Officer Finds 157 Grams of Cocaine in 'Beetlejuice' Backpack

A miniature “Beetlejuice” backpack lying in the grass outside a gas station held 14 small bags of white powder that field tested positive for cocaine, according to the complaint. A 48-year-old Brainerd man who had just resisted handcuffing there is charged with first-degree drug crimes after officers also found a 157-gram brick in the rental.

Roy Gene Banks was already a suspect in a cocaine sales investigation, the complaint says. An officer watching his home on Nov. 7 noticed a vehicle out front that he believed was likely a rental. Drug traffickers often use them, he knew from training and experience.

On Nov. 8 the officer saw the same vehicle outside a bar and then, at about 2:41 a.m., at a gas station pump. The officer confirmed that Banks’ license was valid but required an ignition interlock. Banks walked out, got into the driver’s seat and drove toward the lot exit before stopping and backing up. The officer turned on his squad lights. Banks got out and reached back into the vehicle. He did not comply when told to stop and acknowledged there was no interlock in the rental, which he said was rented for two days.

READ MORE → Crow Wing County coverage

A second officer arrived and Banks was arrested. When the first officer tried to handcuff him, the complaint says, he resisted, pulled away and tried to run. The second officer tackled him. The first officer then noticed the backpack. It held two bags with 14 smaller bags inside, each weighing about .6 to .7 grams.

In the vehicle’s center console the officer found a black drawstring bag holding a brick-like chunk of white powder. It weighed 157 grams and field tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl. Banks had $1,785 in his wallet. The complaint also notes a prior second-degree controlled substance conviction from June 3, 2026.

Banks is charged in Crow Wing County District Court in a complaint filed Nov. 10 with five counts. First-degree drug sale within a 90-day period carries up to 30 years in prison or a $1 million fine or both (40 years for a second or later controlled substance conviction). First-degree possession of 50 grams or more of cocaine carries up to 30 years or a $1 million fine or both. Driving without an interlock and obstructing legal process with force or the threat of it each carry up to 364 days or a $3,000 fine or both. Fleeing on foot carries up to 90 days or a $1,000 fine or both.