Evergreen Reporter

Jerami Cody Leno, a North Dakota man, has been charged with serious criminal offenses, including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute the drug. The indictment against Leno, announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick, also includes charges of felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, the alleged conspiracy took place from February 2024 through July 2024, involving the distribution of methamphetamine in Minnesota. On February 7, 2024, Leno, who has a prior felony conviction for criminal possession of dangerous drugs in Yellowstone County, Montana, was reportedly found with a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, despite the federal prohibition against his possession of firearms.

The indictment outlines one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of illegal possession of a firearm as a felon, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Leno appeared before Magistrate Judge Jon T. Huseby in U.S. District Court on March 4, 2025.

Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick stated, “Methamphetamine is flooding Minnesota. This includes our small towns in greater Minnesota. I appreciate the partnership of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Wilkin County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office serves every corner of this state. We will continue to rely on our state and local partners so that together, we can identify those who peddle deadly poison to our communities and bring them to federal justice.”

The investigation involved the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wilkin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.

It is important to note that an indictment is an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.