'I Was Gutted': Mpls. Mayor Frey Addresses Gun, Drug Charges Against Policy Fellow Keegan Rolenc

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 28-year-old Minneapolis man who works as a policy fellow for Mayor Jacob Frey is facing serious firearm possession and drug charges.

Keegan Rolenc is charged in Hennepin County with two felony drug charges and one felony firearm possession charge connection the Feb. 2, 2020 incident.

According to the criminal complaint, Rolenc was pulled over for failing to stop at a stop sign Sunday evening. When he rolled down the window for officers, they allegedly detected odor of marijuana coming from inside the car.

The car was then searched. Inside, officers found a loaded 9mm handgun wrapped in a white cloth, about 40 grams of cocaine and a large mason jar with trace amounts of marijuana, the complaint said.

A notebook was also found with a handwritten page entitled "owe me" with a list of names. Cash totaling over $2,200 was also discovered.

The mayor's office says Frey has known Rolenc for two years. They first met through the city-backed Group Violence Intervention program, which helps people who are gang-involved or gang-adjacent get back on track.

Frey friended and mentored Rolenc, and even helped him apply for a realtor's license, which was later denied by state due to his felony convictions. The mayor then helped Rolenc connect with lawyers to appeal the decision, which failed.

Frey then hired Rolenc as an intern and a then policy fellow.

"The facts as presented are disappointing and when I heard about it, I was gutted," Frey said.

Frey says he hasn't spoken with Rolenc since his arrest, and says Rolenc's job is suspended pending the investigation.

Rolenc has prior felony convictions, including two drug offenses, drive-by shooting and "assault 3" out of Rice County for which he remains on probation.

Rolenc is in custody. If convicted, he could face up to 40 years in prison on each drug charge, and up to 15 years on the firearm possession charge.