A suspicious activity complaint in Prescott culminated in a drug bust at an Ellsworth gas station and the arrest of a River Falls man.

Chad W. Kessler, 47, was ordered to pay $2,500 cash bond Jan. 23 in Pierce County Circuit Court on felony possess with intent – amphetamine/methamphetamine, felony possess firearm – convicted of a felony, felony receiving stolen property > $5,000-$10,000 or firearm, felony possess with intent – THC, felony possession of narcotic drugs, possession of cocaine/coca and possess drug paraphernalia charges, all with the enhanced repeater modifier. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and/or fines up to $100,000.

According to the complaint:

At 6:32 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, dispatch reported a suspicious vehicle complaint in the 1500 block of James Street in Prescott. A woman said a man driving a black Cadillac with Minnesota plates followed her home. When she got out and confronted the man, he said, “I’m trippin’” and drove away. Prescott police checked the area but didn’t locate the vehicle.

At 6:46 p.m., a Pierce County deputy traveling westbound on Highway 10 near Highway 63 saw the vehicle traveling eastbound. He turned around and followed the vehicle to Circle K (456 W. Main St., Ellsworth). The vehicle was registered to a St. Paul man and had an inoperable license plate light.

An officer approached Kessler at the gas pumps, who identified himself to police and told them he was looking for his money. He denied being in Prescott earlier, but then said he was lost and looking for directions to his home in River Falls. Kessler said he hadn’t meant to follow anybody on purpose.

While talking with Kessler, police smelled marijuana emanating from the car. In plain view on the backseat sat a marijuana grinder. He told police nothing else was in the car and that the vehicle wasn’t his. In the trunk, officers found a glass jar containing methamphetamine and a Glock 41 handgun, along with multiple belongings and documents labeled with Kessler’s name. When officers ran the handgun’s serial number, it came back as stolen out of Washington County, Minn. Dispatch confirmed multiple felony convictions for Kessler, which prohibits him from owning/possessing a gun.

Kessler told police the vehicle belonged to a friend of a friend and he had no idea what was in the trunk and that none of it was his. Police called the vehicle’s registered owner, who confirmed Kessler bought the vehicle from him a couple weeks prior for $7,000 cash. He said he had left nothing in the vehicle when it was sold.

In the vehicle, police located (with packaging) 132.6 grams of marijuana, 23.007 grams of meth, 5 grams of heroin and 2.8 grams of cocaine, along with multiple smoking devices, THC wax, scales and a cell phone. The drugs were divided into separate baggies, indicating the intent to distribute them. Police transported Kessler to Pierce County Jail without incident.

His next court appearance is a status conference set for 2:45 p.m. Feb. 20.