A Lake Mills man charged in Freeborn County District Court with methamphetamine possession after police found him with a stolen safe in October 2015 pleaded guilty Tuesday.

Joshua David Scott, 28, pleaded guilty to second-degree meth possession.

Court documents state Scott was charged after officers were initially alerted to the vehicle Smith and Jessica Sue Iverson, 30, of Northwood were riding in Oct. 19, 2015, in the Burger King parking lot in Albert Lea, because it matched the description of a vehicle tied to Scott, who had active warrants, according to court documents.

Officers reportedly found a butane torch in the vehicle and a large safe in the backseat. The safe had reportedly been stolen from Lake Mills.

Court documents state police found a meth pipe in Iverson’s purse and a purse in the backseat belonging to Scott with about eight grams of meth inside.

Scott reportedly admitted to police that he had a baggie of meth in his pocket when searched and that when he was told to turn around, he concealed the bag in his hand and then put it in his mouth in the back of the squad car.

Court documents state Scott told police he and Iverson had taken the safe to pay for a trip to California.

Sentencing for Scott is scheduled for June 29.

Freeborn County Attorney David Walker said Scott is expected to receive a five-year prison sentence.

Scott was in custody in Iowa prior to the plea hearing. Walker said time Scott served in Iowa will not be credited to the sentence he serves in Minnesota because they are different cases.

Scott was initially also charged with one count of fifth-degree meth possession and one count of receiving stolen property. 

Iverson was placed on supervised probation for up to five years in March 2016 in connection with the case after pleading guilty to fifth-degree meth possession two months prior.