A Big Lake man barred from possessing firearms had a shotgun and a rifle in an unlocked glass cabinet in his living room when officers searched his home on October 1, 2026, according to the complaint.

John Michael Smith, 50, of Big Lake, faces three felony counts of possessing a firearm or ammunition after a conviction for a crime of violence and three felony counts of fifth-degree drug possession.

According to the complaint, Sherburne County law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence in Big Lake on October 1, 2026.

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During the search, officers found a 12 gauge Remington 870 shotgun and a Remington .22LR model 550-1 rifle in an unlocked glass cabinet in the living room. The firearms were easily seen inside the cabinet, which stood next to a dining table where officers found several medication bottles bearing Smith’s name and six shotgun shells, the complaint says.

Officers also found 0.56 grams of methamphetamine, which field-tested positive, by the bed in a bedroom Smith shares with another person. A methamphetamine pipe on a shelf in the bedroom held a shard that weighed 0.09 grams, according to the complaint. Outside, a covered grill in the yard held two bags containing 86 packs of Suboxone, which contains buprenorphine, a Schedule III controlled substance.

The complaint says Smith has prior convictions for crimes of violence that prohibit him from possessing firearms or ammunition, including third-degree possession of controlled substances in Anoka County on April 10, 2008, and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance in Ramsey County on May 8, 2018. The complaint says he also has a prior conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm in Hennepin County on July 2, 2014.

The charges were filed on October 2, 2026, in Sherburne County District Court. Each firearm count carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, according to the complaint.

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Jurisdictional Context

Sherburne County, north of the Twin Cities metro, is served by the Sherburne County Attorney’s Office through the Tenth Judicial District. Felony cases are heard at the Sherburne County Government Center in Elk River.