Oct. 24—POLK COUNTY, Minn. — A man from rural Angus, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to two felony drug crimes on Monday, Oct. 23.
Alfredo Torrez, 72, is charged with first-degree controlled substance sales, first-degree possession of a controlled substance, first-degree conspiracy to commit controlled substance sales and failure to affix a tax stamp.
Law enforcement began investigating suspected methamphetamine trafficking in Polk County more than two years ago. Multiple people were arrested throughout the course of this investigation, according to court documents filed in the case.
Before Torrez was arrested in October of last year, law enforcement searched his residence. Officers found approximately 213 grams of methamphetamine, various drug paraphernalia and suspected stolen property — including the driver’s license and birth certificate of Anders Leland Odegaard,
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a man currently awaiting trial
for allegedly murdering his ex-wife.
Law enforcement officers found a rifle and ammunition inside a toolbox on the property. They found a credit card with Odegaard’s name on it inside a garbage bag they found in a fire pit, court documents said.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office later confirmed Odegaard’s Warren, Minnesota, residence had been broken into, court documents said. He’d been in custody for more than a month and didn’t know about the burglary, he said. Odegaard gave a description of his rifle, which matched the one found on Torrez’s property.
Both Alfredo Torrez and Maria Delacruz Torrez took drug tests that were positive for methamphetamine and were arrested, according to court documents.
Torrez appeared for a change of plea hearing at the Polk County Justice Center in Crookston on Monday. He gave open Alford pleas to first-degree drug sales and conspiracy. Alford pleas are used by defendants who maintain their innocence but agree there’s enough evidence to convict them.
The maximum penalties for the charges Torrez pleaded guilty to are 40 years in prison and $1,000,000 in fines. Due to his prior first-degree drug trafficking conviction, both charges have a mandatory minimum sentence of four years.
Since he gave open pleas, both the state and defense will make arguments as to how he should be sentenced and the judge will ultimately decide what’s appropriate. Regardless of the sentence, Torrez cannot withdraw his guilty pleas.
The state agreed to dismiss Alfredo Torrez’s two remaining charges, and also plans to offer to resolve Maria Delacruz Torrez’s pending case without any additional jail time, according to court documents.
Torrez’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 19.
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