Charles Alan Ramsay, was charged this morning with two counts of felony possession of cocaine.Ramsay, 41, was charged with third-degree possession of three grams or more of cocaine, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He was also charged with a lesser, included charge of fifth-degree possession of cocaine. Ramsay was arrested Thursday afternoon shortly after Nissalke pleaded guilty to terroristic threats for an incident in May.Winona Police Investigator Jay Rasmussen noticed Ramsay exhibiting “suspicious behavior” after coming out of a bathroom on the third floor of the courthouse around 1 p.m., Winona Police Deputy Chief Paul Bostrack said. Police Chief Frank Pomeroy said Ramsay had been touching his nose with his hands “as if he had just ingested something with his nose.”
Police evidence technician Angela Evans went into the conference room Ramsay had been using as a make-shift office and discovered a trace amount of cocaine on the table, according to reports.The Winona County Attorney’s Office was contacted and the case was referred to the sheriff’s department, which has jurisdiction over the courthouse.Ramsay was arrested around 3:30 p.m. by three officers, including Sheriff Dave Brand. Brand said a K9 unit sniffed Ramsay’s coat and briefcase and “got a hit” on the briefcase. A search warrant was executed on the case and other items, and police found cocaine, Brand said.Ramsay was held in the Olmsted County Jail overnight Thursday and made his first appearance in court this morning. Assistant City Attorney Bruce Nelson requested bail be set at $10,000 and requested a blood test from Ramsay before he could be released. Ramsay protested, saying a search warrant would be necessary. Judge Jeff Thompson set bail at $10,000 and denied Nelson’s request. Ramsay posted bail shortly after the hearing.Ramsay’s case will be prosecuted by the Dakota County Attorney’s Office because of conflicts of interest in the Winona County Attorney’s Office.It was not immediately clear how the charges would affect Nissalke’s plea deal or his pending charges of murder in the 1985 stabbing death of Ada Frances Senenfelder.
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