St. Cloud Nonprofit Leader Lenora Hunt Charged with Illegal Gun Transfer in Connection with Fentanyl Investigation

(KNSI) – A community activist and head of a nonprofit in St. Cloud has been charged with helping an accused drug dealer sell a gun.

Lenora Hunt, the head of Too Much Talent, is accused of helping Devounteno Lavance Tyson sell a handgun to a confidential informant working with the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force.

According to the criminal complaint, on July 30th, the informant contacted Tyson, who agreed to sell a gun. The task force had been investigating Tyson for nearly a year related to fentanyl sales in the St. Cloud area. Investigators were monitoring his phone number to identify co-conspirators and collect evidence related to his alleged drug dealing.

The VOTF says they covertly recorded Tyson before a meeting with Hunt. The criminal complaint alleges Tyson discussed Hunt running for mayor and being able to help him and several co-defendants with criminal cases once she wins. They also talked about a gun in her possession, the amount of money she wants for it, the large amounts of grant funding she is getting, and other details regarding Hunt’s daily life. Tyson also vaguely discussed bonding out of jail and Hunt having a lawyer ready to go. Police say at no time did she make any attempt to comply with Minnesota statutes regulating firearm sales.

According to investigators, Tyson went to Too Much Talent, located at 1415 5th Street North in St. Cloud, which they knew was operated by Hunt. After Tyson went inside for a short period and returned with a .9mm handgun.

Hunt is charged with one gross misdemeanor count of transferring a pistol/assault weapon illegally.

After learning of the allegations on Wednesday, Mayor Dave Kleis told KNSI News he asked Hunt to resign from the St. Cloud Planning Commission pending all legal matters. Her resignation was effective immediately.

Tyson’s case is still making its way through the courts.

Records show that during the fentanyl investigation, numerous co-conspirators frequented Too Much Talent, and several of those people have been charged with selling fentanyl.

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