A 44-year-old man with a lengthy criminal history was caught hauling more than 200 pounds of marijuana with a street value of more than $500,000 into Minnesota, according to charges.
Jeffrey J. Lawstuen of Rochester was charged Friday in Olmsted County District Court with three felony drug counts and illegally possessing a loaded handgun in connection with his arrest in the middle of the night in Rochester.
"We had been investigating him for a period of time as a midlevel-type supplier in Rochester, and it all came to fruition as he returned from California around 3:30 in the morning" Thursday, city police Capt. John Sherwin said Sunday.
Sherwin said officers found about 227 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle.
Officers have also searched his home for more evidence, the captain said.
Lawstuen remains jailed in lieu of $50,000 bail. Court records indicate that he is representing himself.
His criminal history in Minnesota spans his entire adult life and includes five convictions for theft, three for disorderly conduct, two each for driving under the influence, drug possession and property damage, and one each for carrying a gun without a permit and felony assault.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
