Rochester Man Convicted for Major Drug Bust Runs Out of Appeals
St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man now serving a 16-year prison sentence for what was described as one of the biggest heroin busts in city history has run out of appeals.
The Minnesota Supreme Court today declined to hear 41-year-old Antonio Beasley's request for a reduced sentence through post-conviction relief. The State Court of Appeals previously upheld his conviction on a first-degree drug charge and the State Supreme Court decided not to hear his appeal.
Beasley was arrested six years ago after Rochester police made a traffic stop and found nearly a half pound of heroin in his vehicle. Investigators are also able to obtain a search warrant for a Southeast Rochester residence and uncovered another 5 grams of the drug.
Rochester police stated they had Beasley under surveillance as part of an ongoing drug investigation. At the time, a police spokesman indicated Beasley was considered a "significant dealer," who was possibly linked to recent heroin overdoses in the Rochester area.
Beasley was later charged with third-degree murder in connection with a deadly drug overdose in Oronoco. He was accused of supplying the heroin that resulted in the overdose death of a 25-year-old man in April 2017. He has yet to stand trial in that case even though the charges were filed nearly 5 years ago. Beasley is currently scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing in September.
Beasley is currently scheduled to be eligible for release from prison in 2028.
