An Albert Lea man who reportedly participated in the kidnapping and robbery of a man last July in Freeborn County pleaded guilty Tuesday in Freeborn County District Court.

Cody Lee Hanson, 30, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

Court documents state Hanson was charged after law enforcement investigated a report of an assault on July 17 — the same day the incident took place.

The victim stated he traveled with another person in a vehicle to a residence in the Albert Lea area July 16, falling asleep after he drove the vehicle into a large shed on the property.

He reported he was woken up early in the morning of July 17 by Hanson beating on the dashboard of the vehicle. The victim said Hanson struck him in the back of the head with a timing chain and punched him twice in the left eye.

Kenneth Bruce Nelson, 39, reportedly punched the victim once on the left side of his face.

The two reportedly placed the victim in the back seat of the vehicle and asked “where all the dope was at,” court documents state.

The victim said he had gotten rid of the dope, court documents state, and he was threatened by Hanson with a pistol while he was assaulted, with the two men stealing a CD player and front passenger and driver’s side speakers from the doors.

Hanson reportedly searched the victim, finding $2,250 in cash and one-fourth to one-half of a gram of methamphetamine, before placing the victim in the back of his vehicle.

After traveling into Albert Lea, the victim was able to exit the vehicle, and the two men reportedly left after the victim called for help. 

Sentencing for Hanson is scheduled for June 6. He is expected to receive a sentence of around 1 1/2 years in prison but will ask for a lesser sentence.

Hanson was charged with first-degree aggravated robbery, kidnapping and false imprisonment but did not enter pleas on those counts.

Nelson is charged with kidnapping, first-degree aggravated robbery and false imprisonment. A settlement conference is scheduled for May 10.