Drug Bust Causes Charges for Rochester Man on Supervised Release

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Rochester man on supervised release is facing new charges after a drug bust at his home.

The Olmsted County Attorney's Office filed the case on Tuesday. The new charges come after members of the Rochester Police Department and Minnesota Department of corrections searched the southeast Rochester home as part of the terms of the supervised release sentence.

The charges say a woman and 5-year-old child were present during a search last month at the home of 49-year-old Chad Lee Morgan. Authorities reported finding more than five grams of suspected methamphetamine in a purse found in a bedroom of the home along with a sniffer that tested positive for presumptive cocaine residue and multiple hypodermic needles, one of which appeared to have contained a clear liquid.

Authorities also found a nylon bag on the bedroom floor with several needles inside that law enforcement says was accessible to the child at the home, the criminal complaint says. Officers then asked Morgan to open a safe that he had opened during previous searches.

He refused to open it and the safe was taken from the home and forced open at a later time. The charges say law enforcement found a combined 270 grams of suspected methamphetamine spread out in three packages and 83 grams of LSD in the safe.

A further test of the LSD found meth and fentanyl mixed with the drug. Authorities also discovered a digital scale and $7,490.00 cash inside of the safe. The charges say the items found during the search are indicative of drug sales.

Morgan was arraigned Tuesday on felony charges of first-degree drug sales, first-degree drug possession, fourth-degree drug possession and storage of drug paraphernalia in the presence of a child. His bail was set at $100,000 without conditions.

Court records indicate Morgan has a criminal history that includes convictions for drug and DWI crimes. He's due back in court on June 20.