Timothy Charles Dempze of Stillwater faces charges of criminal sexual conduct for allegedly touching his girlfriend’s 9-year-old niece inappropriately.

Court documents state that the victim’s mother reported having a conversation with her daughter, who told her that Dempze had crawled into bed with her on two occasions while staying at her aunt’s house and allegedly placed his hand inside her underwear and touched her inappropriately.

According to court documents the victim said she believed that on these occasions Dempze thought she was asleep. She said when he realized she was awake he allegedly said sorry to her, kissed her on the forehead and left the room.

St. Paul man sentenced in motorcycle part theft

A St. Paul man was sentenced to 103 days in jail and five years of probation in connection with an incident in which he stripped a motorcycle of parts in Bayport in 2012.

Parker James Yanisch was caught on surveillance footage from Andersen Windows pulling his truck and boat trailer up near a motorcycle and removing parts from the bike. The truck came from the direction of Beach House Marina.

Officers went to Beach House Marina and found a truck matching the description. The registered owner told police that his girlfriend and Yanisch borrowed the car. He added that his girlfriend had told him that she and Yanisch had stripped the parts from the motorcycle. Another witness said that the girlfriend had dropped off the stolen parts at his residence. Total damage to the vehicle came in at $1,588.41.

In addition to his sentence, Yanisch must pay a $100 fine plus surcharges and $592.62 to the victim in the case. He must no use drugs or alcohol and submit to random testing, as well as have a chemical-dependency evaluation and remain law-abiding.

Probation in connection with drug charges

A Bayport man was given three years probation in connection with drug charges brought against him May 30, 2013.

Erik Albert Benzinger pleaded guilty to fifth-degree drug charges.

In May Bayport police conducted a search warrant on his residence and vehicle. A K-9 officer alerted near the center console area and drawer in the center of the dashboard. Officers searched the compartments and found a plastic bag with Batman symbols on it. In the bag were six pills. Court documents state that Benzinger identified the pills as Adderall and noted that he didn’t have a prescription and knew it was illegal to possess them.

Benzinger must pay a fine, get a chemical dependency evaluation and follow recommendations, attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings two times a week for six months, not use drugs or alcohol and submit to random testing.

Inmate sentence extended

An inmate at the Stillwater Prison was committed to the commissioner of corrections for 31 months after begin found guilty of assault in the third degree.

The inmate, Anthony Silvo Fini, walked up behind the prison’s program director while he was talking with a correctional officer. Surveillance tape shows that Fini came up behind the program director and struck him in the face. The director then fell into the shower post area and Fini kept punching him. The corrections officer tried to help the program director but was unable to do so. Other officers eventually subdued Fini.

The program director and first officer to respond were both treated at Fairview Hospital ER due to injuries sustained in the attack.

The officer had bruising and a sprain to the left hand. The program director was treated for head trauma, injuries to his left ear and bruising to the left side of his left rib cage.

Fini was committed 31 month credit for 307 days.

Man charged with shoplifting

Jeffray Allen Walker of St. Paul faces charges of shoplifting more than $1,500 worth of merchandise from Kohl’s in Oak Park Heights on Nov. 30.

Surveillance video allegedly shows Walker having merchandise placed in his bag by another man and leaving the store with the items. Court reports state that Walker and three friends were pulled over after the loss prevention officer called Oak Park Heights police and reported the license plate.

Passengers in the vehicle allegedly said Walker and the other man in the video had gone into the store and came out with two bags.

The bags found in the vehicle contained several electronic headphones and clothing items. The total value of the items amounted to $1,526.93.

A 28-year-old man suffered injuries after an incident that occurred around bar close on Feb. 16.

Police reports state that the 28-year-old was in the bathroom when a larger male entered and insulted the man’s friend by calling him “a little ginger.”

The victim then told his friend, “Yeah you are a little ginger,” then turned to the man and said “You have a little ginger in you as well.”

Then other man allegedly pushed the 28-year-old into either the urinal or the wall of the restroom and then was hit in the face.

The male suspect remained unidentified at the time of the incident, but was described as a tall white man, 6 foot 3 inches with blond hair and wearing a blue long sleeve shirt.

