Duluth drug and gun bust nets cocaine, cash, five firearms, two arrests

More than 29 grams of cocaine, five firearms and $2,560 in cash came out of a search in the 200 block of West Arrowhead Road, a haul that Duluth police and task-force investigators say points to more than simple street-level drug activity.

The search warrant was executed Thursday, April 23, by members of the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, the Duluth Police Department and partner agencies at a residence and a vehicle. The City of Duluth identified the arrested man as 35-year-old Patrick Homstad and the woman as 30-year-old Ashley Ferguson.

Homstad was arrested on pending charges of first-degree sale of cocaine, possession of a firearm and possession of a bullet-resistant vest. Ferguson was arrested on a warrant and on pending child-endangerment charges.

Investigators said the search turned up a Glock 26 with an extended magazine, four additional firearms, ammunition, magazines, firearm accessories and the cash. WDIO later reported court documents said authorities found more than 29 grams of cocaine, several guns and a bullet-resistant vest. The amount of cocaine, paired with the guns and protective gear, gives the case added weight for officers trying to shut down a dangerous trafficking setup before it spreads further.

West Arrowhead Road is one of the places Duluth residents immediately recognize as part of a busy city corridor, and a seizure like this will likely sharpen concerns about the reach of drug dealing and armed activity in a neighborhood where motorists, nearby businesses and people in surrounding homes all share the same streets. The case also raises the question of whether this was an isolated hit or part of a larger pattern moving through the area.

The Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force is a multiagency effort that serves Northeast Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin. St. Louis County says the group includes the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, the Duluth, Hibbing, Virginia and Superior police departments, along with federal partners including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

That task force has been active in other recent drug-and-gun cases. County news records show a March 31 traffic stop led to a methamphetamine bust and firearm seizure, and Duluth police and task-force partners also announced a Jan. 7 narcotics-related warrant operation in the Duluth/Superior area. Taken together, the cases suggest a sustained enforcement push against armed drug activity, not a one-time arrest.