Cass Lake man sentenced in kidnapping case

BELTRAMI COUNTY -- A Cass Lake man was sentenced to eight years in prison for kidnapping and false imprisonment, but will only spend 321 days in the Beltrami County Jail.

Robert Joseph Jones, 33, was convicted Wednesday in Beltrami County District Court on two counts of felony kidnapping and two counts of false imprisonment. Jones was sentenced to eight years in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud, but that time is stayed for 20 years.

Jones was sentenced to 321 days local confinement in the Beltrami County Jail and credited with 214 days time served. He has been placed on 20 years supervised probation and must pay a $1,000 fine.

Jones was arrested in March with three other people from Cass Lake after they held two people against their will and assaulted them, according to court documents. Joseph Harvey Bellanger, 32, John Jacob White, 25 and Darlene Marie Wind, 31, all of Cass Lake, are each charged with two counts of felony kidnapping and two counts of felony false imprisonment.

Felony kidnapping carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $35,000 fine. The maximum penalty for false imprisonment is three years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

A male and a female victim informed Beltrami County Sheriff's Deputies they were taken against their will and transported to a residence on Roosevelt Road on March 15 where they were detained, beaten, terrorized and eventually driven to a secluded location where they were left. The female victim told deputies the incident stemmed from methamphetamine use.

Jones plead not guilty to the charges in May but amended his plea to guilty in September. Bellanger pleaded not guilty Sept. 23 but was found guilty by a jury Sept. 25. He is scheduled for sentencing in Beltrami County District Court on Monday.

White pleaded not guilty in June and amended his plea to guilty in September. He is also scheduled for sentencing Monday.

Wind pleaded not guilty in May and amended her plea to guilty in June. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 27. Wind is currently being held in the Beltrami County Jail.