Bouncers at Rafters noticed him leaving the bathroom very quickly shortly after the reported incident and followed him out after discovering the victim and his injuries. The man refused to go back inside Rafters and left the scene.

Police say the 28-year-old victim suffered a cut on his lower lip and possibly a broken or chipped upper front teeth.

The victim told police, that depsite living out of state, he’d like to press charges against the man once he was found. The incident remains under investigation.

$2,200 worth of items stolen

An unoccupied home on the 900 block of Greeley Street had an estimated $2,200 worth of merchandise stolen from it between the end of January to Feb. 14 when the theft was reported.

Stillwater Police reports state that items stolen from the home, which was for sale, included a washer and dryer pair, dishes, seven bottles of miscellaneous wine, the Realtor’s tool box, Ikea furniture, possible wall art and some table lamps.

When the Realtor arrived at the home to prepare it for a showing, he noticed that the garage service door was standing ajar and the door frame was significantly damaged as though it had been forced open. Then he entered the residence to assess the damage.

After a walkthrough, police determined the items missing and determined that the home was safe. The Realtor had been sick and hadn’t shown the home until Feb. 14. He didn’t remember anyone suspicious that he had shown the property to before he called it in.

No viable tracks or footprints were found at the property. The current owner of the house said that his daughter could have more information regarding the washer and dryer because he hadn’t been working at the home since his wife had died. His daughter and her boyfriend had staged the home before putting it on the market.

The case is considered active.

Man cited for damage at Smalley’s BBQ

A 21-year-old man was cited for damage to property in Smalley’s Caribbean Barbecue after damaging a stall door in the restroom.

After getting a call about a man with a large amount of blood in the men’s bathroom and on a person leaving the establishment, police located the man in the parking lot to the east of Smalley’s.

The 21-year-old told police that he had gotten in an altercation with an unknown male outside of Smalley’s after the man insulted his friend. After the incident the 21-year-old returned to Smalley’s and admitted to striking or attempting to tear the bathroom stall door off of its hinges in the bathroom when he cut his fingers on sheet metal. The injuries required stitches.

The man was issued a citation and estimated damage to the property is valued at $200.

Compiled by Avery Cropp at avery.cropp@ecm-inc.com

A 32-year-old Lakeland man faces charges of second-degree assault with a weapon and motor vehicle theft charges.
The man, Jeffrey Michael Jocks, allegedly stole a truck from the lot of an auto body shop in Lakeland around Feb. 11.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office was called by employees at the shop shortly after 2 a.m. that day. The registered owner told police she hadn’t picked up the car or given anyone permission to use her car. Employees at the auto body shop said they had talked to a bartender who told them a man, later identified as Jocks, had walked out on his tab.
Deputies called a man who was at the bar with Jocks, and the man told them that Jocks had been drinking earlier in the evening after being picked up and brought him to the bar.
Deputies went to Jocks’ Lakeland home, and upon arrival deputies reported that the stolen truck parked in his driveway.
Deputies approached the house and knocked on the door when reports say Jocks come out from the kitchen aiming a handgun at them.
Officers told the man to come out of the home, and reports say Jocks came out of the residence part of the way with part of his body still inside, initially refusing to come out and claiming it was too cold, but he eventually complied.
Deputies found keys to the truck in Jocks’ residence on the kitchen counter. The handgun was loaded.
Jocks was being held with bail set at $50,000.

Man charged in string of burglaries
A 25-year-old Marine on St. Croix man faces charges that include burglary in the second degree and felony burglary.
The man, Nicholas James Petersen, was allegedly caught stealing items from a residence on the 19000 block of Larkspur Avenue in Scandia on Feb. 6 while deputies were taking a statement from a neighbor down the street reporting other missing items from his garage. The neighbor also told police that while leaving the residence Feb. 5 he had seen Petersen near his home.
While taking the statement, deputies got a call from someone who had noticed an abandoned vehicle belonging to Petersen idling in a driveway with several open garage doors in the area. When Petersen was confronted by police, he told them that he had permission to be at the home, but the owner of the home told police that he did not have permission.
A chainsaw and snowshoes were found outside the residence, which the homeowner told deputies belonged to him and had been in his garage.
Court documents state that Petersen was a suspect in a string of thefts in the area that took place at ice houses and detached garages.
Deputies found a list of recent items pawned at pawn shops by Petersen which included the items from the previous burglaries.
Petersen allegedly told police that he had pawned the items to pay for drugs and allegedly admitted to breaking into several icehouses on Big Marine Lake, taking a Vexilar F18 depth finder, stealing a propane gas heater from another icehouse, taking a generator and shotgun from another victim’s garage and pawning them.

