Felony Warrant Issued for 19-Year-Old Accused of Pawning Stolen Property in Burnsville; Five Firearms Also Missing
Published: October 19, 2026
BURNSVILLE/PRIOR LAKE, MINNESOTA: A felony arrest warrant has been issued for a 19-year-old man accused of pawning nearly $1,800 in stolen gaming equipment in Burnsville after the property was allegedly taken from a Prior Lake residence. Investigators are also concerned about five firearms reported missing from the same residence.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Dakota County District Court, Jeremiah Julius Johnson, 19, faces one felony count of receiving stolen property valued at more than $1,000 but not more than $5,000. The complaint alleges that Johnson pawned two Xbox gaming consoles and four controllers at a Pawn America location in Burnsville on October 5, 2026. Investigators determined the equipment had a combined value of $1,794.95.
Court warrant records show investigators issued a warrant for Johnson's arrest on October 16, 2026. The warrant is listed as body-only, meaning Johnson must be taken into custody rather than resolving the warrant by posting a preset bail amount.
Investigation Began With Report of Missing Firearms
According to the criminal complaint, law enforcement responded to a report of stolen property at a Prior Lake residence on October 7, 2026. The investigation began after the homeowner, who had been taken into custody on October 4th in connection with an unrelated incident, asked his girlfriend and a neighbor to secure and lock his residence while he remained in jail.
When the two individuals visited the residence on October 5th, they found five firearms missing from their cases. The homeowner subsequently told investigators he believed Johnson was responsible for taking the firearms and other property. According to the complaint, the homeowner had previously met Johnson in downtown Minneapolis and learned that he was experiencing homelessness. The homeowner subsequently allowed Johnson to stay at his Prior Lake residence for a short period.
Johnson was reportedly at the residence during the unrelated incident that resulted in the homeowner being taken into custody. Following that incident, a neighbor reported seeing Johnson leave the residence and drive away in the homeowner's vehicle. Investigators later located the vehicle in Bloomington on October 6, 2026.
The homeowner told investigators he had not given Johnson permission to take his vehicle or any other personal property.
Gaming Consoles Traced to Burnsville Pawn Shop
As investigators examined the reported theft, they learned that additional personal belongings were missing from the residence, including two Xbox gaming consoles and four controllers. The homeowner provided law enforcement with serial numbers for the missing consoles, allowing investigators to search for potential transactions involving the equipment.
According to the complaint, officers used LeadsOnline, a database commonly used by law enforcement to investigate secondhand merchandise transactions, to determine whether any of the missing items had been sold or pawned. Investigators discovered that Johnson allegedly pawned both Xbox consoles and the four controllers at Pawn America in Burnsville on October 5th, the same day the homeowner's girlfriend and neighbor discovered the missing firearms.
The gaming equipment was valued at $1,794.95, placing the alleged offense within the felony-level property value range identified in the complaint. The criminal complaint does not specify how much money Johnson allegedly received from the pawn transaction or whether the gaming equipment has since been recovered.
Investigators Raise Public Safety Concerns Over Missing Firearms
Beyond the allegedly stolen gaming equipment, investigators expressed concerns about the five firearms reported missing from the Prior Lake residence. In requesting an arrest warrant, prosecutors stated that Johnson's whereabouts were unknown and raised the possibility that he remained in possession of the missing firearms.
The complaint states that there is a public safety concern because Johnson may possess the stolen firearms. Prosecutors also argued that there was a substantial likelihood Johnson would not respond to a court summons, supporting their request for an arrest warrant under Minnesota Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.01.
The complaint does not identify the types of firearms reported missing, whether investigators have recovered any of them, or whether there is additional evidence directly linking Johnson to their disappearance. Johnson has not been charged with a firearms-related offense in the provided Dakota County criminal complaint. The felony receiving stolen property charge specifically concerns the gaming consoles and controllers allegedly pawned in Burnsville.
Felony Charge and Arrest Warrant
Johnson has been charged with one count of receiving stolen property under Minnesota Statute 609.53, subdivision 1, with reference to Minnesota Statute 609.52, subdivision 3(3)(a). Under the charge identified in the complaint, a conviction could result in a sentence of up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
Dakota County warrant records identify the following information:
Defendant: Jeremiah Julius Johnson, 19
Charge: Felony Receiving Stolen Property ($1,000–$5,000)
Alleged offense date: October 5, 2026
Warrant issued: October 16, 2026
Warrant type: Body-only
Court: Dakota County District Court
The warrant records provided identify Johnson as a Minneapolis resident, while the criminal complaint lists an Apple Valley address. As of the October 16th warrant issuance, the complaint listed Johnson's whereabouts as unknown. The records provided do not establish whether he has since been arrested or whether the warrant remains active as of October 19th.
The investigation also involves property allegedly taken from a Scott County residence and a pawn transaction in Dakota County. The provided court records do not indicate whether Scott County has filed separate charges related to the missing firearms or vehicle, and we have not found any charges filed in Scott County as of the writing of this article.
Case Remains Pending
The case is proceeding in Dakota County District Court. The provided records did not include additional information on the missing firearms, possible recovery of the stolen property, or Johnson's custody status. All allegations contained in the criminal complaint remain accusations. Johnson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. No mugshot was available when this story was written.
Written by: Will Wight
