A North Dakota woman could face up to 30 years in prison after police allegedly found bong water containing methamphetamine in her car during a traffic stop.
Police stopped Jessica Beske in Polk County, Minnesota, for speeding May 8, the Minnesota Reformer reported, citing charging documents. Deputies reportedly smelled marijuana when pulling her over and began searching her vehicle. Authorities claimed they found a bong and a glass container with a “crystal substance” and some other drug paraphernalia, including pipes, the Minnesota Reformer reported.
The water in the bong, the glass jar, as well as residue on the drug paraphernalia, tested positive for methamphetamine, the outlet reported.
Deputies seized $2,400 in cash and Beske’s car, according to the outlet. The 43-year-old told deputies she won the cash at a casino the night of the arrest and had a tax form to prove it.
A Fargo woman is facing 30 years in Minnesota prison for bong water https://t.co/rmtTmiS2QW
— Minnesota Reformer (@MNReformer) June 10, 2024
Deputies intend to permanently forfeit the seized items under a new state law allowing authorities to confiscate a vehicle believed to be used for transporting controlled substances that are “intended for distribution or sale,” the outlet reported. The new law also allows authorities to confiscate cash that represents “the proceeds of a controlled substance offense.”
Beske maintains that she did not have any drugs on her and instead only had the paraphernalia containing the residue, the Minnesota Reformer reported. A Polk County prosecutor charged the 43-year-old with first-degree felony possession, which can include a $1 million fine and up to a 30-year prison sentence, the outlet noted. (RELATED: REPORT: Hunter Biden’s Hollywood Lawyer Seen Taking Bong Rip In Broad Daylight).
Under state law, eight ounces of bong water is equal to eight ounces of pure methamphetamine. The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled “bong water” as a “mixture” containing “25 grams [0.88 ounces] or more,” making its possession a felony offense in the state carrying up to “30 years in prison for a first offense,” according to Gallagher Criminal Defense.
Beske, shocked by the charges, said, “It’s against common sense. It’s against everybody’s common sense.”
