On June 5, 2025, officers with the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force, herein VOTF, met with CI 25-19, hereinafter CI, who is fully identified to the officers. On this date, CI made arrangements to purchase controlled substances from an individual later identified as LINDA ANN MERRITT, [DOB REDACTED], the defendant herein. VOTF officers searched CI and CI's vehicle and did not find controlled substances or U. S. Currency. Officers then provided CI with a sum of pre-recorded U. S. Currency along with an electronic surveillance device.
VOTF surveilled CI as they traveled to a location in the city of St. Cloud, county of Stearns, state of Minnesota. At that location, CI met with the defendant. CI tendered to the defendant the U. S. Currency and in exchange received a bag of purported methamphetamine. Subsequently, the substance was turned over to VOTF officers by CI. VOTF officers then searched CI and CI's vehicle and did not find controlled substances or currency. VOTF officers sent the purported methamphetamine to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA herein, for weighing and testing.
On August 7, 2025, the BCA issued a report on the testing of the suspected methamphetamine. The BCA determined that the substance contained methamphetamine and weighed 27.836 grams. Methamphetamine is a schedule II controlled substance. A search of the defendant's criminal history revealed that she was previously convicted of a controlled substance crime in the first degree on April 4, 2019 as set forth in Stearns County District Court file number ••-CR-••-••••. Complainant has reason to believe and does believe that all of the above information is true and correct.
The above facts constitute your complainant's basis for believing that the above-named defendant, on or about the 5th day of June, 2025, in the city of St. Cloud, county of Stearns, state of Minnesota, committed the offense described herein.
