital scale with a black case.
