Sunday, July 20th, 2025 Church Directory
ANDREW ST. MICHEL of Big Lake was arrested and charged with possession of drugs April 18. (Booking Photo)

Big Laker charged with possession of narcotics

(Editor’s Note: The following article was sent to the Patriot from the BLPD).

On April 18, 2021 at approximately 11:59 p.m., Big Lake Police Officer Tyler Hecht stopped a vehicle for illegal window tint and failing to activate a turn signal on numerous occasions. Officer Hecht made contact with the driver, Andrew St. Michel, 36 of Big Lake, who admitted his turn signal was not working. 

Officer Hecht learned St. Michel had a misdemeanor warrant out of Anoka County. St. Michel admitted to Officer Hecht he had a small amount of marijuana and a one hitter inside a backpack in the vehicle. As Officer Hecht was conducting an inventory search of the vehicle, he detected a strong odor of marijuana inside the vehicle. 

During the search, Officer Hecht located a plastic bag in a hidden compartment under the center console. The plastic bag contained a white crystal substance which field tested positive as methamphetamine and weighed 2.4 grams. 

Officer Hecht also located a small container with a brown, crystal-like substance in the hidden compartment. The substance field tested positive as methamphetamine and weighed approximately one gram. Officer Hecht located a black backpack on the back seat. Inside the backpack Officer Hecht located a small amount of a green leafy substance that later field tested positive for marijuana and weighed 4.3 grams. Officer Hecht also located two full bottles of gabapentin pills with two different names on the pill bottles. 

St. Michel was arrested and transported to the Sherburne County Jail. St. Michel was charged by criminal complaint with: Felony 5th Degree Drug Possession, Misdemeanor Possession of Marijuana in a Motor Vehicle, Misdemeanor Possess Legend Drug without a Prescription, Misdemeanor Driving after Cancellation, and Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.