Special report: 12 local convicts — Where are they now?

Published 11:05 pm Friday, June 2, 2017

1. Tyrone Washington Jr.

Residence before prison: Northwood

Age: 43

Tyrone Washington Jr.

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Conviction: first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Justina Smith, 30, in Swensrud Park in Northwood on Aug. 5, 2013

Sentence: life in prison without parole

Prison history:

Oct. 30, 2015: transported under the Iowa Department of Corrections to a placement facility in Coralville, Iowa.

Dec. 16, 2015: Washington was transferred to the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison, Iowa.

Oct. 26, 2016: Washington lost his appeal of the first-degree murder conviction

2. Dustin Charles Chenevert

Dustin Chenevert

Residence before jail: Albert Lea

Age: 28

Conviction: second-degree manslaughter in connection with the overdose death of Albert Lea teenager Colton Jayce Poplow in 2015

Sentencing: Nearly five years in prison

Prison history:

July 8, 2016: committed to the prison in St. Cloud

May 24, 2016: transferred to the prison in Rush City

Aug. 9: transferred to the prison in Faribault

Projected release date: May 29, 2018

3. Leslie David Jones

Leslie David Jones

Residence before prison: Hartland

Age: 53

Conviction: criminal vehicular homicide in the Dec. 16, 2015, crash on East Main Street that killed Joanne Carol Klein, 66, of Albert Lea.

Sentence: Jones was sentenced to nearly five years in prison

Prison history:

July 20, 2016: committed to the state prison in St. Cloud

Sept. 7: transferred to Rush City

Expiration of sentence: March 7, 2019

4. Chad Jamie Gulbertson

Chad Gulbertson

Residence before prison: Albert Lea

Age: 45

Conviction: First-degree murder while committing domestic abuse, second-degree intentional murder and second-degree murder while violating an order for protection in the death of his ex-girlfriend Jody Lee Morrow on June 21, 2009

Sentence: life sentence

Prison history:

April 30, 2010: started his sentence at the state prison in St. Cloud

Oct. 6, 2010: transferred to the prison in Stillwater

5. Bielmar Alverez-Agular

Residence before jail: Austin

Bielmar Alverez-Agular

Age: 27

Conviction: first-degree criminal sexual conduct after reportedly sexually assaulting, strangling and beating a woman with wooden drumsticks June 28, 2015

Sentence: 12 years in prison, with 338 days credit for time served

Prison history:

June 9: Alverez-Agular was admitted to the prison in St. Cloud

Sept. 13: transferred to the prison in Moose Lake

Projected release date: June 28, 2023

6. Paul Gutierrez Jr.

Residence before prison: Albert Lea

Paul Gutierrez Jr.

Age: 43

Conviction: first-degree murder by child abuse, first-degree murder by criminal sexual conduct, second-degree murder in the slaying of 18-month-old Makaio Lynn Radke on April 21, 2001

Sentence: life sentence without parole

Prison history: March 5, 2002: started his sentence at the state prison in St. Cloud

Aug. 15, 2002: transferred to the prison in Oak Park Heights

Aug. 13, 2008: transferred to the prison in Stillwater

Aug. 22, 2010: transferred to the prison in Oak Park Heights

Oct. 13, 2010: transferred to the prison in Stillwater

Nov. 18, 2010: transferred to the prison in Oak Park Heights

7. Robert Michael Hughes

Residence before prison: Albert Lea

Robert Michael Hughes

Age: 43

Conviction: first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree intentional murder for the shooting death of his estranged wife, Tammy Hughes, on May 25, 2005

Sentence: life sentence

Prison history:

Oct. 20, 2006: started his sentence at the state prison in St. Cloud

Dec. 27, 2006: transferred to the prison in Stillwater

8. Pah Ber

Residence before prison: St. Paul

Pah Ber

Age: 54

Conviction: second-degree murder of Albert Lean Po Lye, first-degree assault of Ber’s wife, Paw Pree, on Nov. 20, 2011 in St. Paul

Sentence: 30 years, seven months for the murder charge, served concurrently with a nine-year sentence for the assault charge

Prison history:

Aug. 31, 2012: started his sentence at the state prison in St. Cloud

Oct. 5, 2012: transferred to the prison in Stillwater

Sept. 5, 2012: admitted to the prison in St. Cloud

Oct. 5, 2012: transferred to the prison in Stillwater

Projected release date: April 7, 2032

9. Lee Vincent Wells

Residence before prison: Albert Lea

Lee Wells

Age: 35

Conviction: first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a 4-year-old in May 2016 in Albert Lea

Sentence: 12 years at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud

Prison history:

May 5: Wells admitted to the prison in St. Cloud

Projected release date: July 10, 2024

10. Michael Zabawa

Residence before prison: Matawan

Michael S. Zabawa

Age: 35

Conviction: 12 counts, including two counts of first-degree murder, in the shooting deaths of 40-year-old Tracy Kruger and his 13-year-old son, Alex, during a home invasion Feb. 3, 2007. Wife and mother Hilary Kruger was also seriously wounded.

Sentence: life without parole

Prison history:

March 13, 2009: started his sentence at the prison in St. Cloud

May 26, 2009: transferred to the prison in Oak Park Heights

March 2, 2010: transferred to the prison in Stillwater

11-12. Feliberto Rodriguez Guerrero and Gilberto Rodriguez

Feliberto Rodriguez Guerrero

Residences before prison: Rodriguez Guerrero: California, Rodriguez: Plymouth

Ages: Rodriguez Guerrero 51, Rodriguez 65

Conviction: Rodriguez Guerrero and Rodriguez each pleaded guilty to second-degree meth possession after they were found in a vehicle with more than 30 pounds of meth on Interstate 35 in Freeborn County in 2015.

Sentence: Rodriguez Guerrero and Rodriguez were each sentenced to three years and five months in prison. Rodriguez Guerrero was given credit for 406 days served, Rodriguez was given credit for 469 days served.

Prison histories:

Gilberto Rodriguez

May 5, 2016: Rodriguez Guerrero admitted to the prison in St. Cloud

June 14: transferred to the prison in Moose Lake

Dec. 7: transferred to the prison in Stillwater

July 7: Rodriguez admitted to the prison in St. Cloud

Nov. 3: Rodriguez transferred to the prison in Faribault

Expiration of sentences: Rodriguez and Rodriguez Guerrero: June 28

About Sam Wilmes

Sam Wilmes covers crime, courts and government for the Albert Lea Tribune.

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