A Rochester man accused of selling drugs several times to a confidential informant has been sentenced to more than six years in prison.
Kamal Abdirahman Abukar, 23, of 520 Zumbro Drive N.W., had pleaded guilty Jan. 28 to second-degree drug sale — 3 grams or more, and third-degree drug sale, both felonies. In exchange for the plea, seven additional felony drug charges and one misdemeanor fleeing charge were dismissed.
On Thursday, Olmsted County District Judge Robert Birnbaum sentenced Abukar to concurrent prison terms of 80 months and 39 months, with credit for 490 days served. He also must pay $635 in fines and restitution.
According to the criminal complaint, Abukar sold 12.3 grams, less than half an ounce, of crack cocaine in six monitored drug buys. The purchases totaled $1,450, the complaint says.
Following the final arranged purchase on Sept. 28, 2012, Rochester police tried to stop the vehicle driven by Abukar. The van fled and was found abandoned a short time later on 14th Street Northwest. Abukar was arrested in the area a few minutes later, the report says. He allegedly had a $10 bill that matched serial numbers of one of the bills provided to the confidential informant to make the drug purchase. A bag of crack cocaine weighing about 4.6 grams was found by officers along the route the van had followed.
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When investigators searched Abukar's home, they found a bag containing 56.6 grams, or about 2 ounces, of a substance that tested positive for cocaine, as well as another plastic bag that contained 128.9 grams, more than 4 ounces, of a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. According to the complaint, officers also found $7,850 in cash in a rolled-up sock in an opening in the ceiling of the home.
