A Hastings man is facing a third-degree murder charge in Dakota County after authorities say he provided methamphetamine to another man who later died from acute drug toxicity, according to a criminal complaint filed March 27 in state district court.
Jeremy Paul Fredline, 42, is charged under a Minnesota statute that applies when a person “without intent to cause death, proximately cause[s] the death of a human being” by unlawfully selling or giving away a Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substance. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $40,000 if convicted.
The charge stems from an incident on Jan. 2, when Hastings police responded to a report of an unresponsive man at a home in the 1900 block of Walnut Street.
Officers arriving at the scene found Roger Eugene Thibeault, 63, in the front passenger seat of a truck parked in the driveway. He was not breathing and was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Fredline was nearby when officers arrived and later spoke with investigators several times about what happened that day.
According to the complaint, Fredline told police the two men had been together at his home earlier that day when Thibeault used methamphetamine. Roughly an hour later they went outside to the truck, where the victim’s condition worsened.
Fredline told officers the victim asked him to stay with him and that the two men held hands until the victim died.
Investigators say Fredline acknowledged the methamphetamine belonged to him and that he gave it to Thibeault after being asked. He also told officers he believed the drugs did not contain fentanyl.
“I test all my [explicative],” he said, according to the complaint.
Authorities reported that Fredline showed officers several fentanyl test kits he had in his possession. He also told investigators he felt responsible and believed the drugs could have caused the death.
An autopsy performed by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner determined the death was accidental and caused by acute methamphetamine toxicity. Toxicology testing showed a methamphetamine level of 1200 nanograms per milliliter in the victim’s blood. Methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance.
Fredline was already in custody on unrelated matters when the complaint was filed. Prosecutors requested a warrant so bail and release conditions could be set. A judge ordered that he remain detained pending further court proceedings.
The charge adds to a long criminal history in Minnesota courts that stretches back more than two decades and includes felony drug convictions, domestic assault, forgery, theft related offenses, and repeated violations involving driving after revocation.
Court records show Fredline was convicted in 2025 of fifth degree-controlled substance possession, a felony. He also has prior felony convictions for fifth degree drug possession in 2014 and 2023. Earlier cases include a felony domestic assault conviction in 2010 and a felony conviction for check forgery in 2008.
His record also includes a conviction for fifth degree assault within three years of a previous conviction, along with multiple misdemeanor offenses tied to traffic violations, driving after revocation, and failing to comply with court related restrictions.
In 2005 he was convicted in a case involving possession of a stolen motor vehicle. In 2004 he was convicted in another theft-related case. Records from 2002 show additional convictions tied to theft and controlled substance crimes. More recent cases continue the pattern. In 2025 alone, court files show convictions for shoplifting, trespassing, and several driving after revocation violations. He was also convicted in 2025 of failing to provide information after a traffic collision involving injury, death, or vehicle damage.
Earlier in 2025 he was convicted of violating a domestic abuse no contact order. In 2024 he was convicted of operating a motor vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance present in his system.
Taken together, the record reflects repeated contact with the criminal justice system across multiple counties, including Dakota, Goodhue, Washington, and others, with offenses ranging from drug possession to assault and property crimes.
The third-degree murder charge now filed in Dakota County centers specifically on the allegation that providing methamphetamine directly led to Thibeault’s death, even though there was no intent to kill.
Under Minnesota law, prosecutors do not need to prove intent in such cases. Instead, they must show that the unlawful distribution of the controlled substance was a proximate cause of the death.
A court date has not yet been announced in the case. Fredline remains in custody as proceedings move forward.