A 20-year-old man was caught shoplifting $21 worth of merchandise from the Stillwater Cub Foods on May 20.
Stillwater police responded to the store after being informed that the shoplifter was in custody. The 20-year-old was caught after being observed walking past the checkout lines with items in his hands.
Police reports state that when the loss prevention officer confronted the man the man said, “Oh, you finally got me.”
The 20-year-old had stolen an ice mountain spring water, one rib eye steak and one package of sushi, according to police.

Police: Woman screamed at cats
Stillwater police responded to a residence on 800 block of Myrtle Street after a neighbor asked police to perform a welfare check when he heard a woman screaming in a house on May 16. Officers made contact with the woman who told police that she had been yelling at her two cats because they had been fighting. The woman told police that the cats weren’t fighting anymore and that everything was okay.

The 47-year-old St. Paul man involved in the crash that seriously injured the Sobczak sisters in Lake Elmo 18 months ago was sentenced to more than four years in prison Feb. 27.
Jon Ross Wentz pleaded guilty Dec. 19 to two counts of criminal vehicular operation with a blood-alcohol level of more than 0.08. He received 33 months in prison on one count and an additional 18 months on the other count, as well as five years of probation.
A criminal complaint states that Wentz was driving his Buick westbound in the eastbound lane on  Highway 5 Aug. 28, 2012, around 9 p.m. near Stillwater Lane in Lake Elmo. His car crashed into the Sobczak sisters’ car. Marah Sobczak, 20 at the time, was driving, and Kalley Sobczak, 15 at the time, was in the passenger seat. Both were wearing their seat belts.
At the time of the crash Wentz’s driving privileges had been revoked for a prior DWI conviction from 2011. Wentz was driving uninsured, and he had a methadone card on him. A blood sample obtained from Wentz by a St. Paul hospital revealed that he had a blood alcohol content of 0.08 and had methadone in his system.
In a victim impact statement given to the court the girl’s mother, Robin Sobczak, called the past year a horrific time for her family.
“On Aug. 28, 2012 I received a phone call that one of my daughters had been in an accident and was being taken to Regions Hospital,” she said. “Forty-five minutes later I was told that another one of my daughters was also in the car. While we were at the hospital, as I was caring for one, we were told that our other daughter may not make it and they were still trying to extricate her from the car. We took two girls home in wheelchairs, and we dealt with it on our own the whole time. We found out that the man had been driving drunk, had no insurance and was high. Now we are being sued by our own medical insurance. Our family is forever changed and will never be the same.”
The Sobczak sisters suffered serious injuries. Kalley Sobczak’s injuries included broken bones that needed screws and plates to heal, as well as fractures on her spine and ribs. Marah Sobczak suffered broken bones, respiratory failure, traumatic brain injury and more. The accident resulted in many surgeries and nearly led to the amputation of Marah Sobczak’s leg. Robin Sobczak said after court that Kalley still deals with pain every day, and Marah will need to have three to five more surgeries in addition to the five she’s already had.
They continue to recover and recuperate.
“What happened to our family and to our community is horrific,” Robin Sobczak went on to say. “We want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to another family.  I don’t want your kids or family to go through this. There is no way of putting into words the toll that this takes on a family. We have seven children. On that night our whole family was in an accident … You may not remember the accident, but my girls do, and I don’t want anyone to experience that again.”
She went on to say she forgives Wentz for what he did, saying after court that in order for her and her family to move forward, she felt it was something she had to do.
Wentz’s attorney, Rebecca Waxes, told the court that her client has been remorseful since the first day that he learned about the crash and its effects and wanted to take responsibility for his actions and maintain his sobriety. Wentz declined the opportunity to address the court.
“Mrs. Sobczak has indicated she forgives you,” Judge John McBride told Wentz. “But people forget what the difference between forgetting and forgiving is. This family will continue to be impacted by your actions for a long time. I would hope you would not forget. You may not remember the accident, but I hope you don’t forget, and use this as an opportunity to change your life.”

