Timothy Ronald McNamara, 38, was arrested by the Hastings Police Department Tuesday, Aug. 18, and booked into the Dakota County Jail on suspicion of felony fifth-degree controlled substance possession.
According to Dakota County Jail records, McNamara was arrested at 7:57 p.m. in Douglas Township. He was booked into the jail at 9:29 p.m. and initially held pending charges or further investigation.
The jail record lists the suspected offense as fifth-degree possession of a Schedule I, II, III or IV controlled substance, or possession of drug paraphernalia containing controlled substance residue, excluding cannabis or hemp. The allegation is listed as a felony.
Details surrounding the arrest remain limited. A criminal complaint or statement of probable cause describing what led Hastings officers to McNamara in Douglas Township, what substance was allegedly recovered or the amount allegedly involved was not located in publicly searchable court records as of Sunday, Aug. 23.
Jail information associated with the arrest listed a first court appearance for Thursday, Aug. 20. The initial jail listing identified McNamara’s custody status as pending charge or investigation.
The Aug. 18 arrest is not McNamara’s first recent controlled substance case involving Hastings police. Earlier this year, McNamara, identified in court reporting as a Pine Island resident, was charged with felony fifth-degree controlled substance possession following an incident in Hastings on Nov. 29, 2025.
In that case, Hastings police were called to a business at approximately 1:26 a.m. According to information from the criminal complaint, an officer asked McNamara how much methamphetamine he had in his possession. McNamara allegedly replied, “Quite a bit,” before removing a bag from his pocket. Authorities reported the bag contained 6.27 grams of methamphetamine.
That charge was reported in April after the criminal complaint was filed in Dakota County District Court. The available information concerning the Aug. 18 arrest does not establish whether the new arrest is connected in any way to the earlier case.
The location of the latest arrest is also notable because Douglas Township is south of Hastings, while the arresting agency is listed as the Hastings Police Department. The publicly available jail information does not explain why Hastings officers were in Douglas Township, whether officers were assisting another agency, whether McNamara was being sought in connection with another matter or whether the alleged controlled substance was discovered during another type of police contact.
Until a criminal complaint or additional law enforcement information is released, the circumstances leading to the arrest, including the type and amount of suspected controlled substance, remain unknown.
An arrest or criminal charge is an allegation. McNamara is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.