Casimir Robert Krithers, 36, of Duluth was charged on Wednesday in Mower County District Court with felony predatory offender fail to register, felony theft-take/drive motor vehicle without consent, gross misdemeanor third-degree DWI-any amount of schedule I/II drugs, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to the court complaint, law enforcement was dispatched at 11:35 p.m. on Oct. 20 to the Lansing Corners Supper Club regarding a woman needing assistance with her boyfriend, who was using drugs and alcohol. A Mower County deputy and Minnesota State Patrol trooper arrived on scene and the trooper spoke to Krithers, who was seated in the driver’s seat of a 2013 Ford Escape. Krithers said he had been consuming alcohol at a bar, but his girlfriend indicated he had smoked methamphetamine an hour earlier. She also said he had marijuana in the car “unless he smoked it all.”

The trooper had Krithers step out of the vehicle and found marijuana and methamphetamine pipes on the driver’s side. After going through field sobriety tests, Krithers was arrested for driving while impaired and provided a urine sample at the Mower County Jail. The sample later came back positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine.

Law enforcement contacted the Ford’s owner, a woman in Duluth, who said she wanted the vehicle left at the Lansing Corners Supper Club with the keys inside so she could come get it. She said she knew Krithers, but did not indicate the vehicle was stolen. Two days later, she called the Mower County Sheriff’s Office to report her vehicle was missing and that she had learned Krithers had contacted a towing company to unlock the car after he was released from jail. She said she had loaned the car to Krithers with the understanding that he would only use it in the Duluth area and that he was refusing to return it to her. The vehicle was then declared stolen.

Law enforcement was advised that Krithers is a level three predatory offender who is required to register his address and any vehicle he drives. A detective reviewed Krithers registration and found that he was registered as “homeless” despite having given the Mower County Jail a Duluth address. He also had no vehicles registered.

A review of Krithers’ criminal history shows prior convictions for assault and violation of predatory offender registration requirements.

Krithers will appear in court again on Jan. 14.