More arrests, charges tied to thefts from federal agents’ vehicles after ICE shootings in Minneapolis

Additional people have been charged with stealing government property from federal agents’ vandalized vehicles during unrest after an ICE officer shot and wounded a man in north Minneapolis two weeks ago.

Charged in U.S. District Court in Minnesota with aiding and abetting the willful destruction of public property are: James Christopher Lauer, 21, of St. Paul; Michael Wallace Johnson III, 32, of Eden Prairie; Korey Carroll, 33, of West Concord, Minn.; and Lanisha Latrice Taylor, 27, of Minneapolis.

All four were arrested, released on their own recognizance and are scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 2. The Minnesota Star Tribune has reached out to attorneys for all four defendants for a response to the allegations. Two have replied and declined to comment.

On Jan. 14, FBI personnel were assisting Department of Homeland Security officers with immigration enforcement near 24th and Lyndale avenues N., where federal agents were were forced amid unrest to abandon their vehicles and property at the scene after an agent shot and wounded a man who allegedly attacked an officer during an arrest attempt.

Federal officials have said several people stole from an unmarked FBI vehicle an assault-style rifle, its noise suppressor, a handgun, ammunition, body armor, a handheld communications radio and a laptop computer, uniforms, other equipment and personal items.

Stolen from a second agent’s vehicle, according to federal officials, were FBI building access cards, an FBI identification badge, body armor, a loaded firearms magazine, clothing, credit cards, a driver’s license, a cellphone and a personal mailbox key.

“Lauer, Carroll, Johnson and Taylor are observed interacting and/or conversing with one another and taking part in the destruction and/or theft” from the agents’ vehicles, the criminal complaint read.

Lauer’s pickup truck was hooked up with a tow strap to the rear of one agent’s vehicle. The pickup jerked forward and ripped a lockbox from out of the agent’s vehicle and dragged it along the street.

“Johnson and Taylor run after [the lockbox] laughing and cheering,” the complaint read.

Johnson slammed the lockbox to the road multiple times in an effort to get the box open and gave Lauer a hammer in the effort to get in the box. He also was holding the tow strap after it was hooked to Lauer’s pickup.

Carroll smashed the front windshield and did other damage to the agent’s vehicle. He also reached into the lockbox of the other agent’s vehicle and stole patches.

The FBI used facial recognition technology to place Taylor at the scene of the unrest. She admitted on Jan. 19 to the FBI to being there to protest the immigration enforcement effort but denied damaging vehicles or stealing anything.

Arrests have been made and charges filed earlier against other people in connection with the thefts from the agents’ vehicles.

Brenna Marie Doyle, 18, of Spokane, Wash., used stolen identification documents to threaten to kill the officer and his immediate family members, according to the FBI and prosecutors.

Raul Gutierrez, 33, of Minneapolis was charged in U.S. District Court in St. Paul with illegal gun possession and theft in connection with allegedly breaking into an FBI vehicle and stealing a rifle.