St. Paul Felon Charged in Federal Complaint for Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine

MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with attempted illegal possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on November 18, 2023, officers with the St. Paul Police Department (SPPD) responded to a 911 call regarding an unsolicited package containing what appeared to be cocaine. They field tested the substance, determined it was cocaine, and removed and replaced it with a GPS tracking device. Special agents from Homeland Security Investigations later observed Paris Jackson, 38, picking up the package at the residence and attempted to stop him as he returned to a waiting vehicle with the package in hand. Instead, Jackson fled and was pursued by law enforcement. He ultimately crashed into an SPPD squad car at approximately 80 miles per hour, which resulted in life threatening injuries to his passenger and minor injuries to an SPPD officer. He fled from the scene and was ultimately apprehended.

The complaint charges Jackson with attempted possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. Jackson has a criminal history dating back to 2001, including multiple arrests for controlled substance offenses. He made his initial appearance on November 22, 2023, before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung in U.S. District Court.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the St. Paul Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allen A. Slaughter and Carla J. Baumel are prosecuting the case.

A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.