Police Seize Ghost Guns, Drugs Following Search of Rochester Home

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Rochester man is facing a long list of charges after police searched his home as part of a missing juvenile investigation.

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The criminal complaint, which was filed on Tuesday in Olmsted County Court, says officers seized multiple so-called “ghost guns”, a variety of drugs and drug sales evidence from the home.

Rochester Police officers contacted 35-year-old Donald Priester at his northwest Rochester home on Saturday in an attempt to locate a missing juvenile, who had been in contact with him, the complaint says.

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Priester said he had been with the missing juvenile several hours before police arrived, the charges say.

Rochester Police Investigating Missing Juvenile Find 3 Ghost Guns, Variety of Drugs

He allowed officers into the home to search for the missing juvenile and the search led to the discovery of an apparent self-assembled handgun that did not have a serial number, the complaint says.

asobov (stock photo)

Police then obtained a search warrant for Priester’s home and vehicle. The second search led to the discovery of two AR-15-style guns that were also missing serial numbers and a second handgun that had a serial number, according to the court filing.

All three of the “ghost guns” were loaded and officers also found two ammunition magazines and an ammunition box inside of the home, the charges say.

TJ Leverentz/TSM

Priester also had 152 suspected MDMA pills, 3.8 grams of suspected psilocybin mushrooms, 17 suspected Xanax bars, and a scale inside of the residence, the charges allege.

Officers then arrested Priester and found $3259 in cash on his person, the complaint says.

Priester complaint. Olmsted County Court

Priester is charged with three counts of possessing a firearm without a serial number, second-degree drug sales, second-degree drug possession and fifth-degree drug possession.

He was released without bail following his first court appearance on Tuesday and is due back in court next month.

The court document does not make further mention of the missing juvenile.