A Brooklyn Center man, known as a member of the Minneapolis Bloods street gang, has been found guilty of illegal firearm possession by a federal jury, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced. Dante Jospeh Tyus, 30, was convicted following evidence that unveiled his possession of a gun despite prior felony convictions, which under federal law strictly bar him from holding firearms or ammunition.
The verdict emerged from a four-day trial overseen by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson. Evidence at the trial showed that on September 28, 2019, Tyus was pulled over for driving erratically by the Minnesota State Patrol. Displaying signs of intoxication, Tyus was subsequently arrested and his vehicle impounded. It was after his booking at the Hennepin County Jail that officials became privy to Tyus's concerns over a hidden weapon, as introduced through recorded calls where he solicited his girlfriend's help to retrieve the firearm from his vehicle. A law enforcement search, fortified by a warrant, led to the recovery of a 9mm semiautomatic handgun tucked away in a door panel.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office highlights Tyus's prior felony convictions in Hennepin County as the basis for the federal prohibition against his possession of firearms. The case required a collaborative investigation involving the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Minnesota State Patrol, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla J. Baumel and Allen A. Slaughter led the charge, trying a case that underscores ongoing efforts to curb gun violence by targeting illegal possession. Sentencing for Tyus is pending, promising to add a coda to this chapter of law enforcement's fight against firearms in the hands of felons. Tyus's conviction has yet served as another reminder of the perils posed by guns unlawfully circulating on our streets and the importance of stringent law enforcement measures to prevent it.
