BEMIDJI, Minn. — A former Roseau County sheriff’s deputy accused of harassing and defaming two Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents pleaded guilty to stalking Thursday.
Joshua McGurran Olson, 36, was arrested April 5 in Clearwater County and charged with the felony in Beltrami County on April 19.
According to a criminal complaint, Olson began stalking the two agents, referred to in documents as D.N. and N.A., after the pair began investigating him in 2016. Olson had been accused of “shooting up” a cabin in Roseau during a dispute over access to a road.
The former deputy was convicted of a felony and lost his job, and appeared to “harbor resentment” against the BCA, the complaint said.
The stalking included “disturbing” text messages sent to one of the agent’s spouses, implying that the family was being watched, that they should “make sure the kids are safe,” and that the agent “should be eliminated,” the documents said.
Olson also allegedly posted fliers around Roseau claiming that one of the agents was a sex offender and wanted by authorities. The same agent received letters at his home and work criticizing his appearance.
The stalking came to a head in an April 5 incident, when D.N.’s son was at home and heard what sounded like gunfire. The son and a friend saw a blue Chevrolet Trailblazer driving down the road, the complaint said, and called police.
Olson was eventually found at his father’s house in Clearwater County; law enforcement saw the blue Chevrolet parked outside the home. After an hour of negotiation, Olson was arrested.
Olson is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 8 for sentencing.