MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — A St. Paul teen is facing criminal charges after investigators tracked an alleged credit card thief to a wild party at an Airbnb rental in Maple Grove on Saturday, where nearly a dozen illegal guns were discovered.
According to the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, investigators were looking into a credit card fraud case out of Shoreview when they tracked the alleged credit card thief to a home in Maple Grove.
When deputies arrived, they found a "booze-filled" Airbnb rental where the 17-year-old suspect was throwing himself a birthday party. Investigators said more than 50 people were in attendance, including many who were underage. Deputies contacted the property owner who said the party violated the rental agreement.
"I feel violated, you know, it’s like, my house," the homeowner, who didn't want to be identified, told KARE 11 reporter Jennifer Hoff. "I feel awful, not just for myself, but for the community."
As deputies worked to clear out the party, they found 11 "illegally possessed guns hidden in plants, under board games, on top of a furnace, inside unfinished walls and buried in handbags." RCSO said several guns were equipped with auto-sears, a device that converts semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic weapons.
"Unfortunately, the proliferation of guns, illegal guns, out in the community right now is something that concerns us greatly," said Ramsey County Undersheriff Mike Martin. "So we can’t be happy enough about getting the guns off the streets."
The suspected credit card thief was arrested. Investigators said they're still working to figure out who brought the guns to the party.
In a statement sent to KARE 11, an Airbnb spokesperson said the company is ready to help with the investigation.
"Unauthorized and disruptive parties are banned on Airbnb, and our Safety team has removed the booking guest from the platform. We are supporting our Host, including through AirCover, and we stand ready to assist the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office as they investigate," the statement read.
Airbnb has long banned parties and it has other policies to keep people safe including a 24-hour safety hotline, noise sensors and screening technology to prevent high risk reservations at certain times of year, like New Years Eve.
But for some hosts, they still run a risk.
"It was definitely not intended or designed to be a free for all for parties and more than 10 people - no smoking, no loud music." said the homeowner in this case. "I’m shocked about it all."
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