NEW ULM — A lost packing slip order found by retired New Ulm Police Chief Myron Wieland near recycling bins at Cashwise Foods recently led to the arrest and two gross misdemeanor charges filed against a 23-year-old New Ulm.

Colten C. Camacho, 1759 Oakwood Ave., New Ulm, whom Wieland recognized from prior prostitution and criminal sexual conduct cases, was charged with two counts of gross misdemeanor for possession of ammunition or any firearm after a previous felony conviction in Brown County District Court Feb. 20.

According to court documents, Wieland texted a New Ulm Police senior investigator regarding a suspect, Camacho, on Feb. 17 while taking his personal recycling items to a dumpster at the Cash Wise Foods parking lot.

Wieland texted police that he found a packing slip order on the ground from: Army Store, 2122 W. Adams Ave., Temple. Texas 76504. The order date was Feb. 11, 2019. The item purchased was a Woodland camouflage body armor plate carrier that cost $134.95. The order was placed by Camacho.

On Feb. 13, Camacho entered Alford pleas to four cases in Brown County District Court. An Alford plea has been defined as “a plea under which a defendant may choose to plead guilty, not because of an admission to the crime, but because the prosecutor has sufficient evidence to place a charge and obtain a court conviction.”

Camacho pled to three felony prostitution charges from Nov. 1, 2015, to Jan. 30, 2017, involving 16 and 17-year-old girls. Fifteen charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Law enforcement and the Brown County Attorney’s Office felt that based on Camacho’s prior guilty pleas, he was barred from possessing this type of body armor, according to federal law. A search warrant was drafted and signed by a judge.

After the search warrant was signed, police entered Camacho’s residence and began the search. Multiple military grade helmets were found in an upstairs bedroom that were identified as Camacho’s. In addition, police style body armor and military style body vest armor, a long gun, and air soft style (pellet) gun were located plus multiple rifle magazines, according to the complaint.

In the basement, additional military grade helmets, a handgun bullet, a tension-style switch blade and shotgun ammunition were found.

In court Feb. 20, Assistant Brown County Attorney Dan Kalk argued for a high unconditional bail amount, citing Camacho’s release as a public safety issue. Camacho’s unconditional bail was set at $2 million. No conditional bail amount was set.

A contested omnibus hearing for Camacho was set for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19 in Brown County District Court.

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.