By Seth Boyes,
A Decorah woman arrested in November during a drug investigation has been sentenced after pleading guilty to possession of marijuana.
Lexus Briann Six was one of nine individuals taken into custody the day before Thanksgiving in 2024. A court agreed to suspend all but two days of the 26-year-olds’ year-long jail sentence — the minimum prison sentence, according to court documents — and she is to be given credit for time she has already served. Six was also ordered to serve a one-year period of probation and pay a $430 fine.
Court records indicate the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office had been following a pattern of possible drug sales in the area dating back as early as February of 2023. The Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office later became aware a suspected dealer, 21-year-old Ckaiden Dean Nelson-Coonradt of Elmore, Minnesota, was in Calmar the afternoon of Nov. 27, 2024, and law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the SUV Nelson-Coonradt was driving. A search of the vehicle revealed about 300 grams of bud marijuana, 200 grams of THC wax and more than 100 THC cartridges. Nelson-Coonradt was also found to be in possession of almost $1,200 in cash. Court documents said at least one resident there “made admissions to purchasing the drugs from the defendant, Ckaiden Coonradt, and had been purchasing from Coonradt for approximately one year.” Nelson-Coonradt was charged with two counts of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, failure to affix a drug tax stamp and possession of a controlled substance. A passenger in the vehicle, 26-year-old Tyler James Westcott of West Union, was also charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, failure to affix a drug tax stamp and possession of a controlled substance.
Investigators executed a separate search several hours later at a residence in the 2200 block of Highway 9 — court records listed the rural residence as Six’s home. Law enforcement found approximately 2 pounds of marijuana inside the house as well as other THC products in the basement of the building, according to court documents. Criminal complaints filed against multiple occupants of the home said authorities found “a child’s sippy cup and children’s toys on the floor” near the drugs and “nine juvenile children were located in the residence at the time.” One resident was “located in the basement, holding one of his two children under the age of 3,” according to court documents, and another occupant’s wallet was found in the basement “with his identification out, which appeared to be used to cut the product.”
Six was charged with possession of marijuana — first offense — and she initially pleaded not guilty in December. However, a March 25 filing indicated the 26-year-old had reached a plea agreement with prosectors, and a judge agreed to the proposed sentence the same day. Six is required to begin serving her sentence within 60 days of the court’s March 25 decision.
Court documents showed a total of six other occupants at the Decorah residence were charged with drug-related offenses following the November search.
Authorities also charged 31-year-old Zachary Alan Sorenson of Decorah with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and failure to affix a drug tax stamp as well as child endangerment and gathering where marijuana is being used — later court filings indicated Sorenson had paid Nelson-Coonradt approximately $7,780 between November of 2023 and June of 2024. Separate filings said 26-year-old Luke D. Price of Decorah was charged with possession of a controlled substance, failure to affix a drug tax stamp and child endangerment, while two other individuals — 29-year-old Ashleigh Ann Sorenson of Decorah and 25-year-old Tyler John Dozark of Decorah — were each charged with possession of a controlled substance. In addition, 28-year-old Jacob Wayne Willitts and 26-year-old Devan Patrick Forbes of Manchester were both charged with possession of a controlled substance and failure to affix a drug tax stamp.
Willitts pleaded guilty in February to the charges against him, after the court deemed him a habitual offender. He was ordered to serve five years on probation. Most of the cases against the remaining seven defendants are currently scheduled to go to trial in June or July — Nelson-Coonradt’s case is scheduled for an Aug. 16 trial date — and each has so far maintained a plea of not guilty.
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