Court consolidates multiple sentences

A Minot man has been sentenced in North Central District Court in Minot to as much as five years of incarceration on multiple charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and terrorizing.

Steve Exantus, 32, pleaded guilty to two charges of firearm possession, both Class C felonies, and was sentenced on Aug. 31 to five years concurrent on each. On one charge he must serve two years with the North Dakota Department of Corrections, with credit for 148 days served, and the other charge requires him to first serve 13 days with credit for 13 days. He must successfully serve three years of supervised probation to avoid further incarceration.

According to a court affidavit, law enforcement found Exantus in possession of a firearm during a traffic stop in April that also revealed he had two felony convictions in New Jersey for resisting arrest and unlawful taking of means of conveyance. He also had been previously charged in February for felon in possession after Minot Police responded to a report of gunshots and located a vehicle driven by Exantus, locating two firearms, according to the court affidavit. He also was facing charges from late 2025 for possession of cocaine with a firearm, terrorizing an adult victim and preventing arrest.

He was sentenced to a year in jail, with credit for 153 days served, on the cocaine and preventing arrest convictions, which were reduced to misdemeanors.

The terrorizing sentence is for five years, to serve two years with credit for 153 days served, and three years probation.

All the sentences run concurrently. Exantus must undergo a chemical dependency evaluation and pay court fees associated with the cases.

The sentences also are to run concurrently with a sentence yet to be imposed for gross sexual imposition, a felony AA; luring minors by computer, a felony B; and contributing to the delinquency of a minor and false information or report to law enforcement, both misdemeanor C. Exantus pleaded guilty to sexual contact with a minor on Aug. 14 in connection with charges brought in March.