Machine Gun Conviction Sends Rochester Man to Prison

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man recently entered into a plea agreement that called for a seven year prison sentence was was given a considerably shorter prison term today.

22-year-old Robert Alvin Cleaves previously admitted to charges of possession of a machine gun, illegal possession of firearms, and fleeing police. According to court records, the machine gun and fleeing police convictions stemmed from a traffic crash in December in Rochester that led to the discovery of a Glock 19 with a 30 round magazine and an "auto sear" that converted the semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic firearm capable of firing 15 rounds in less than a second.

Court documents indicate the illegal possession of a firearm conviction was the result of a traffic stop that occurred last June in Rochester. The criminal complaint says Cleaves was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for suspicion of impaired driving when he was caught in possession of a so-called "ghost gun."

Under his plea agreement, an additional count of illegal possession of a firearm and a second-degree assault charge connected to a third case were dismissed. That charge stemmed from an incident last November during which Cleaves allegedly held a gun to another man's head during what the criminal complaint described as a botched drug deal.

The Petition to Enter guilty Plea that was filed in Olmsted County Court earlier this month stated that the prosecution and defense had jointly agreed to an 84 month prison sentence for the machine gun -related conviction and a 60 month prison term for the illegal possession of a firearm charge. Instead, Cleaves was sentenced Thursday to 5 years in prison for the illegal possession of a firearm conviction and was given a concurrent 19 month prison sentence for the machine gun conviction.

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