Crosby Mayor Speaks Out For First Time Since Arrest

Crosby Mayor James Hunter talked on-camera exclusively with Lakeland News for the first since his arrest in March on felony charges of theft by swindle, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, and lawful gambling fraud.

He’s facing new allegations after he was cited last week for filing a false police report after running into Tom McCartan, the man Hunter allegedly swindled money from, at the Crosby Dairy Queen back in June. Hunter says that while the two men were both in the Dairy Queen at the same time, it was McCartan who broke the restraining order, not Mr. Hunter.

Mr. Hunter was cited after telling the Crosby Police Department that McCartan brushed shoulders with him at the Dairy Queen, which would violate the restraining order. But Crosby Police Lt. Kevin Randolph says that’s simply not true.

Mayor Hunter also believes that some changes need to be made at the police department and that much of what has happened is politically motivated. Lt. Randolph disagrees.

Whether it’s politically motivated or not, Hunter says he wants the entire situation to go away so that he can get back to fixing the issues at hand in the city.

Hunter will next appear in court for a motions hearing next Wednesday at the Crow Wing County Courthouse.