St. Cloud Man Indicted for Possessing a .32-Caliber Pistol
MINNEAPOLIS – Earlier today in federal court, a 33-year-old St. Cloud man was indicted with allegedly possessing a .32-caliber pistol. Bryant Duane Griffin was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The indictment alleges that on March 25, 2012, Griffin possessed the gun. Because he is a felon, Griffin is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm at any time. His prior Hennepin County convictions include fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance (1999) and attempted terroristic threats (2001). In addition, he was convicted of second-degree sale of a controlled substance in Stearns County (2008) and third-degree sale of a controlled substance in Benton County (2008). Since those offenses were crimes of violence or major drug crimes, Griffin is subject to the federal Armed Career Criminal Act if convicted in the current case. That act mandates a minimum of 15 years in federal prison.
According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the present federal case, police received a call at approximately 1:00 a.m. on March 25, 2012. The caller reported that a man in possession of a gun was riding a Metro Transit bus. Officers located the man, later identified as Griffin, on the bus. They found the gun under a seat on the bus.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Brooklyn Park Police Department, the Metro Transit Police Department, and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Surya Saxena and Andrew R. Winter.
Note, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN
), a comprehensive, strategic approach to reducing gun crime in America. PSN, launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2001, encourages cooperative, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement and crime prevention
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An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.