Man pleads guilty to stealing gun from FBI vehicle in north Minneapolis
A man accused of stealing a rifle and suppressor from an FBI vehicle during a federal operation in north Minneapolis earlier this year reached a plea deal.
Raul Gutierrez, of Inver Grove Heights, pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
The plea agreement says on Jan. 14, Gutierrez participated in a "violent civil disturbance" in which he and others broke into an FBI vehicle. An accomplice broke into a vault in the car's cargo area and removed a rifle bag and ammunition. That person then handed the rifle bag to Gutierrez, who put it in his car and drove away.
Members of the FBI were helping the Department of Homeland Security personnel in north Minneapolis on Jan. 14 after an arrest operation that resulted in the use of force, according to the affidavit. The court document doesn't give details of the operation, though federal agents in the area shot a Venezuelan migrant in the leg during that time.
Court records said civil unrest that happened after the arrest forced FBI and DHS personnel to abandon their vehicles.
Gutierrez was taken into custody the next day after federal investigators identified and found his vehicle and a "brief foot pursuit," court documents said.
Court documents say Gutierrez did not know the contents of the rifle bag when he first took it, but suspected it contained a firearm. When he opened the bag and saw that it did contain a firearm, he abandoned the bag. His accomplice then picked up the rifle bag and took it to his home.
Gutierrez has been convicted of felony burglary and domestic assault, and is not allowed to possess firearms.
The plea agreement gives Gutierrez a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to three years of supervised release. His sentencing is scheduled for July 28.
