A man admitted to using methamphetamine days before a traffic stop in Beltrami County, where suspected meth and drug paraphernalia were found in his vehicle, according to the complaint.
Mark Alan Syljuberget, 63, of Bemidji, faces two charges: felony fifth-degree drug possession and gross misdemeanor third-degree DWI involving a controlled substance, according to a complaint filed October 23 in Beltrami County District Court.
According to the complaint, a Beltrami County sheriff’s investigator was driving southbound on Lake Avenue on October 21 when he saw a black SUV attempt to pass a sedan in a no passing zone. The complaint says the sedan appeared to accelerate to prevent the SUV from passing, and both vehicles were traveling faster than others on the road, making lane changes without signaling.
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The investigator turned around and eventually stopped the sedan on Mill Street. The driver, identified as Mark Alan Syljuberget, was the only person in the vehicle. The complaint states Syljuberget told the investigator that the SUV had cut him off and made a rude gesture, so he retaliated with what he described as road rage, admitting he should not have done so.
While speaking with Syljuberget, the investigator observed signs of impairment, including constricted pupils, glossy eyes, muscle twitches and frequent blinking. Syljuberget told the investigator he was supposed to have ignition interlock in his vehicles but did not have one in the sedan.
Field sobriety tests showed Syljuberget had droopy eyelids, difficulty following directions and lack of smooth pursuit in both eyes, according to the complaint. Syljuberget admitted to using methamphetamine about two days before the stop. He was arrested for DWI, and a search of his vehicle turned up a plastic bag behind the driver’s seat containing cut straws and a crystalline substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 2.46 grams.
The investigator obtained a search warrant for a blood or urine sample, and Syljuberget provided a urine sample. Both the urine and the suspected methamphetamine will be sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis.
The complaint says his driver’s license was valid with an ignition interlock requirement but is invalidated by any use of alcohol or drugs.
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