Blaine Felon Arrested, Charged with Illegal Possession of Firearms

MINNEAPOLIS – A Blaine man has been arrested and charged in a federal criminal complaint for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents and a law enforcement affidavit, on August 10, 2022, at approximately 1:26 p.m., deputies with the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residential burglary in Ham Lake. A video surveillance system at the residence showed a man, later identified as Carson Thomas McCoy, 21, pried open the front door of the residence and later sped away in a stolen black BMW sedan. Among the items stolen from the residence were a Springfield Armory .45 caliber handgun, two loaded ammunition magazines, and $1,500 in cash.

According to court documents and a law enforcement affidavit, less than 30 minutes later, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office received reports of an incident involving shots fired around Lexington Avenue NE and 155th Avenue NE in Ham Lake. It was reported that a black BMW sedan nearly collided with three people riding motorcycles. Someone in the BMW then held a handgun out of the BMW's sunroof and fired several shots at the three people on the motorcycles. Shortly thereafter, law enforcement located the BMW and attempted to stop the vehicle, but it fled before eventually crashing into an Anoka County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle. The driver, McCoy, and a female passenger were taken into custody. Following a search of the BMW, law enforcement recovered the Springfield Armory handgun previously stolen from the residence, a Bersa .380 caliber handgun, narcotics, $851 in cash, and a false identification card.

According to court documents and a law enforcement affidavit, on July 19, 2022, McCoy used the false identification card at car dealership in Eden Prairie to arrange a test drive of the stolen black BMW sedan and then never returned the car.

McCoy is charged with one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. He appeared yesterday in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright and was ordered to remain in detention pending further proceedings.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Blaine Police Department, and the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case.

A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.