Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis woman pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats.

According to court documents, on March 13, 2020, Rekita Tiara Harden, 32, was driving a vehicle on Interstate 35W in Carlton County. Harden was stopped by a Carlton County Sheriff’s Deputy for driving violations. Harden’s vehicle was searched, and the deputy recovered a Beretta, Model 90, .32 caliber semi-automatic pistol in Harden’s backpack. Because she has prior felony convictions in Hennepin County, including robbery, burglary, and assault, Harden is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition at any time.

Harden pleaded guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank to one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case is the result of investigations conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Steinkamp is prosecuting the case.