St. Michael man and woman facing felony charges for Nelson County pursuit
Dec. 18—NELSON COUNTY — A man and woman from St. Michael have been charged with multiple crimes following an
alleged pursuit on Dec. 13
in Nelson County.
Claude Joseph Black Jr. is charged with two Class C felonies: fleeing from a felony and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Both crimes have a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Black is also charged with Class A misdemeanor unauthorized use of a vehicle and Class B misdemeanor driving under suspension.
Black was identified in a Dec. 14 Grand Forks County Sheriff's Office press release as 28 years old, but court documents state he is 36.
Sherilyn June Lohnes, 34, is charged with the same crimes, as well as the additional charge of Class C felony reckless endangerment — extreme indifference.
On the night of Dec. 13, Grand Forks County sheriff's deputies pursued a vehicle that was reported for driving erratically, according to the press release. When deputies disabled the vehicle, they found Black in the passenger's seat and Lohnes in the driver's seat.
Black allegedly told law enforcement he wasn't driving but did grab the steering wheel to turn the vehicle around, according to a probable cause statement filed in the case.
Drug paraphernalia was seized from the vehicle and the two were transported to the Lake Region Correctional Facility.
Lohnes' bond was set at $5,000 cash, while Black's was set at $10,000 cash. They're both scheduled for preliminary hearings and arraignments at 9 a.m. on Jan. 12.
