ROCHESTER, Minn. – A man accused of putting a gun to someone’s head during a drug deal is pleading not guilty.
Robert Alvin Cleaves, 21 of Rochester, is charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm after being convicted of a crime of violence. A trial is scheduled to begin on October 28.
The Rochester Police Department says Cleaves was going to sell someone marijuana on October 31, 2023. The drug deal was to take place in the parking lot of an apartment complex and Cleaves allegedly got into the backseat of the buyer’s vehicle.
Court documents state someone walking by the vehicle made Cleaves suspect he was being “set up” and he took out a handgun and pressed it to the back of the buyer’s head. Police say another individual in the vehicle tried to wrestle the gun away from Cleaves, who eventually exited the vehicle and left the scene.
Investigators say Cleaves later called the victim and said the gun had not been loaded.
Court documents state Cleaves was convicted of felony domestic assault in 2021.
