70-Year-Old Minnetonka Man Charged with Cocaine Possession

A 70-year-old Minnetonka man has been charged with drug possession after police say they found cocaine in his bedroom last week.

Michael Stuart Minter is charged with felony fifth-degree drug possession, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. The charge has a mandatory minimum penalty of six months in jail and a $6,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, police executed a nighttime search warrant at Minter’s home in the 11200 block of Oak Ridge Lane West just before 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 15.

Officers found Minter at home, coming out of a bedroom. Inside the bedroom, police found suspected cocaine on a nightstand and a loaded shotgun in the closet.

Police arrested Minter and took him to jail. During the ride, Minter made “numerous, unsolicited statements” about his knowledge of the cocaine that police found in his home, according to the complaint.

The cocaine tested positive and weighed approximately .5 grams, the complaint charges.

Minter’s criminal history includes a 2003 conviction for drug possession.

Minter has been released from custody on a $7,500 bond. An omnibus hearing in his case is scheduled Sept. 26 in Hennepin County District Court.