ROSEAU, Minn. -A former Roseau County sheriff's deputy has been charged with stalking after allegedly harassing two Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents through text messages, letters and other venues.
Joshua McGurran Olson, 35, was arrested April 5 in Clearwater County and is currently being held in the Roseau County Jail after being officially charged Wednesday.
According to a criminal complaint, the stalking began after two BCA agents, listed as D.N. and N.A., investigated Olson in 2016 after he was accused of "shooting up" a cabin in Roseau during a dispute over access to a road. After he was convicted of a felony and lost his job as a deputy, Olson "appeared to harbor resentment" against the BCA and his former employer and began harassing the two agents, the complaint said.
The stalking included "disturbing" text messages sent to the spouse of N.A. implying that the family was being watched and that they should "make sure the kids are safe," and that N.A. "should be eliminated."
Olson is also accused of posting fliers around Roseau claiming that D.N. was a sex offender and was wanted by authorities. D.N. also allegedly received letters at home and at work criticizing his appearance.
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According to the complaint, Olson was arrested after an April 5 incident, during which D.N.'s son was at home and heard two noises that sounded like gunfire. The son and a friend saw a blue Chevrolet Trailblazer driving down the road, the complaint said, and called police.
Law enforcement eventually found Olson at his father's house in Clearwater County and saw a blue Chevrolet parked outside the home. Olson eventually left the residence after an hour of negotiation and was arrested.
The complaint states that Olson said he had been near D.N.'s house, but that he did not fire a gun at the home. He later said said he hit the agent's mailbox with a shovel.
Olson's next court appearance had not been scheduled as of 3 p.m. Thursday.
