Convicted Rochester Drug Dealer Sent to Prison For 2nd Major Bust

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man has been sentenced to nearly 7 years in prison for a felony drug conviction stemming from a major drug bust last summer.

21-year-old Ronald John Christianson recently entered a guilty plea to a first-degree drug possession charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, five other felony drug charges and a charge of illegal possession of a firearm and/or ammunition were dismissed.

The charges stemmed from a raid conducted by the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and members of the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team on June 30, 2023. The law officers executed a search warrant at a residence in the 1500 block of 6th Avenue Southeast in Rochester.

According to court records, the search resulted in the seizure of more than 500 "M30" pills that tested positive for fentanyl and nearly 800 grams of methamphetamine. The criminal complaint says investigators also confiscated more than $14,000 in cash, a fully loaded ammunition magazine, two jigs used to manufacture so-called "ghost guns," and a large scale that was covered in residue.

At the time of his arrest, Christianson was on probation for a 2022 first-degree drug conviction. That case involved a drug bust that occurred at the University of Minnesota-Rochester.

Court documents indicate Christianson was given credit for the more than 235 days he has already spent in jail since his arrest.

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