A Detroit Lakes man is facing a felony drug charge after authorities say he was found in possession of more than 10 grams of cocaine across two separate incidents.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Becker County District Court, 71-year-old Richard Lee Washington is charged with third-degree controlled substance crime. The charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case stems from two incidents in December 2025 and January 2026.
On Dec. 7, Detroit Lakes police were called to the Holiday Inn after a restaurant employee found a small black zipper pouch left behind by customers. Inside the bag were a glucose monitor, needles and several small baggies containing a substance suspected to be drugs.
An officer reviewed surveillance video and identified Washington as one of the individuals seated where the pouch was found. The footage showed him leaving, then returning to ask staff if anyone had found his bag, reportedly describing it as containing blood testing items.
When investigators later spoke with Washington, he initially denied the bag was his but later admitted ownership and told officers he had been using cocaine again. Lab testing by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirmed the substance recovered from the pouch was cocaine weighing about 6.4 grams.
A second incident occurred on January 10 th, when Washington was stopped by police during a separate investigation. During a search of his vehicle, officers found multiple small baggies containing a white rock-like substance that field-tested positive for cocaine.
Authorities say Washington later admitted the drugs found during the traffic stop were his and identified them as crack cocaine. BCA testing confirmed approximately 5.04 grams of cocaine.
Investigators say the combined total from the two incidents within a 90-day period was about 11.4 grams, which meets the threshold for the third-degree charge.
Washington made his first court appearance Thursday morning.