FARGO — State charges that had been pending against a Fargo man suspected of involvement in a July crime spree have been dismissed to make way for federal prosecution on similar charges, according to documents recently filed in Cass County District Court.
Hunter Havisto, 22, was facing seven felony counts and three misdemeanor charges in state court stemming from a string of crimes over several days in early June, including robberies, burglaries, and vehicle thefts.
Those charges were dismissed in late July after federal authorities notified Cass County prosecutors that Havisto had been indicted in U.S. District Court on similar charges, according to a document filed in Cass County District Court, as well as Assistant Cass County State's Attorney Ryan Younggren, who said Thursday, Aug. 5, that state prosecutors had been told by federal officials that Havisto had been indicted in federal court.
A check of online records for U.S. District Court in Fargo did not show any charges for Havisto, though in federal court charges are typically sealed until a defendant has made a court appearance.
Charges Havisto had faced in state court included one count of robbery for allegedly using a firearm to rob a Mister Money pawn shop in Fargo on June 10.
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In a related case, a man who was an employee of the pawn shop at the time of the robbery, Kyle Ramsey, 56, of Fargo, was recently charged in Cass County District Court with one count of misdemeanor reckless endangerment for firing a gun at the robbery suspect's fleeing vehicle.
The vehicle was hit several times, but no injuries were reported in the incident.
Later on June 10, police arrested Havisto, who was 21 at the time, in connection with the pawn shop robbery.
Police had been searching for Havisto even before the store was robbed, as he was suspected of involvement in multiple crimes, according to court documents.
The owner of Mister Money said after the robbery at the pawn shop that his employee was not trying to hit the fleeing robber when he fired a gun following the holdup, but instead was trying to make the getaway vehicle more noticeable to the police.
Havisto remains in the Cass County Jail.
