The safety of missing person Jenna Stai is being complicated by her association with the Pine to Prairie Gang and Drug Task Force.

Stai, 18, Grand Forks, was last seen on January 28 and authorities are seeking her whereabouts. Stai is facing two felony counts for allegedly selling drugs in Polk County, Minnesota.

According to court records, Stai sold drugs to a confidential informant working for the Pine to Prairie Gang and Drug Task Force. Stai’s mother says she has been cooperating with authorities and is afraid.

Valley News Live reports that Stai’s disappearance bears an eerie resemblance to the Andrew Sadek case in Wahpeton. Sadek was found dead after cooperating with authorities in a drug investigation.

PINE TO PRAIRIE GANG AND DRUG TASK FORCE

Concerns are increasing about Stai’s involvement with the Pine to Prairie Gang and Drug Task Force, which employs an agent that is presently a defendant in a federal civil rights lawsuit.

According to civil case number 14-2970 (DWF/LIB) - United States District Court – District of Minnesota, EGFPD police officer Aeisso Schrage is a defendant in the 42 – U.S.C. – 1983 (Deprivation of Rights) case – Holmseth v. City of East Grand Forks et al.

According to the plaintiff, Timothy Charles Holmseth, a former award-winning news reporter, Schrage, the EGFPD, and EGF City Attorney Ronald Galstad, conspired to obtain a search warrant for Holmseth’s computer hard-drive and journalism work product under the guise of a Pine to Prairie Gang and Drug Task Force operation.

At the time of the raid and seizure, Holmseth, who was interviewed by the Minneapolis FBI in 2010 regarding information he obtained regarding the kidnapping of HaLeigh Cummings, was gathering evidence against the City of East Grand Forks for deep-rooted corruption and racketeering.

Holmseth reported the City of East Grand Forks to the Minnesota State Auditor in December, 2013. In April, 2014, an audit exposed the Boardwalk Enterprises money-laundering loan-fraud scandal.

Neither the EGFPD nor the Polk County Sheriff’s Office kept chain of evidence records for Holmseth’s journalism equipment and hard-drive after Schrage drove away with it. The seized property completely disappeared from all records for over three months while in the possession of law enforcement. However, the administrative log from the computer showed it had been turned on by an unknown person shortly after being seized.

When the property was returned to Holmseth by order of the court, the seized items were covered with evidence stickers that had been obtained from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).

However, according to Minnesota Department of Public Safety and the BCA, their agency played no role in the raid whatsoever and had absolutely no knowledge of it.

 “The BCA had no role in the investigation you describe and did not attach any tags to evidence in that case,” said Jill Oliveira, public information officer, Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

The fact that the raid was a planned deception and colossal fraud was further revealed when EGF City Attorney Ronald Galstad told Judge Tamara Yon in open court that he and his agents were working with the BCA.

“I’ve just been notified that the BCA, before they’ll do a forensic search of that computer, wants either an order of this Court or a search warrant that says that they can - -  we got the original search warrant, but for whatever reason the BCA wants something that says that they can actually search that hard-drive. So I am going to be either, one, asking - - or requesting an additional warrant for forensic search of that computer hard-drive or the Court can make that Order as they see fit, but I am going to be doing that,” Galstad said.

Galstad was lying.

“We were not requested to conduct a forensic examination on your computer, said Drew Evans, assistant superintendent, BCA.

Strong evidence exists that Schrage and the EGFPD are providing Color of Law muscle for the racketeering taking place by city, county and state government employees.

Prior to the bogus task force raid, Schrage, and other EGFPD officers, repeatedly visited Holmseth’s home – knocked on his door - and asked him if he was smoking pot.
Schrage used a bogus visit to Holmseth’s residence to generate a ‘police incident report’ that could later be used to justify requesting a warrant to seize Holmseth’s hard-drive.

When Holmseth retrieved his computer hard-drive and journalism equipment, the hard-drive no longer worked.

TARGETING OF TEENS BY PROSECTOR AND PINE TO PRAIRIE GANG AND DRUG TASK FORCE MEMBERS

Evidence shows a pattern of very disturbing and unnatural conduct by law enforcement in East Grand Forks against young teen girls.  

During the bogus task force raid by armed officers wearing bullet proof vests, EGFPD Officer T. Hart attempted to enter the bathroom where Holmseth’s teenage daughter was undressed and preparing to take a bath. The young girl had to fight to keep the police officer from opening the door. When the girl emerged and verbally protested, Schrage said, ‘You’re lucky you’re a minor or we would have kicked the door in’.

During the raid, Sgt. Detective Chris Olson, EGFPD, asked Holmseth’s daughter where she worked. The very next day, Olson appeared at Perkins in Grand Forks and the teenage girl had to wait on him.

Only a few days after Olson’s first and only time ever visit to the young girl’s place of employment, EGF City Attorney Ronald Galstad visited Perkins while the teenager was working.

During the exchange of Holmseth’s seized property, Schrage boasted to Holmseth that he had seized his teenage daughter’s cell phone during the raid and read all of the very private text messages between her and her boyfriend.

On another occasion, during school at East Grand Forks High School, Galstad’s daughter abruptly announced to the entire high school class that some ‘crazy guy’ reported her dad to the FBI, which caused Holmseth’s daughter to get up and leave in the middle of class. 

The young girl still has nightmares about the police.

The sick, unnatural, and disrespectful behavior by Schrage and law enforcement officers supporting the Pine to Prairie Gang and Drug Task Force has created grave concerns for Jenna Stai.

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