Rochester Man Convicted of Drug Sales Charged With Murder

Oronoco, MN (KROC-AM News) - Some of the evidence used to convict a Rochester man on multiple drug charges that resulted in a 16-year prison sentence has also been used to charge him with 3rd-degree murder for his alleged role in a deadly drug overdose in Oronoco.

The arrest warrant charging 37-year-old Antonio Beasley alleges he supplied the heroin that resulted in the overdose death of a 25-year-old man on April 21st of last year. A woman who arranged the meeting where the victim alleged purchased the heroin from Beasley cooperated with investigators who arranged to have an informant make a number of drug purchases from Beasley in what led to what police described as one of the largest heroin busts in city history last June. At that time, officials stated they suspected Beasley could be linked to recent overdose incidents in the Rochester area.

Since he is already incarcerated, there is no pressure to schedule a court hearing in the fatal drug overdose case, but Olmsted County Sheriff’s Captain Scott Behrns says Beasley will likely make his first court appearance on the 3rd-degree murder count in the next 30 to 60 days.