Cara (L) and Joshua Aus (Cass County Jail photo)
FARGO (KFGO) — A Fargo couple who ran a daycare have been sentenced for child abuse and drug-related offenses.
Cara and Joshua Aus operated Cara’s Cozy Hearts daycare out of their Fargo home. Police began investigating the couple in April 2024 after a two-month-old broke their arm while in the couple’s care. Doctors found the injury suspicious, and reported the injury to child protective services.
Several parents told detectives their children were also abuse victims.
Police, social workers, and a state childcare licensing official walked through the home in late April 2024, and found several violations, including open alcohol containers, medications, and narcotic paraphernalia, all within reach of children.
Investigators learned that Cara had likely been running a drug trafficking operation out of her home, often while children were in her care.
A man who had lived with the Aus family for 9 months was contacted by detectives. He told police Cara sold large amounts of drugs out of the home, and would weigh drugs while children were present. He added 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.
The Cass County Drug Task Force searched Joshua and Cara’s south Fargo home, and found large amounts of drugs, including cocaine, marijuana, prescription pills, and hallucinogens.
Joshua Aus pleaded guilty to child neglect and drug possession. He was sentenced to just under a year in jail.
Cara Aus pleaded guilty to several counts of drug possession and possession with intent to distribute.
This week, she was sentenced to five years in prison.
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