A Level 3 sex offender from Coon Rapids, Minn., has been sentenced to federal prison for six years after pleading guilty earlier this year to illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents, Lewis Edward Byrd, III, 46, was pulled over and arrested by Coon Rapids police during a traffic stop in December 2022, related to violations of his status as predatory offender.
Subsequent to arrest, officers searched Byrd’s vehicle and found a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun in a pillowcase behind the driver’s seat. Further investigation revealed that Byrd purchased the firearm from a private seller earlier in December 2022. Law enforcement contacted the seller who confirmed the sale of the firearm and said that Byrd stated he was not a felon.
Byrd has prior felony convictions including first degree criminal sexual conduct, stalking, and false imprisonment, which prohibit him under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time, according to U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Andrew Luger.
According to a prior sex offender notification of release fact sheet previously posted by Coon Rapids police, Byrd has a history of engaging in sexual contact with unknown female adults and teenagers. Contact included penetration, and Byrd used force, threats, manipulation, and a weapon to gain compliance in his crimes.
Byrd was convicted in 2011 on first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving fear and great bodily harm. He was sentenced to 12 years in state prison, but was released after serving just eight years under Minnesota’s rule that only requires offenders to serve two-thirds of their sentence incarcerated.
Unlike Minnesota state sentencing, federal inmates must serve a minimum of 85 percent of their sentence before becoming eligible for supervised release.
Byrd will serve three years under supervision following his release from federal prison.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
