Brainerd Man Sentenced to Over 12 Years for Controlled Substance Crime

A U.S. District court judge has sentenced a Brainerd man to 12.5 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances for an incident that happened last year.

Kyle Vernon Elwell received his sentence Thursday after he pleaded guilty in September 2022.

Court documents that on April 26, 2022, a Minnesota State Patrol Trooper stopped the 29-year-old at a gas station in Motley, as there was an active warrant for Elwell. Before being arrested, Elwell threw a pouch with almost $8,000 on the ground.

During a search, the trooper also found a bag with fentanyl pills on the ground. Over 800 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and an unserialized “ghost” handgun were also found in Elwell’s vehicle.

Elwell was sentenced to 150 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.