As repeat offenders go, Devlin M. Forbes, 27, is young, but he has been active, racking up eight convictions in seven years for offenses that include burglary, disorderly conduct, theft and domestic assault.
Repeat criminal piles up charges
March 25, 2011 at 3:50AM
But Thursday was a busy day even for him. Forbes was charged in Hennepin County District Court with three criminal complaints -- two involving drug offenses that allegedly occurred while his 2-year-old child was in the apartment.
According to the charges: Officers searching the family's south Minneapolis residence on Tuesday found 21 grams of methamphetamine in a safe and a broken glass pipe in the toddler's room.
"That's only 20 grams in there," Forbes was overheard to say. "That's a simple possession charge." But the complaint filed as a result of the search charges him with child endangerment and first-degree sale of a controlled substance.
A child endangerment charge also figures in a five-count complaint filed against Forbes in connection with a Jan. 11 search of the same apartment, in the 5600 block of 34th Avenue S. The remaining counts involve the sale of drugs after officers reported finding meth, hallucinogenic mushrooms and prescription drugs -- again in a safe.
The final complaint filed Thursday alleges that Forbes used another person's credit card to buy about $800 in merchandise at a Foot Locker store on E. Lake Street in Minneapolis.
According to police, Forbes gave statements after the March and January searches during which he allegedly denied knowing about the 21 grams of meth found Tuesday, but admitted that the drugs pulled from the safe in January were his -- and that he had been selling drugs for the previous three to six months.
After Tuesday's search, the child's mother reportedly told police she was a meth user and got her drugs from Forbes. He was being held in the Hennepin County jail Thursday and is scheduled to make court appearances in the cases on Friday.
Anthony Lonetree • 612-673-4109
