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Teen Charged in Marijuana Bust: Homemade Bomb, Drug Stash Found When Police Raided Home

Posted on: Saturday, 31 December 2005, 15:00 CST

By Maricella Miranda, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn., Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.

Dec. 31--Dakota County prosecutors charged a 17-year-old boy Friday with two felony counts of possessing marijuana with intent to distribute and possessing an explosive.

Authorities arrested Joshua Bakken on Thursday after finding 2.5 pounds of marijuana, $5,500 in cash, a homemade bomb and a loaded semi-automatic handgun in a small safe at his Rosemount home, said Dakota County Drug Task Force Sgt. John Grant. The task force issued a search warrant at noon that day after receiving a tip narcotics were being dealt out of the residence on the 15000 block of Cherry Path, Grant said.

The Dakota County Drug Task Force comprises police officers in Dakota County and deputies from the Dakota County Sheriff's Department. Task force officers from the Rosemount Police Department also participated in the search.

"That's a substantial amount of weed to be selling," said Rosemount Police Chief Gary Kalstabakken. "That's a fairly significant arrest to make."

Bakken lives in a town house with his mother, Debra, according to the complaint. In the safe, authorities found four baggies of marijuana, four bundles of cash and a loaded semi-automatic handgun. (Authorities do not know to whom the gun is registered.) In his bedroom, the officers seized two cell phones that continually rang with people leaving "incriminating messages," the complaint stated. Also in the room was a cigarette box with a blue tablet that tested positive for the drug Ecstasy.

The bomb was a round, softball-sized explosive, wrapped in duct tape with a large fuse sticking out on top, according to the complaint. Grant said the bomb wasn't attached as a booby trap to the drugs or cash, but was full of gunpowder. The St. Paul Bomb Squad responded to the scene and detonated it.

"Just due to friction alone it could have detonated," Grant said.

Kalstabakken said Bakken has previous offenses for violating curfew, underage drinking, and possessing small amounts of marijuana. Kalstabakken said it's unusual for a 17-year-old to have criminal items like these in a home safe, but it's not unusual for communities to unknowingly house suspected criminals like this.

"Rosemount is a safe community, but that doesn't mean that residents and visitors to the community shouldn't be aware of what's going on," Kalstabakken said. "That little piece of information people may give us might lead us to a significant arrest."

Bakken is being held at the county juvenile services center in Hastings. His next juvenile court appearance will be Jan. 17.

Maricella Miranda can be reached at 651-228-5421 or mmiranda@pioneerpress.com.

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Copyright (c) 2005, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.

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Source: Saint Paul Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.)

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