Man Charged With 2nd-Degree Drug Possession After Meth Allegedly Found at Newport Motel
Published: August 7th, 2026.
NEWPORT MN: A man has been charged with felony second-degree drug possession after authorities allegedly recovered more than 30 grams of suspected methamphetamine while responding to a domestic complaint at a Newport motel.
Rodney Joseph Doublin, 39, is charged in Washington County District Court with second-degree possession of 25 grams or more of methamphetamine. The charge carries a maximum possible sentence of 25 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
According to the criminal complaint, law enforcement responded to a motel in Newport on July 6 after receiving a report that a man and woman were physically fighting.
The woman told officers she had been fighting with Doublin and alleged that he dumped alcohol on her, ripped her pants and took some of her belongings. She told officers that she hid Doublin's bag outside and believed it could contain methamphetamine.
Two witnesses reportedly told officers they heard a man and woman yelling and items being thrown around. They also reported seeing a woman leave the motel room carrying an item before returning without it.
Doublin denied assaulting the woman and instead claimed she had assaulted him, according to the complaint.
Officers later located a black fanny pack hidden inside a broken grill on a vehicle in the motel parking lot. The complaint states the bag contained several personal items bearing Doublin's name, along with two plastic baggies containing a crystalline substance.
Authorities allege the first baggie contained 22.2 grams of a substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine, while the second contained another 8.1 grams. Officers also allegedly found 1.6 grams of suspected methamphetamine inside a pill bottle.
In total, the substances alleged to have tested positive for methamphetamine weighed approximately 31.9 grams.
The charge is an allegation. Doublin is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.