Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) – The interception of several suspicious packages at the Rochester Airport two years ago has resulted in the conviction of a Winona man on federal charges.
The Office of the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota says a federal jury returned a guilty verdict Wednesday against 48-year-old Damien Duwjan Shade. Following a two-day trial, Shade was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Meth Hidden Inside Stuffed Animals
The charges stem from a Rochester Police Department investigation that began in March 2023. Evidence presented to the jury showed Rochester police were dispatched to the FedEx facility at the Rochester Airport to check on several suspicious packages sent from San Diego, California.
A news release issued by federal prosecutors says the packages were set to be delivered to two separate addresses in Winona and were sent from the same sender, Trayvon Strange. The packages were addressed to “fictitious individuals whom law enforcement determined did not live at the stated addresses.”
K-9 officers were deployed to check the packages and alerted to the presence of drugs. After obtaining warrants, investigators opened the packages and found six pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside stuffed animals.
The discovery of the drugs led to the placement of sensors and tracking devices inside the packages. Federal prosecutors say police also replaced nearly all of the methamphetamine with rock salt and other filler materials to match the original weight.
Controlled Delivery Leads to Arrest
According to prosecutors, law enforcement then conducted a “controlled delivery” of the packages to the addresses in Winona. The mother of Shade’s children initially took the packages before he arrived at her home to collect them.
A search of the residence found that Shade had cut open the packages and stuffed animals containing the filler material and a small amount of methamphetamine. Prosecutors say Shade admitted traveling to California, where he purchased several pounds of methamphetamine, and then shipped it back to himself using fake names.
Felon Found With Gun, Ammo, and Drug Ledger
Federal prosecutors say he also admitted possessing a gun at his apartment, where a search warrant led to the discovery of the firearm and another package that had been intercepted by Rochester police. In addition to the .357 Magnum revolver, investigators found more than 400 rounds of ammunition, about 30 small plastic baggies, a digital scale, and what appeared to be a drug ledger.
Shade had previously been convicted in California of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
As a result of his convictions in the Minnesota case, he faces the possibility of a life sentence. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
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