$500K Bail Set in Rochester-Area Cocaine Trafficking Case

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A weekend drug bust near Rochester that resulted in the seizure of nearly five pounds of cocaine was the culmination of a narcotics investigation that began in June.

According to criminal charges filed in Olmsted County Court on Tuesday, 31-year-old Emmanuel Omod Oman of Austin and 36-year-old Aquiel Bul Bior of Rochester were arrested Saturday evening after the vehicle they were in was pulled over on I-90 near Eyota. Inside, investigators found two bricks of suspected cocaine. One weighed more than 2.3 pounds, and the other weighed just under 2.3 pounds.

Sheriff’s Office Tracks Suspects Using Cell Data and ALPRs

The criminal complaints against them state that the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Oman’s activities in June after a video was found during the review of evidence in a different case that depicted two large brick-like objects inside a bag. Automatic license plate reader data was then checked, revealing that a vehicle frequently driven by the Austin man had traveled to and from the Chicago area on multiple occasions.

The court document says investigators then obtained search warrants for location data concerning Oman, which was used to track his cell phone as it exited Minnesota on I-90 last Friday. The tracking data later showed his phone leaving Illinois and heading back toward Minnesota early Saturday afternoon.

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The charges say investigators later spotted the SUV Oman was in entering Minnesota and tracked it until a traffic stop was initiated on I-90 just before 6:25 p.m. on Saturday. Oman, Bior, and a third person were found inside the vehicle along with the large quantity of suspected cocaine.

High Bail Set in Rochester-Area Drug Trafficking Case

Oman and Bior have both been charged with first-degree drug sales, first-degree drug possession, and importing drugs across state borders. During their arraignments on Tuesday, bail for Oman was set at $500,000, while Bior’s bail was set at $50,000.

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