Four charged for stolen guns

Wells resident says security tape destroyed during recent break-in

By Mickey Tibbits

WELLS — Four males appeared in Faribault County Court Tuesday who have been charged with stealing or possessing 35 guns, including assault rifles, that were stolen last week in Wells.

The value of the 35 guns was estimated at $30,000.

Bail was set at $70,000 for Cody Michael Roberts, an 18-year-old Wells resident charged with two felony counts, first-degree burglary involving weapons and firearms theft.

Michael John Drager, a 20-year-old Wells resident, was charged with possession of stolen firearms. However, Wells Police Chief Rick Herman said these charges stemmed from the August burglary of two guns from the same Wells residence. Drager told police he had tossed the two guns into Walnut Lake, Herman said.

Justin Roberts and Jared Bixby, both 17-year-olds from Wells, appeared in juvenile court Tuesday on felony charges. Both were charged with possession of stolen firearms, and Roberts was charged with burglary.

The guns were stolen from Danny Johnson’s garage in Wells between 6:30 a.m. Friday when Johnson left to go deer hunting in Missouri and 1:30 a.m. Saturday when his wife, Shirley, discovered the guns missing. Ammunition and $600 in cash also were stolen from the garage.

The gun collection included a number of Colt revolvers and Rugers, but also five assault rifles, a 17-caliber with a laser scope and military guns. A number of the guns were custom built, Herman said, and some have never been fired.

“They had to work hard to get into the garage,” Herman said. He said they broke through two locks. The Johnsons had remodeled their detached garage to hold the displayed guns and also have a living area in the building.

Johnson told the police he had rigged up a camera and VCR for security purposes but was not sure whether the camera was turned on. Herman said the burglars took the tape out of the VCR and destroyed it.

The first lead in the case came when the mother of one of the teenagers charged called police Sunday morning. After watching a WCCO television report about the stolen guns Saturday evening, the mother discovered a Colt revolver in her son’s coat pocket in his room the next morning. The teenager was not at home at the time.

After locating the teenager and interviewing him, Wells police and Faribault County deputies determined others were involved.

Herman said they found 34 of the guns in four different locations in the country including an abandoned farm yard and hidden in grass and trees in a field.

“One of the kids said he had discharged one of the guns,” Herman said. He confirmed they found casings at the scene where some of the guns were located. “The scary part is that kids could have found the guns.”

All of the guns, including one that was traded for marijuana in Waseca County, were retrieved by Sunday evening, Herman said. “It made sleeping better Sunday night. There was the risk of having guns on the street the first day.”

The gun in Waseca had been traded twice before it was found by police. Charges are pending in Waseca County involving that gun.

Faribault County Attorney Brian Roverud said Roberts was released and placed on electronic monitoring and Bixby was detained in the New Ulm Juvenile Detention Center.

Another juvenile in Kiester is being investigated in connection with possession of the guns and may be charged, Roverud said.

Herman said, “He was involved in transporting guns from one point to another.”

The guns are now in police custody in Wells.

Johnson said, “I didn’t expect to get the guns back. The police did a really good job in recovering them.”

Johnson also said he already has added security to his garage. Herman said a number of residents in Wells started locking their doors and taking precautions with their guns.

“I hope this does help people look at their gun security,” he said.