On January 7, 2026 at approximately 9:23 P.M., Crow Wing County Deputy Justin Thesing conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle traveling north on State Highway 371 in the area of College Road, Crow Wing County, MN after observing the vehicle cross over the fog line and weave within its lane. The vehicle was registered to Richard Lee Alfano, Jr. [DOB REDACTED]. The vehicle had originally caught the deputy's attention due to the driver and front passenger appearing to attempt to conceal their identity by leaning back behind the B-pillar as it passed by his marked squad.
Deputy Thesing identified the driver as defendant and asked about their travels. The deputy observed the passenger, later identified as Lucas Anthony Johnson [DOB REDACTED], appeared to be avoiding eye contact with him. He observed that Johnson displayed a pallor complexion, sunken facial features, and a light coating of sweat accumulating on his forehead - observations which the deputy knows are often indicative of controlled substance use. Deputy Thesing spoke with Alfano at his squad car while running computer checks and observed that Alfano had a documented drug history, including a second degree possession charge from 2023. While speaking with Alfano, the deputy observed him becoming increasingly nervous.
The deputy returned to the vehicle and spoke with Johnson about their travels, but then Johnson said he did not have to answer any questions. The deputy called for a narcotics K9 to respond believing that the vehicle's occupants may be trafficking illegal narcotics due to observations of the passenger, inconsistencies in their stories, and Alfano's criminal record. Deputy Cencer responded and had his narcotics K9 Reya conduct a sniff of the vehicle. After Deputy Cencer advised that his K9 had alerted to the presence of controlled substances in the vehicle, deputies searched the vehicle.
Under the main center console compartment, Deputy Thesing located a second compartment inside which he found a blue zippered pouch. In the pouch, he found two plastic baggies containing suspected methamphetamine, a plastic vial containing suspected methamphetamine, and a small digital scale. Under the pouch, he found a hypodermic needle. On the rear floorboard, Deputy Thesing located a cross-body bag containing several items of drug paraphernalia and a small baggie with suspected M-box 30 fentanyl pills and a loaded hypodermic needle.
The items of suspected methamphetamine located under the center console field tested positive for methamphetamine as follows: - plastic baggie, with packaging, weighing approximately 29.3 grams.; - plastic baggie, with packaging, weighing approximately 5.3 grams; and - plastic vial, with packaging, weighing approximately 8.8 grams. The BCA completed analysis of the heaviest bag of suspected drugs which tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine and weighed 27.990 grams. The BCA also identified a latent print identified as Alfano's left index finger on the bag containing the approximately 5.3 grams of suspected methamphetamine.
