On December 24, 2025, the Rochester Police Department conducted a welfare check at a residence in NE Rochester, Olmsted County, MN. During that welfare check, an adult male (hereinafter "Victim") was located deceased in his apartment. Officers also found controlled substances and controlled substance paraphernalia in the residence. The medical examiner's office performed an autopsy and determined that Victim's cause of death was acute fentanyl toxicity. Victim's postmortem toxicology results included fentanyl and a metabolite of cocaine.
Law enforcement reviewed Victim's phone and observed a significant amount of communication between Victim and CLIFTON DEJOHN HUBBERT [DOB REDACTED]. Over the course of the year leading up to Victim's death, Victim and Hubbert discussed Victim [NAME REDACTED] from Hubbert dozens of times. There were also 101 total payments between Victim [NAME REDACTED], totaling over $15,000, that coincide with typical dollar amounts for the controlled substances they discussed. Law enforcement noted that Victim did not appear to have any communication with other contacts in his phone about acquiring controlled substances, indicating that Hubbert was his sole source for drugs.
On February 3, 2026, a search warrant was executed at Hubbert's residence. During that search, officers found both cocaine and fentanyl either in Hubbert's residence and/or on his person. While on scene, Hubbert provided a statement to Detective Tindal. Hubbert admitted that he would typically obtain drugs from another individual, take some for himself, then provide the rest of the drugs to Victim. In sum, law enforcement's investigation revealed that Victim only communicated with Hubbert to acquire controlled substances.
The type of controlled substances that were in Victim's toxicology results and caused his death are of the same type that Hubbert had in his possession and admitted to providing to Victim as a "middle man." Hubbert providing the controlled substances to Victim, [NAME REDACTED] ingested the controlled substances, proximately caused Victim's death. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: YOU MUST APPEAR FOR EVERY COURT HEARING REGARDING THIS CASE. FAILURE TO APPEAR FOR COURT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE AND MAY RESULT IN ADDITIONAL CRIMINAL CHARGES BEING IMPOSED AND PUNISHED AS PROVIDED IN MINNESOTA STATUTES SECTION 609.49.