Cara (L) and Joshua Aus (Cass County Jail photo)
FARGO (KFGO) – A Fargo couple are facing a list of charges following a year-long investigation for allegedly operating a drug trafficking operation out of their in-home daycare.
Cara and Joshua Aus are charged with several felonies for drug possession, and child abuse and neglect.
Court records say Fargo Police began investigating the couple in April 2024 after receiving a report that a child broke their arm while at Cara’s Cozy Hearts daycare. A parent told investigators they picked up their two-month-old baby on April 22, and noticed the infant was fussy and seemed to be in pain. Doctors determined the baby’s arm was broken, and found bruising on the child’s belly. Child Protection Services was notified, and police began investigating.
On April 25, detectives interviewed Joshua and Cara at their home. Investigators wrote the couple could not provide reasonable explanations for the injuries. Police, social workers, and a state childcare licensing official walked through the home, and found several violations, including open alcohol containers, medications, and narcotic paraphernalia, all within reach of children. The daycare’s license was officially suspended April 30.
Several parents told detectives their children also may be victims of child abuse. That included a parent whose daughter broke her collarbone in November 2022 and son whose elbow was dislocated in March 2023. Both of these injuries occurred in the Aus’ home.
While investigating child abuse and neglect, detectives learned that Cara had likely been running a drug trafficking operation out of her home, often while children were in her care. A search warrant of Cara’s phone revealed several conversations about drug sales. Detectives wrote in a report they also found several videos and photos that depicted child abuse. That included a video of a crying child sitting near a stove with a red, blistered hand.
As part of the investigation into the couple, narcotics detectives spoke with Marc Young in the Clay County Jail. Young had lived with the Auses for 9 months. Young was arrested again a few months later by Fargo Police after an hours-long search in south Fargo. He told police Cara sold large amounts of drugs out of the home, and would weigh drugs while children were present. He went on to say Cara, Joshua, and their 17-year-old daughter would smoke marijuana vapes with children present, and he would occasionally see drug paraphernalia near the kids.
Young said he would often pick up drug paraphernalia off the living room floor before parents dropped their kids off, not wanting kids to swallow it.
Detectives obtained a warrant to put a GPS tracker on Cara’s vehicle. The tracker showed her vehicle make numerous short stops around the area, which investigators say is consistent with narcotic sales activities.
The Cass County Drug Task Force searched Joshua and Cara’s south Fargo home, and found large amounts of drugs, including cocaine, marijuana, oxycodone, alprazolam, and hallucinogens.
Both are facing three felonies for conspiracy to distribute drugs, two felonies for child abuse and neglect, and two misdemeanor drug possession charges. They are due back in court in May.
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