MINNEAPOLIS — A 19-year-old man who is accused of leading former Minneapolis police officer Brian Cummings on a high-speed chase, ending in the death of an innocent driver, is now also charged in the July 2021 case.
Cummings is still awaiting trial on manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide charges in the death of Leneal Frazier.
On Monday, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office also filed a charge of fleeing a police officer, resulting in death, against James Jones-Drain, a young man suspected in at least a dozen robberies in Minneapolis and surrounding cities over the last two years.
Jones-Drain is also charged with stealing the Kia Sportage that ran a red light on surveillance video as Cummings chased it before Cummings slammed into Frazier's vehicle as he entered the intersection.
According to the criminal complaint, Jones-Drain and an accomplice are seen on surveillance video stealing the Kia from a woman at the Target on Lake Street three days before the fatal crash.
With the assistance of the FBI's cellular analysis survey team, investigators were able to determine Jones-Drain's phone was in the areas associated with the high-speed chase and crash. In addition, Jones-Drain is charged with robbing four businesses in the hours leading up to the crash, with surveillance video capturing him driving the Kia.
Officers eventually found the Kia in September 2021 in south Minneapolis. The court papers say it smelled like sulfur and appeared that a cleaning agent had been splashed around inside in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence. However, MPD's crime lab was able to find a fingerprint matching Jones-Drain on the rear driver's side door.
Jones-Drain is currently not in custody, and a warrant has been issued for his new charges.
He's been incarcerated for his many robbery charges, but Hennepin County District Judge Carolina Lamas allowed Jones-Drain to be released without bail in April 2022, under the condition that he completes treatment.
The new charge of fleeing an officer, resulting in death, carries up to 40 years in prison. The two new felony theft charges regarding the carjacking of the Kia each carry 10 years in prison.
Cummings' trial was set to begin in August but got postponed because of scheduling conflicts until May 2023.
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