A Bloomington man was found with loaded firearms, large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine and thousands in cash during a late-night traffic stop in Minneapolis, according to charges.
John Lee Daniels, 31, faces three counts of first-degree drug sale and two counts of possessing a firearm or ammunition after a conviction for a crime of violence.
According to the complaint, just after midnight on September 26, deputies on patrol near Chicago Avenue and East 21st Street in Minneapolis spotted a Chevrolet Tahoe stopped in the opposite lane with its lights on and expired registration. Deputies initiated a traffic stop, and after the vehicle eventually pulled over, they found three people inside, including Daniels in the front passenger seat.
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Deputies arrested the backseat passenger after discovering she had multiple warrants. During a search of her belongings, they found drug paraphernalia, a methamphetamine pipe with residue and suspected loose methamphetamine and cocaine. Based on these findings, deputies conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle and frisked both male occupants.
Deputies found a loaded firearm on Daniels’ waistband with a live round in the chamber. In the front passenger floorboard area, they found a bag containing another loaded pistol. Under the driver’s seat, they recovered a stolen pistol with a loaded magazine and round in the chamber.
The search turned up significant quantities of controlled substances: 58.26 grams of marijuana in the center console, 7 grams of marijuana on Daniels and, inside the locked glovebox, 27.6 grams of cocaine, 11.45 grams of cocaine packaged into 36 bindles, 14.38 grams (37 pills) of suspected MDMA that tested positive for methamphetamine, and 26.7 grams of pink powder that tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl.
Deputies also found plastic baggies, a digital scale, black latex gloves, three cell phones belonging to Daniels and $7,784 cash on his person.
The complaint states that the cash and phones indicate Daniels was engaged in the sale of controlled substances. In a post-Miranda statement, Daniels admitted to possessing the firearm on his person and the firearm in the bag on the floor.
The complaint says Daniels has a prior felony conviction for third-degree drug possession from December 2025.
The charges were filed September 29 in Hennepin County District Court.
Related MN CRIME Coverage
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Jurisdictional Context
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 44 other cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
