Your Complainant is an Officer with the Owatonna Police Department. Investigation has revealed that in mid-March 2026, Sergeant Johnson of the South Central Drug Investigation Unit (SCDIU) was made aware of an individual identified as Rylee Lee Burns ([DOB redacted]), possibly trafficking narcotics. In phone messages, Burns and S. S. Were speaking about pound-level transactions of what Sergeant Johnson determined to be methamphetamine, given the relationship of price and quantity and the terminology they were using.
Agent Gruenhagen was granted authority to begin tracking Burns’ movement via GPS. At the end of March, Sergeant Johnson met with a CRI from whom he had received reliable information on numerous occasions over the span of several years. The CRI stated that Burns was dealing in pound-level methamphetamine and was in possession of several firearms. The CRI stated Burns lived at his mother’s house at [address omitted] Southeast in Owatonna, MN. The CRI also stated that Burns keeps drugs and guns at a garage he uses at [address omitted], Owatonna, MN. While conducting surveillance, Sergeant Johnson observed Burns at the garage, inside of the garage, and outside of the garage in the parking area West of the overhead door.
Sergeant Johnson observed Burns driving a blue Yamaha cruiser type motorcycle and other times driving a red Honda Pilot bearing a MN temp tag #04605255. Sergeant Johnson also observed a vehicle associated with Kristi Mary Smith ([DOB redacted]), a tan GMC Envoy bearing MN LIC/5CW452 parked at [address omitted] near the garages. This vehicle was also seen parked near Burns’ mother’s house on El Dorado Street Southeast. On April 22nd, 2026, SCDIU Agents followed Burns to the Twin Cities Metro area and observed who they believed to be Smith driving Burns’ red Honda Pilot.
Burns arrived back in Owatonna in the morning of April 23rd, 2026. Late morning on April 23rd, 2026, Burns again appeared to be heading North on I-35 from Owatonna toward the Twin Cities metro. SCDIU continually monitored Burns travel from Owatonna to Minneapolis and then to St Paul. At approximately 6:45PM, Burns was heading Southbound toward Owatonna on I-35E. It was SCDIU’s belief that it was likely Burns had just made a trip to the metro area to pick up methamphetamine and was now driving back.
SCDIU Agents notified Steele County Deputies and Owatonna Police Officers to watch for a GMC Envoy bearing MN LIC/5CW452. Officer Van Osdale received information from the drug task force to be on the lookout for a tan GMC Envoy with critical habitat plates. The vehicle, later identified as MN LIC/5CW452, was believed to be coming into town from the North, and had last been located at I-35 and 26th Street Northwest in Owatonna, MN, County of Steele. 2 ••-CR-••-•••• Filed in District Court State of Minnesota 4/24/2026 Officer Van Osdale observed MN LIC/5CW452 traveling South on State Avenue past Ed's Repair, where he was parked.
