MINNEAPOLIS — A St. Paul man is facing felony charges after being caught with nearly 1,800 pills containing fentanyl Saturday in Minneapolis' Elliot Park neighborhood.
Documents filed in Hennepin County Wednesday accuse 28-year-old Bernard Mack of first-degree aggravated controlled substance with two aggravating factors, a felony that carries a penalty of up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
In a press conference Thursday, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Police Chief Jason Ohotto said he believes drug sales around Elliot Park are contributing to the area's recent increase in violent crimes.
"Throughout 2023, Elliot Park has been a focus zone for park police patrols due to violent crime," he said. "So far in 2023, Elliot has experienced at least 13 reported serious violent crimes — this leads all Minneapolis parks."
Prosecutors allege that on Dec. 23, Minneapolis Park Police initiated a traffic stop with a vehicle registered to a man with an active arrest warrant. The criminal complaint said the vehicle eventually came to a rolling stop near 17th Street East and 13th Avenue South and four people ran out, including Mack.
According to prosecutors, the officer followed Mack in his squad car until Mack attempted to climb over a fence between two homes on 19th Street East. The complaint said Mack was unsuccessful in getting over the fence, falling to the ground and subsequently being placed in custody.
On the other side of the fence, authorities recovered two clear baggies, allegedly containing 1,788 pills that tested positive for fentanyl, and around $2,500 in cash in Mack's pocket. Ohotto called the seizure an "extraordinary" amount of fentanyl to find on a person.
"Fentanyl is fueling crime and violence across our community," he said. "It also poses a major public safety risk due to its lethality... This quantity of fentanyl is extraordinary for a street-level drug arrest and could have harmed or killed countless numbers of our neighbors."
Officers also searched Mack's car, where prosecutors claim they found more fentanyl pills, two cell phones and a box of plastic baggies. The complaint said one of the cell phones showed several cash transactions took place between Dec. 21 and the incident on Dec. 23.
Court documents go on to say police also found a .45 caliber extended handgun magazine with multiple rounds in the trunk, which prosecutors say could lead to further charges.
Mack's charges also come with two aggravating factors: a prior firearm conviction for which he was serving probation, and possession of items suggesting he intended to sell and distribute a controlled substance in large quantities.
Ohotto said a probation revocation hearing was scheduled in Hennepin County for later Thursday afternoon. Police say they are still searching for the other three people.
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