A loaded Springfield XD 9mm pistol stashed in a backpack, 94 ecstasy pills on hand, and a violent criminal past — Deshaun Tyrone Braziel, 35, of Minneapolis, is back in federal crosshairs. Braziel was charged Monday with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, a crime that carries serious federal time for those with his record.
According to court documents filed by U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald, Braziel was spotted May 21, 2020, exiting a Minneapolis store that grants interior access to an upper apartment unit. At the time, he was wanted on two active arrest warrants and was a suspect in a deadly April 16, 2020 shooting. Surveillance teams moved in as Braziel climbed into a BMW parked nearby. He was arrested on the spot.
During a search incident to arrest, law enforcement found a fully loaded 9mm handgun inside Braziel’s backpack, along with 94 ecstasy pills, a digital scale, and his personal credit card. The presence of the scale suggests intent to distribute. Because Braziel has a prior felony conviction for a 2006 drive-by shooting, he is banned under federal law from owning or carrying firearms or ammunition.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Ethen and stems from a coordinated crackdown by the Twin Cities Violent Crime Task Force. This multi-agency unit pools resources from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Minneapolis Police Department to target repeat offenders and gun traffickers.
A preliminary and detention hearing is set for August 10 before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota. If convicted, Braziel faces up to 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. He remains in custody pending trial.
The charges against Deshaun Tyrone Braziel, 35, of Minneapolis, are merely allegations. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. For updates, visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota at (612) 664-5600 or online at justice.gov.
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Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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