BEMIDJI, Minn. -- A Bemidji man faces charges after being accused of soliciting prostitution at a Bemidji Walmart store.
Derek Daniel Barnes, 22, is charged with two counts of soliciting prostitution and DWI.
Around 4 a.m. Jan. 21, Barnes approached two female Walmart employees and offered money for sexual acts, according to court documents. Both employees are adults; one was offered $300, the other $400, authorities said.
Barnes fled the store when another employee tried to intervene and chased him into the parking lot, authorities said. The employee provided law enforcement with the license plate of Barnes’ vehicle, and police arrested him after he drove into a ditch.
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Soliciting prostitution in a public place is a misdemeanor punishable by a minimum fine of $1,500. If convicted, Barnes faces up to one year in jail and a $3,000 fine. The third-degree DWI charge also carries a penalty of one year in jail and a $3,000 fine.
Barnes has a criminal history that includes indecent exposure, felony stalking, burglary and damage to property.
Barnes was being held at the Beltrami County Jail. He is scheduled to appearance in court Monday.
