Man pleads not guilty to stolen property, drug charges

Published 12:54 pm Saturday, August 5, 2017

A second man living at a residence where police allegedly found a stolen assault rifle has pleaded not guilty to several charges.

Aaron Duenes, 21, of Austin pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of felony receiving stolen property, felony fifth-degree drug possession, two counts of gross misdemeanor user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and petty misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia in Mower County Court.

According to the court report, Austin police officers assisted a special agent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in executing a search warrant on Duenes’ residence at 8:39 a.m. on May 22 in the 500 block of 12th Street Northeast. His roommate, Harley Roberts, 27, of Austin, answered the door and was immediately secured in handcuffs. Duenes was not home.

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Police seized several marijuana pipes, various items of drug paraphernalia, .380 caliber ammunition, multiple electronic devices and four firearms, including a Ruger SR556 assault rifle, an Astra A70 pistol, a Chiappa Firearms 1911-22 pistol and Jennings Firearms J-22 pistol. The serial number of the Ruger assault rifle matched one that had been reported stolen in Waseca.

Duenes came home and told police he thought they were at his house for weapons. He admitted he had two small pieces of “marijuana wax” (about 0.53 grams) in his vehicle.

Roberts asked if the search warrant was for drugs or guns. Roberts told police the firearms belonged Duenes, who in turn denied they were his.

Both admitted to firing the Ruger assault rifle.

Roberts was charged with felony receiving stolen property, two gross misdemeanor charges of a user of a controlled substance being in possession of a firearm and petty misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia in Mower County District Court on Monday. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Aug. 31.

Duenes is scheduled to appear in court for a pre-trial on Dec. 29.