Man in drug sting pleads guilty to possession
Published 10:55 am Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Another of three people arrested in a Nov. 23 drug bust that uncovered 144.27 grams of methamphetamine and 225 grams of marijuana has pleaded guilty Monday in Mower County District Court.
Romario Louis Luke, 22, of Rochester pleaded guilty to felony second-degree possession of 25 grams or more of cocaine or methamphetamine on Monday in Mower County District Court, while felonies for first-degree aggravated controlled substance crime for possessing a firearm and being a violent felons in possession of a firearm were both dismissed.
Last week, Ezra Robert Hardy, 21, of Austin pleaded guilty to felony third-degree sale of a narcotic, while a first-degree drug possession charge was dismissed.
Luke, Hardy and Tyler Stone DeBoer, 21, of Austin were all originally charged with first-degree drug possession of more than 100 grams of cocaine or meth and first-degree aggravated controlled substance crime for possessing a firearm. Luke and Hardy were also charged with being a violent felons in possession of a firearm, but that charge was dismissed.
Luke was also allegedly involved with a shooting incident at Mandolin Apartments, but he hasn’t been charged in the incident.
The Austin Police Department, Mower County Sheriff’s Office and Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team executed a search warrant at 909 First Ave. NW at 5:44 a.m. on Nov. 23 and found DeBoer, Luke and Hardy in the upstairs of the residence.
Police uncovered:
•144.27 grams of methamphetamine in various spots
•225 grams of marijuana,
•a magazine and ammunition for a 7.62-by-39-millimeter rifle,
•drug paraphernalia,
•several cell phones and a tablet,
•pistol magazines and 9-millimeter ammunition,
•a canister of pepper spray,
•various ammunition for shotgun and pistols,
•foil and 12 grams of a cutting agent,
•packaging materials for smuggling narcotics,
•a ledger,
•$58 in cash,
•three handgun holsters,
•and two bodies of armor.
Hardy was convicted of a felony drug crime on Feb. 10, 2016, while Luke has a history of terroristic threats dating to Aug. 15, 2011.
Luke has also been tied to a Nov. 13 shooting at Mandolin Place Apartments, though he has not been officially charged in the incident.