A 66-year-old man from Mankato, James Lawrence McNamee Jr., has been charged with felony drug possession and misdemeanor theft after police found methamphetamine near a school and caught him shoplifting from two businesses.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Blue Earth County District Court, McNamee faces third-degree drug possession within a school zone and misdemeanor theft charges.
On June 27, 2025, officers from the Mankato Department of Public Safety responded to reports that McNamee had tried to steal items from a convenience store located across the street from a school. During the investigation, officers also discovered that he had stolen salami and two energy drinks from a nearby grocery store.
When officers located McNamee, they found a metal spoon and a glass pipe containing suspected methamphetamine. Because the drug possession occurred within a school zone, McNamee faces enhanced penalties, including a potential 20-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine. He is currently held in custody awaiting further court action.
