Laptop for sale leads to multiple arrests for guns, drugs

To The Press

An attempt to sell an allegedly stolen laptop ultimately landed three men behind bars on Thursday.

According to the Charles City Police Department, 22-year-old Troy L. Bijani, of Mason City, 24-year-old Xavier T. Frank, of Charles City, and 27-year-old Robert Luckett III, of Mason City, were all arrested on charges involving burglary, theft, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of several stolen handguns and other narcotics-related items.

In a press release, the CCPD said a Charles City officer happened to see some items for sale on social media, including a laptop that matched the description of a laptop that had been reported stolen earlier this year.

A search warrant was issued, and during the execution of the search warrant the officers allegedly saw items in the apartment that matched the description of items reported stolen in a burglary that had been reported to the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department earlier in the day Thursday.

A second search warrant was obtained for the same apartment for stolen guns and narcotics-related items.

According to the report, around 2:25 p.m., officers executed a search warrant at an apartment on the 600 block of Milwaukee Street, where the allegedly stolen laptop was recovered.

About an hour later, a Floyd County Deputy performed a traffic stop on the 2300 block of Highway 18. During the stop, deputies arrested Bijani for three warrants out of Floyd County.

Frank, a passenger in the vehicle, was also arrested. Both are facing charges of 2nd-degree burglary and 1st-degree theft.

After the traffic stop and arrests, officers obtained a second search warrant for the same apartment on Milwaukee Street, where they reportedly found several stolen handguns and narcotics-related items.

A second traffic stop at 4:54 p.m. on E. Street and Highway 18 led to the arrest of Luckett III, for drug paraphernalia.

Police say several more stolen handguns and narcotics were recovered during the traffic stop, and a third search warrant was obtained, this time for a residence on the 200 block of 4th Ave. That search, just after 7:30 p.m., allegedly led to the discovery of narcotics-related items and information about stolen guns.

Authorities said more charges are pending on several people and the investigation is ongoing.

“The entire operation was made possible through great police work and teamwork through the joint investigation with the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office,” according to a statement from the Charles City Police Department.