Charges: Rochester Man With Violent Past Caught With 'Ghost Gun'

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man with a history of violent criminal offenses was arrested last week after he was allegedly caught in possession of a loaded handgun.

The criminal complaint filed against 22-year-old Robert Alvin Cleaves indicates he was a passenger in a car that was pulled over by a State Trooper for speeding on North Broadway the morning of July 17. The court document says the 21-year-old woman driving the vehicle failed field sobriety tests and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of a controlled substance.

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The charges state that the Trooper was able to see inside the glove box of the vehicle while the young woman was retrieving her proof of insurance before she was asked to leave the vehicle. At that time, the Trooper did not see a firearm in the compartment.

photo by Andy Brownell

Following the arrest of the driver, the Trooper returned to the car to conduct a search and noticed the keys to the vehicle were no longer in the ignition and were sitting on the driver's seat. The Trooper then discovered the glove box had been locked, and found a pistol inside after he used the car keys to unlock it.

The criminal complaint says the Trooper then inspected the weapon and found a round in the chamber. He also determined it appeared to be a so-called "ghost gun" because the serial number had been removed.

asobov (stock photo)

Cleaves has been charged with illegal possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a crime of violence and another felony charge for allegedly removing the serial number from a firearm. His conditional bail has been set at $50,000.

Court records show Cleaves has previous convictions for second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon along with felony counts of domestic assault and possession of stolen property.

He is scheduled to return to Olmsted County Court for a hearing next month.