News and Press Releases
Bemidji man pleads guilty to
possessing a stolen .357-revolver
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2012
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”), an initiative launched by the
U.S. Justice Department in 2001 to promote a multi-jurisdictional, comprehensive approach to
reducing gun crime in America. PSN provides resources to strengthen law enforcement and
crime prevention partnerships that work to make our communities safer.
