Charges: Man Arrested in Golden Valley With Nearly 60 Pounds of Meth

A Cottage Grove man has been charged after he was caught by police with nearly 60 pounds of methamphetamine and nearly two pounds of cocaine.

Eric Holton Jr., 44, faces two felony counts of aggravated controlled substance crime, which both carry a minimum sentence of just over seven years in prison.

According to the criminal complaint, Holton was the subject of a Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office West Metro Drug Task Force investigation.

Detectives tracked him to an apartment complex in Golden Valley, where he was visiting an associate. Officers searched the property, where they found a black backpack holding multiple bags of meth, cocaine and three digital scales.

Also found were bags of meth in the bathroom and in a large suitcase, as well as $16,976 in cash.

Prior to the search, investigators observed Holton carrying a backpack which appeared to match the one found in the apartment.

The drugs found in the apartment “are significantly more than a personal use amount,” read a press release released the sheriff’s office. “They indicate an intent to sell and that [Holton] holds a higher position in the drug distribution hierarchy. In a post-Miranda statement, [Holton] admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and cocaine in the apartment. He admitted that the cash was his, and he did not currently have a job.”

Holton has three previous felony drug convictions.

He’s being held in the Hennepin County Jail and his bail has been set at $500,000.

His next court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 18.

A photo posted to social media by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office shows nearly 60 pounds of meth and nearly two pounds of cocaine that were seized from an apartment in Golden Valley.

Golden Valley