Cara Aus and Joshua Aus were sentenced after pleading guilty to crimes tied to drug activity and child neglect at their home daycare centers in Fargo. Police said children were present while the drug activity occurred, and the case grew from an infant injury investigation into broader criminal charges.
Cara Aus received five years in prison, with 18 months to serve and the rest suspended. She was also ordered to two years of supervised probation. Joshua Aus received 360 days in jail, with one day to serve and the remainder suspended, plus 18 months of supervised probation.
Fargo infant injury probe
The investigation began in April 2024 after a 2-month-old infant was brought to an emergency room in Fargo with a significant arm fracture. Medical professionals determined the injury was non-accidental, and the daycare's license was suspended after serious concerns surfaced during the initial review.
Detectives later said they found a troubling pattern of unreported injuries involving children who had attended the daycare in previous years. Those injuries included a broken clavicle, nursemaid’s elbow, unexplained bruising, and other injuries that were never reported to authorities as required by law.
Cara Aus search warrant
Cara Aus told investigators, “I don't know what you guys think, go ahead look, you guys have this all wrong,” when they served the search warrant. A man who lived with the family for nine months later told detectives the couple sold large amounts of drugs out of their home and weighed out drugs with children present.
Detectives said digital forensic analysis of text messages contradicted the couple’s accounts about how the infant was handled before the injury. They also said multiple search warrants turned up digital evidence, witness interviews, and physical evidence showing significant drug distribution activity inside the home while the daycare was operating.
Joshua Aus probation terms
Joshua Aus pleaded guilty to child neglect and two counts of drug possession. Cara Aus pleaded guilty earlier this month to conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver cocaine, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, and possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance.
In 2025, a child who previously attended the daycare came forward to allege physical punishment by the couple, and police said that report added corroboration to the case. The sentences leave both defendants on supervised probation, while the prison and jail terms are largely suspended around the short terms they must actually serve.
