St. Cloud Man Sentenced in Check Forgery, Drug Cases [VIDEO]

ST. CLOUD -- A St. Cloud man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for a string of crimes last year involving drugs and fraud.

Forty-four-year-old Anthony Meister pleaded guilty to two felony counts of 2nd degree drug possession and two felony counts of check forgery. Another check forgery charge and a counterfeiting charge were dropped as part of the plea agreement. He was sentenced Thursday in Stearns County District Court.

Court records show Meister sold just under 15 grams of methamphetamine in June 2016 at a home in the 700 block of 13th Avenue South. Police say he sold another baggie of meth from the same home six days later. Authorities then used a search warrant in early August and arrested Meister. Officers say they found active surveillance systems, items associated with selling drugs, two guns and ammunition.

Meister also tried to pass a forged check at area Coborn’s stores last September. He was arrested at the Cooper Avenue Coborn’s for trying to cash a check worth more than $875. Investigators determined the check was linked to an account belonging to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe which had frequent fraudulent checks produced with its information.

The other check forgery conviction stems from a stolen checkbook last November where Meister cashed checks at area retailers totaling more than $1,000. Court records show Meister passed the checks at Cash Wise Foods and Cash Wise Liquor in Waite Park, Scheel’s and Super America in St. Cloud.