(All charges were dismissed July 8, 2022. The article and headline also have been amended to correct an error in the charge.)

Benjamin Darrell Perdue, 34, and Mandi Faye Johnson, 34, both of Minot, are each charged in district court in Ward County with Class A felony possession with intent to deliver 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and Class A misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Both made initial appearances on the charges on Wednesday before Judge Richard Hagar, where both denied any involvement.

“I don’t want to take the fall for something I’m not involved in,” said Johnson, who said she does not live at that residence and was just there to babysit.

According to court documents, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perdue’s residence at 1320 13th Street NW, Apt. D, after they received a report that a UPS package addressed to an “Elizabeth Wentz” at Perdue’s address contained one pound of methamphetamine. Law enforcement arranged to have the package, now containing a 28-gram representative sample of meth, hand-delivered to Perdue’s residence by a law enforcement officer with the Ward County Narcotics Task Force. Johnson answered the door and accepted the package and told authorities that a Wentz “probably” lived there.

Authorities then obtained the search warrant after the controlled delivery.

Perdue lives at the residence but told the judge he does not know who has been sending mail to his residence and has been trying to get it stopped.

Perdue said he was sleeping when the package was delivered and he has no control over who sends mail to his address or over who answered the door. He told the judge he has only been charged because the “police decided to be shady.” He told the judge Johnson got caught up in the situation and has nothing to do with it. He complained that children were present when authorities forced their way into the residence to execute the search warrant.

Meth pipes and meth scrapings were found in a bedroom at the residence, according to the court documents, and the package was found unopened on the bed.

Hagar set bond for Johnson, who has no criminal record, at $25,000 cash or corporate surety and at $50,000 cash or corporate surety for Perdue.

A preliminary hearing for both is scheduled for Aug. 5 before Hagar.