BRIAN MELTON Archives - KVRR Local News

Two Charged with Smuggling Drugs into Clay County Jail

The charge of conspiracy to distribute narcotics comes with a maximum 20-year prison sentence.

April 15, 2026

Gabriel Ostler,

Clay County CourthouseMOORHEAD, MN (KVRR) – Two men are each facing up to twenty years in prison after allegedly being caught smuggling narcotics into the Clay County Jail. Jack Halvorson and Loren Smith stand accused of sneaking suboxone into the jail for sale and distribution amongst fellow inmates. The charging documents state suspicion arose when inmates in Smith’s orbit began…

Macro Photo Of Banknotes Of Money In The Us Currency One Hundred Dollars.

Moorhead business owner faces 24-count complaint for tax fraud and failing to pay taxes

April 14, 2026

TJ Nelson,

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) — A Moorhead business owner is accused of tax fraud and failing to pay taxes dating back to 2019. Clay County Attorney’s Office has brought a 24-count complaint against Christine Conrad. She is the owner of Reese & Riley’s Olive Oil and Bistro Bar in Moorhead. Court records show the investigation found Conrad filed false income tax…

Clay County Attorney Speaks On Middle School Student Fentanyl Case

Exclusive: Clay County attorney says school fentanyl case is atypical, ‘extremely unfortunate’

Brian Melton spoke with KVRR Local News on the ongoing investigation into how a middle school student obtained 1,500 fentanyl pills

December 16, 2025

Juliana Pelaez,

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) – A 13-year-old boy at Horizon Middle School was arrested Thursday for first-degree possession of a controlled substance after police say they discovered 1,500 fentanyl pills. Clay County Attorney Brian Melton spoke about the highly unusual case in an exclusive interview with KVRR Local News. “It’s a pretty atypical case to kind of see that kind of…

Moorhead sex crimes fugitive who spent 22 years evading capture is freed

January 10, 2023

Jim Monk,

Curtis BrovoldMOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) – A man who was on the run in Mexico for two decades after he was charged with sexually abusing a girl in Moorhead has been released from custody. Charges were dropped in November against Curtis Brovold. Brovold was captured last January and returned to Moorhead to face trial. Brovold was accused of luring a 14-year-old…

Clay County’s Top Prosecutor Is Being Deployed For Second Time Since 2006

Brian Melton is a colonel in the Minnesota National Guard

June 7, 2018

TJ Nelson,

MOORHEAD, Minn. — Clay County Attorney Brian Melton is being deployed to Kuwait. He says part of the mission involves administering intelligence information. Melton is a colonel in the Minnesota National Guard. He will be away for about a year, beginning in late September or early October. It’ll be the second time he’s been deployed since he was first elected…

Justin Critt Found Guilty of Moorhead Murder & Arson

May 25, 2018

KVRR Staff,

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KFGO/KVRR) – A man accused of fatally beating a Moorhead woman and setting her house on fire has been found guilty. A Clay County District Court Jury on Friday afternoon convicted Justin Critt of 2nd degree murder and 1st degree arson in the 2016 death of Melissa Wilcoxon. Clay County Attorney Brian Melton says Wilcoxon died from blunt…

Seventh Judicial District Judge Candidates List Does Not Include Brian Melton

Clay County Attorney Exluded From Candidate List By Commission On Judicial Selection

March 13, 2018

TJ Nelson,

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Clay County Attorney Brian Melton is not in the running to serve as a Seventh Judicial District judge in Minnesota. Melton’s name was not included in the list of six candidates sent to Governor Dayton by the Commission on Judicial Selection. They include Michelle Clark, Douglas Clark, Amber Gustafson, Tammy Merkins, Kevin Miller and Jade Rosenfeldt….