Willmar man sentenced to two years in prison for unlawful possession of ammunition
Jan. 27—OLIVIA
— A Willmar man was sentenced to a two-year prison term for unlawful possession of ammunition.
Marcus Lee Ramos, 31, was convicted in Renville County District Court of a single felony charge of ineligible person in possession of ammunition. He pleaded guilty in July and was sentenced Dec. 1 to 24 months in prison with 130 days credit for time served.
The sentence was a downward departure from the presumptive term in sentencing guidelines. Judge Laurence Stratton's report said the crime was less onerous than usual and noted that the prosecutor objected to the departure.
Due to the Minnesota statute on mandatory minimum sentences, Ramos will not be eligible for supervised release, according to the sentencing order.
According to the Minnesota Department of Corrections, Ramos' expected release date from Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud is Nov. 27, 2023.
According to the criminal complaint, Ramos had a revoked driver's license when he was stopped by a Renville County sheriff's deputy for a brake light violation on May 8, 2022.
The deputy noticed a shotgun shell in the center console next to Ramos.
Ramos was ineligible to possess ammunition due to a felony fifth-degree drug possession conviction in 2021.
According to the complaint, Ramos said he found the shell with the word "Federal" labeled on it and decided to keep it because he had a friend facing federal indictment charges and wanted to keep him in good spirits.
Ramos also is serving a concurrent 13-month sentence in a separate Renville County case for fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle. Originally stayed for three years, the sentence was executed for a probation violation.
