A Hastings woman is facing charges after being pulled over July 17 on East Point Douglas Road in Cottage Grove.
Brittney Amber Branshaw, age 28 of Hastings, was charged by summons Aug. 5 under Minnesota State statutes 609.529.3 with mail theft-knowingly obtained illegally; receives, possesses, transfers, buys, conceals.
The incident leading to charges took place Friday, July 17 at 12:18 p.m., when a member of the Cottage Grove Police Department saw a man standing near a food truck in a parking lot. The officer traced the plates associated with the man’s vehicle, which did not match the man near the food truck. A female was seated in the front passenger seat of the vehicle. The female moved to the drivers seat and the vehicle exited the parking lot. The officer following the vehicle as it exited the parking lot and pulled it over after observing it drifting onto the lane lines. The male passenger said the vehicle belonged to a friend before changing his account, claiming he and Branshaw had purchased it days earlier and that it should be covered under a family member’s insurance.
The officer asked Branshaw to step out of the vehicle for further discussion, while a K9 officer arrived on scene and alerted to the presence of narcotics. Following a search mail was found belonging to two Afton residents. The officer who initiated the traffic stop later spoke with the one of the two people and a family member of another, who said they had not given any permission to posses their mail and did not know Branshaw.
Charged via summons, Branshaw faces up to three years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.