A Deerwood woman was arrested after officers found methamphetamine and a purse containing stolen checks and debit cards during a traffic stop near a high school, according to the complaint.
Sara Marie Hardwick, 28, faces charges of possessing or selling stolen or counterfeit checks, financial transaction card fraud and fifth-degree drug possession.
According to court records, at about noon on September 20, 2026, an officer patrolling the Crosby/Ironton area received information that Hardwick, who was wanted on multiple felony warrants and had previously escaped custody, was likely in the area near the high school. The officer was told Hardwick might be in a silver Ram pickup.
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The officer spotted a silver Ram pickup parked facing against traffic on Glenn Avenue and saw a female in the front passenger seat, later identified as Hardwick. As the officer approached, a man in a grey t-shirt exited the rear passenger side and ran away. The officer called out but did not pursue, believing Hardwick was still in the vehicle.
After backup was called, the officer approached the passenger side and confirmed Hardwick’s identity. The driver rolled down his window slightly and complied with commands to turn off the vehicle. The officer arrested Hardwick and searched her, finding a small bag of crystalline substance in her right pants pocket. The substance field-tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed about 0.8 grams.
The driver was identified as Darin Thomas Doely. The man who fled was identified as Joseph Curtis Zontelli. The officer told Doely the vehicle would be searched for contraband due to the methamphetamine found on Hardwick. Doely said a backpack in the back seat and a piece of luggage in the truck bed belonged to Zontelli, while Hardwick had a purse near the center console and several other bags in the truck bed.
Inside Hardwick’s purse, officers found a wallet containing several personal checks made out to various payees, a debit card in Zontelli’s name and another debit card with a different name. The checks included one from an Eau Claire, Wisconsin resident made out to a roofing company for $21,501.19, another from a Saint Paul resident for $34,018.99, and a third from a North Saint Paul resident for $1,293.52.
The officer recognized Hardwick and Doely from previous burglary and identity theft investigations.
The charges against Hardwick include possessing or selling stolen or counterfeit checks, financial transaction card fraud for possessing or transferring another person’s card, and fifth-degree drug possession for the methamphetamine found during her arrest.
The complaint was filed Tuesday, September 22, in Crow Wing County District Court.
About This Charge
Minnesota’s fraud statutes are organized by conduct: § 609.821 (financial transaction card fraud), § 609.527 (identity theft) and § 609.625 (aggravated forgery). Felony fraud convictions can carry up to 20 years in prison when loss exceeds $35,000 or eight or more victims are alleged.
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