Southwest Minneapolis Man Charged with Selling Heroin

A Windom man has been charged with selling heroin to a man from Ramsey, Minn.

Horace Lawrence Washington, 31, who lives in the 6000 block of Lyndale Avenue South, is charged with two felonies: second-degree drug sales, which carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, and third-degree drug possession, which has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Mikael Jereld Carlson, 30, of Ramsey, whom police say bought heroin from Washington on April 11, is charged with fifth-degree drug possession, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Washington remains in the Hennepin County Jail on a $30,000 bond. An omnibus hearing in his case is scheduled April 30 in Hennepin County District Court.  Carlson is free on a $3,000 bond.

According to the criminal complaints, compiled by Minneapolis Police Officer Jer Yang, a confidential informant told police that Washington would be delivering heroin to clients in the area of 26th Street West and Fremont Avenue South on April 11.

Police set up surveillance in the area, and within a half-hour they spotted Washington’s car, which the informant had described.

Shortly afterward, Carlson drove to the area and followed Washington’s car before both cars pulled over. Carlson got out of his car, spoke to Washington briefly and then got into his car, according to the complaints.

When Carlson got out of Washington’s car a few seconds later, police moved in and arrested both men. A subsequent search of Washington’s car turned up suspected heroin between the driver’s seat and the door, and police searching Carlson’s car found suspected heroin in the driver’s side door, the complaint charges.

The drugs in both cars tested positive for heroin. Police found 4 grams of heroin in Washington’s car and 1 gram in Carlson’s car, according to Yang’s account. The standard heroin dose runs between 60 and 120 milligrams, meaning the heroin police say they found in Washington's car could provide at most 66 doses, and at least 33 doses.

Carlson told police after waiving his Miranda rights that he was in the area to buy heroin from Washington, whom he knew as “Google,” according to the complaint.

Until convicted, all people listed by police as suspected of committing a crime or charged with a crime by county, state, or federal prosecutors should be considered innocent.

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