Pennington County (trfnews.i234.me) — Clayton Robert Kessler, 23, of Viking, Minnesota, was sentenced on Monday, April 14, in Pennington County District Court to 48 months in prison for felony possession of a firearm by an ineligible person. A separate felony charge of theft of a firearm was dismissed.
The case originated from two reports of stolen handguns on October 10 in Thief River Falls. One victim reported a Canik TP9 9mm handgun missing from his vehicle on Horace Avenue North, while another reported a stolen Glock 43X 9mm with a custom Holosun Red Dot sight from a nearby parked car. Both vehicles showed no signs of forced entry.
Later that day, law enforcement conducted a probation search on a juvenile who revealed that a man, later identified as Kessler, had contacted him via Snapchat, offering to sell two handguns. Investigators obtained information from Snapchat, linking the account to Kessler through matching usernames and profile photos on his Facebook account. GPS data from the app placed Kessler near the theft locations during the time of the incidents.
Kessler was located at the Lilac Ridge Trailer Park in Viking. A subsequent traffic stop in Thief River Falls led to the discovery of the stolen firearms in his vehicle, along with additional ammunition. Kessler claimed he found the guns in a dumpster and intended to turn them in, but GPS data from a location-sharing app contradicted his statement, placing him near the theft sites at relevant times.
Kessler, previously convicted of felony burglary in November 2022, was prohibited from possessing firearms. As part of his sentencing, he was ordered to provide a DNA sample and pay $210 in fines and fees.
Did you know?
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Snapchat’s location-sharing features have been instrumental in several criminal investigations, providing real-time data to law enforcement.
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In Minnesota, individuals convicted of certain felonies lose their right to possess firearms, a right that can only be restored through legal channels.
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The use of social media platforms by offenders to facilitate illegal activities has led to increased monitoring and collaboration between tech companies and law enforcement agencies.
I’m Chris Harper, and I’m reporting for TRF News.