Stewartville Man Caught With Sawed-Off Shotgun Sent to Prison

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Stewartville man with a lengthy criminal history has been sentenced to a total of five years in prison for three convictions involving illegal possession of firearms and possessing stolen property.

In the first case, 25-year-old James Michael Kenyon was accused of leading Rochester police on a high-speed chase on a motorcycle last October that ended in a crash. He ended up pleading guilty to illegally possessing a firearm and/or ammunition in exchange for the dismissal of felony counts of fleeing police and drug possession.

The following month, he was caught in possession of a stolen motorcycle and a sawed off shotgun that led to a guilty plea for violating a state law that prohibits the possession of machine guns and short-barreled shotguns.

READ MORE: Stewartville Felon Pleads Guilty in Armed Motorcycle Theft Case

According to the criminal complaint, an Olmsted County deputy was on routine patrol and attempting to locate a stolen motorcycle when he happened upon Kenyon pushing the motorcycle into a unit at a storage business in Stewartville. While he was being questioned, Kenyon fled on foot and was seen grabbing for something in his jacket.

The court document states the deputy responded by shocking Kenyon with his Taser, which caused him to fall to the ground. Once he was handcuffed, the charges say Kenyon was searched and the deputy discovered that he was carrying a loaded one-foot long sawed off shotgun.

Court records show he was released without bail after his arraignment.

Kenyon was then arrested in January of this year following a search of his residence in Stewartville. The criminal complaint says investigators discovered a number of shotgun shells and .22 caliber bullets. Because of his previous convictions, Kenyon was already barred from possessing any firearms and/or ammunition.

The search also led to the discovery of a stolen motorcycle in the living room. The criminal complaint noted that the motorcycle had been partially disassembled.

In that case, he entered a guilty plea to possession of stolen property.

Kenyon's criminal record lists over a dozen felony convictions dating back to 2019. They include convictions for theft, vehicle theft, fleeing police, receiving stolen property, and drug offenses.

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