Old, Dusty Criminal Record For Edward Odell Champion, Who May Have Been A Member Of North Minneapolis Champion Crime Family...

Creative stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

Edward Odell Champion's last conviction in Minnesota was in 1990, when he pled guilty to a crack cocaine possession charge and was sentenced to a year in prison. Minnesota's online court records system, MNCIS, doesn't show any convictions after that, though Edward Odell had a good number BEFORE.

I'm trying to connect the pieces on the issue of Minneapolis crime families. I'm told by a high placed, credible source one of the families is named "Champion," the same family which produced State Senator (and criminal defense attorney) Bobby Joe Champion. But I don't know if Edward Odell Champion is a relative.

I do know Edward is no longer alive...

Within a year or so after being sentenced to prison, Edward Champion died. He is buried at Fort Snelling national cemetery, which would seem to indicate he had honorable military service at one time.

This much I know: Edward Odell Champion lived in the 55411 zip code, committed various and sundry crimes, and his last name was Champion.

That's good enough to document, even though I don't know who is related to who, all the "so-and-so begats" quite yet.

So here's Edward's rap sheet, aged like fine wine or more like a neglected and forgotten container of prison pruno. 

Not all of these charges may represent actual convictions.

27-CR-79-901398 CHAMPION, EDWARD ODELL 12/17/1959 06/29/1979 Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory Closed AGGRAVATED ROBBERY AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

27-CR-83-902183 CHAMPION, EDWARD ODELL 12/17/1959 10/19/1983 Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory Closed THEFT OVER $250

27-CR-86-901539 CHAMPION, EDWARD ODELL 12/17/1959 06/27/1986 Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory Closed THEFT MISD 27-CR-87-900577

27-CR-89-900777 CHAMPION, EDWARD ODELL 12/17/1959 06/07/1989 Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory Closed UNL POSS SCH 2 NARC CT SUB (COCAINE) Not applicable - GOC

27-CR-89-063252 CHAMPION, EDWARD ODELL 12/17/1959 12/18/1989 Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Crim/Traf Mandatory Closed ATTEMPTED 5TH DEG POSSESS OF CONTRL SUBST-COCAINE/CRACK Attempt to Commit - GOC

Some of the ugly details of Edward's crimes can be found online in an old court appeal, State v. Champion, click here.

Here's the pertinent part of the court record, as follows:
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On June 25, 1979, while free on bail on another felony charge, petitioner participated with five others in the armed robbery of a jewelry store in Minneapolis. One of the accomplices severely beat the owner of the store with a gun when the owner resisted. When police interrupted the robbery, this accomplice pointed the gun at a police officer, who used petitioner as a shield. Thereafter, petitioner was found guilty of aiding and abetting in the commission of the robbery and the assaults of the owner and the police officer. The trial court sentenced petitioner to a maximum of 20 years in prison for the aggravated robbery and 5 years for the assault of the officer, and vacated the other assault conviction pursuant to Minn.Stat. § 609.04 (1980).

Petitioner was placed in a work-release halfway house in Minneapolis on October 8, 1981. On November 24 and 25 he obtained passes to leave the premises to look for a job and then turned in false "verification logs." On November 25 an inventory of his personal property resulted in the discovery of a pipe containing residue of hashish and marijuana. Following a probable cause hearing, petitioner was returned to prison to serve "accountability time" for his parole violations.

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This is whole situation is sad and old, and if it weren't for the issue of "crime families" I would leave this old man's name to rest in peace. But trying to understand multi-generation crime families and their impact upon our city has made who he was and what he did before he died...

Relevant.

Suddenly, unexpectedly, relevant.