Justin Sutherland, St. Paul celebrity chef, pleads guilty to felony charge of threatening girlfriend with gun
If a judge accepts the terms of his plea, the chef would avoid jail time in favor of two years' probation and 100 hours of community service.
Chef Justin Sutherland pleaded guilty this week to a felony charge that he threatened his girlfriend with a gun over the summer.
In submitting the plea Monday in Ramsey County District Court, Sutherland, 40, likely avoids both a trial and jail time. In lieu of a 360-day sentence, the plea agreement calls for two years’ probation, 100 hours of community service, a chemical dependency evaluation and a ban on owning any firearms. Sutherland could have faced up to five years’ imprisonment, per court documents.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 13, when a judge will decide whether to accept these terms.
Sutherland was arrested on June 28 following the second of two domestic violence-related police calls that evening. According to the criminal complaint, during an argument with his girlfriend, Sutherland strangled her, pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her.
When Sutherland was charged, his attorney, John Daly, told the Pioneer Press that the complaint was “riddled with lies” and that no physical violence had occurred.
Sutherland subsequently entered a treatment program.
As part of the plea deal this week, Sutherland stated his awareness of his actions at the time had not been influenced by alcohol or drugs, and he stated he was not acting in self-defense.
Sutherland, known for his TV appearances on shows like “Top Chef,” “Fast Foodies” and “Taste the Culture,” also opened Grand Avenue sandwich shop Big E and was formerly affiliated with Handsome Hog in Cathedral Hill. The legal entity that owns Big E is registered to Sutherland’s father, Kerry Sutherland.
Earlier this year, he announced plans to revive Pearl and the Thief in downtown Minneapolis and to partner with the nonprofit Rondo Community Land Trust to reopen the iconic Golden Thyme Coffee and Cafe on Selby Avenue.
The status of those plans are unclear. Neither the Rondo land trust nor Restore Restaurant Holdings and Sherman Associates, the partners on the Pearl and the Thief project, could be reached for comment midday Tuesday. Earlier this summer, Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine dropped its partnership with Sutherland on an annual barbecue festival that had taken place since 2018.
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