A search warrant executed at a Southwest Portland apartment led police to uncover a significant stash of weapons, body armor, drugs, and stolen items on Wednesday.
Michael Kessler, 27, the apartment resident, now faces serious legal troubles with a dozen felony charges stemming from a series of burglaries linked to his alleged criminal activities.
Charges against Kessler include first and second-degree burglary, first-degree aggravated theft, first-degree criminal mischief, possession of a stolen vehicle, methamphetamine possession, and being a felon in possession of firearms and body armor.
Police began their investigation into Kessler after a spike in burglaries across Bend and Portland involving two specific vehicles: a white Audi Q7 and a black Chevy Tahoe.
The investigation took a crucial turn when detectives connected Kessler to the Audi through a recorded phone call he made from jail while awaiting charges for an unrelated incident.
In the call, Kessler allegedly revealed his intention to give the car to someone.
When police checked the parking lot of his apartment, they found the white Audi Q7 that matched the description of the one used in the burglaries, according to court records.
Additionally, Kessler’s alleged accomplice, Manwell Castro, was also identified during the investigation.
In an incident on April 5, Kessler and his cohorts reportedly targeted the Natural Remedies marijuana dispensary on Southwest Barbur Court in Portland.
During this burglary, they allegedly stole up to $20,000 worth of merchandise and caused approximately $1,000 in property damage while breaking in with tools like a prybar and a sledgehammer.
Kessler struck again on Sunday at a different location on Northeast Marx Street.
Court filings detail how they rammed a car into the business’s electric fence and drove two other cars into the side doors to gain entry.
This break-in resulted in over $1,000 in property damage and the theft of multiple marijuana plants.
Interestingly, just hours before this burglary, Kessler had been pulled over by police driving a red Ford Ranger.
Surveillance footage confirmed that the same style of vehicle was used during the break-in at the business.
On Tuesday, police observed individuals loading boxes into a stolen Dodge Ram parked outside Kessler’s apartment.
Upon stopping the truck after it left the parking lot, officers learned that it had been given to the driver by a man named John Kolb, who is known as “Loony Toon.”
Kolb was later arrested after a three-day manhunt during which he allegedly shot at police in Milwaukie while leading them on a high-speed chase.
During the search of the Dodge Ram, authorities discovered several bags of vacuum-sealed marijuana which matched items found during the raid on Kessler’s apartment the following day.
Additionally, police found burglary tools in the truck, including walkie-talkies, car key reprogramming devices, a pry bar, and a sledgehammer, further linking it to the burglaries.
The day after stopping the Dodge Ram, authorities executed a search warrant at Kessler’s apartment.
Inside, they uncovered a 9 mm handgun, a .380 mm semi-automatic pistol, six packs of sealed lottery tickets, methamphetamine, a vacuum-sealed bag of marijuana, numerous boxes filled with pre-rolled blunts, digital scales with drug residue, and passports belonging to other individuals.
Additionally, they found a motorcycle reported stolen that Kessler had allegedly brought home shortly before the raid.
Kessler’s accomplice, Castro, was also arrested on separate charges the same day of the raid.
Kessler has a history of legal issues, including convictions in 2024 for fleeing police and reckless endangerment, and in 2022 for reckless endangerment, second-degree theft, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
His next court appearance is scheduled for July 7.
This string of events highlights a troubling trend of burglary and drug-related incidents in the area, raising concerns among community members and law enforcement alike.
image source from：oregonlive
