MANKATO (TEC News) -- A Courtland man, who was one of 18 people arrested in an August 2010 multi-county drug task force sweep, is now facing a felony drug charge in Blue Earth County.20-year-old Nicholas Luepke has been charged for selling methadone to an undercover Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force (MNRVDTF) Agent in Mankato on April 9, 2010.
The sale would have occurred during the eight-month long investigation in 2010 by the Brown-Lyon-Lincoln-Redwood (BLLR) Drug Task Force that resulted in multiple arrests for the distribution of black tar heroin and prescription medication.
According to a criminal complaint filed Monday in Mankato, the agent set up the purchase of 110mg of liquid methadone for $100.
The agent met Luepke in the Scheel's parking lot where she was given a pink-colored bottle with purported Methadone inside.
Turns out the liquid did not field test positive for any controlled substance, according to the MNRVDTF agent. However, the agent said Luepke told her she needed to be careful with how much she drank so she didn't take too much to "hurt" herself.
The undercover agent says in a later conversation, Luepke admitted to seeling her fake Methadon and said he'd make it up to her with oxycontin pills.
The drug task force is asking for restitution for the $100 used in the undercover drug buy that was never recovered.
The drug task force is asking for restitution for the $100 used in the undercover drug buy that was never recovered.
Luepke was considered to be one of the ring leaders in local drug trafficking and faced a charge of 1st Degree Controlled Substance Sale in the Brown County Charges.
He entered a guilty plea to that single count and had an 86 month prison term stayed in lieu of 105 days in the Brown County Jail and 30 years probation. He was also given a chance to enter drug court.
He was also charged with 3rd Degree Drug Sale in Nicollet County in January 2011 for a March 2010 incident. He was sentenced in October 2011 in Nicollet County to 33 months in prison, but it was stayed for 33 months in lieu of 112 days in the Nicollet County Jail.