Bemidji Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Stolen .357–Revolver
MINNEAPOLIS — Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a 27–year–old Bemidji man pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen .357–caliber revolver. Edward McCabe Robinson specifically pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a stolen firearm. Prior to today’s plea hearing, Robinson was charged via an Information. He entered his plea before United States District Court Judge Donovan W. Frank. In his plea agreement, Robinson admitted that on August 28, 2011, he possessed the gun when he was arrested at a Bemidji apartment complex for violation of state supervised release.
Because he is a felon, Robinson is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. His prior convictions include first–degree burglary (juvenile adjudication) in Itasca County (1998), first–degree burglary in St. Louis County (2003) and felon in possession of a firearm as well as fleeing police in a motor vehicle in Anoka County (2007).
According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the present federal case, on August 28, 2011, an officer encountered Robinson at the rear of a Bemidji apartment complex, when the officer came upon a group of men sitting on a patio. After the officer identified himself and asked the men to show their hands, one of the men, later identified as Robinson, ran into a nearby apartment. Inside the apartment, officers found Robinson hiding in a laundry room. After Robinson was arrested, officers found the weapon, also in the laundry room.
For his crime, Robinson faces a potential maximum penalty of ten years in prison. Judge Frank will determine his sentence at a future hearing. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bemidji Police Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deidre Y. Aanstad.
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 efforts.
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