Blaine Man Faces Federal Weapons Charge

BLAINE, MN — A Blaine man faces federal gun charges in connection with a protest against police in October surrounding the death of George Floyd.

Thomas W. Moseley, 29, was charged with possessing firearms and ammunition while being an unlawful user of and addicted to controlled substances and with possessing a dangerous weapon within a courthouse complex, police said.

Moseley was scheduled to make his court initial appearance Wednesday.

The charges stem from a protest Oct. 15 at the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis, where protesters gathered as the four former police officers charged in Floyd's death appeared in court, investigators said.

Moseley was armed with a loaded handgun at the time of his arrest at the government center, police said.

Minneapolis police also searched Moseley's Blaine house and found two firearms, more than 1,400 rounds of ammunition and 96 grams of marijuana, according to the criminal complaint.

Police also found also searched Moseley's Toyota Tacoma, which was parked in downtown Minneapolis near the government center, and found five firearms, ammunition, a hatchet, a crowbar, gas masks and marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms and cocaine, the complaint said.

Police were looking for Moseley in connection with street violence that broke out during a protest Aug. 15 at the Minneapolis Police Department’s 5th Precinct building. Video surveillance footage showed Moseley spray-painting the front windows of the building, according to investigators.

During an investigation in Moseley's involvement at the 5th Precinct, officers noticed Moesley smoking marijuana "on several occasions." When booked at the Hennepin County Jail, county staff gave Moseley the bottom bunk for the first seven days because of his drug withdrawal symptoms, according to the complaint.