Contact Avery Cropp at avery.cropp@ecm-inc.com

Paxton Harvieux, a 21-year-old from Stillwater, was one of three Carleton College students killed in a crash with a semi near Northfield Feb. 28.

Harvieux was a junior majoring in computer science.

According to the State Patrol, Harvieux was one of five Carleton students in a Toyota 4Runner heading north on Highway 3 at County Road 47 near Northfield just before 3 p.m. Feb. 28. William  Sparks, 20, of Evanson, Ill., was driving. Officials say roads were icy.

The Toyota spun out and went into the southbound lane of Highway 3, the State Patrol says. A 2007 International Tractor heading south on Highway 3 hit the Toyota broadside, killing Harvieux, as well as 20-year-old James Adams of St. Paul and 20-year-old Michael Goodgame of Westport, Conn. The crash seriously injured Sparks and another passenger, 19-year-old Connor Eckert of Seattle.

According to college officials, Sparks and Eckert were hospitalized but in stable condition.

The semi driver had no apparent injury.

The accident occurred less than three miles from the Carleton campus.

College officials released a statement offering condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

“We offer or most heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of James, Michael and Paxton, ad we hope and pray for the full recovery of Will and Conner,” Carleton President Steven Poskanzer said in a statement sent to the campus community. “The collective Carleton soul aches for the loss of these three young men. Right now, we need to focus all our love and compassion on supporting the families and friends of all these young men, along with everyone in our community who cares for them.”

The college says counseling services have been made available to students.

An elderly Stillwater woman recently lost more than $10,000 to a scam reported to Stillwater police on Feb. 28.

The woman and her adult children told police that over the past two weeks she had received calls from unknown people in California and New York telling her she had won money and would need to send them money in order to claim her prize. The names the people gave the woman were Victoria Jones at an address in California and Dave Winne at an address in New York.

The children told officers that their mom had sent the money in the form of green dot cards to these individuals  but also had sent cash as well. The woman had thrown away the used Green Dot cards at the suspects’ request. The money was lost in multiple transactions multiple times a day. The woman gave vague details about how many transactions and for how much.

Police told the woman that several other people have been dealing with similar scams. Officers advised the woman not to send any more money and to hang up the phone or not answer if the calls continue.

The family was advised to contact the Minnesota Attorney General and the Minnesota FBI field office to see if they have open cases that they may be working on with those addresses or individuals.

Police advised that no more money should be sent and that if she wants to proceed with the case, the federal investigators would need more detailed records of the transactions.

The scams have been hitting the St. Croix Valley lately, and authorities say anyone who gets one of these calls should not respond and should report it to police.

Rollover accident without injuries reported March 1

Stillwater police responded to a rollover accident reported at Orleans Street West and Market Drive in Stillwater March 1.

When police arrived, the area was checked for occupants without results. Police called the registered owner and then another 52-year-old man who was reported to have been driving the vehicle. The man told police that he lost control of the vehicle due to the icy conditions and then left the vehicle and walked home because he didn’t know what to do. The man said he had no serious injuries, just a small cut on his finger and denied medical treatment. The owner of the vehicle was taken to the crash site, and her vehicle was towed.

Slippery intersection leads to confrontation

A Stillwater man called police after a male kicked his vehicle while he was driving through an intersection the afternoon of March 1. The driver of the vehicle said he was driving through the intersection of Curve Crest Boulevard and Northwestern Avenue when another man kicked his vehicle. The driver told police he was following the man who had kicked him.

Police spoke to the man who kicked the car. He told them that he and his friend were crossing the street somewhere on Curve Crest when he was struck by the vehicle. Then he kicked the vehicle.

The driver of the car declined any type of further police action, and the person who kicked the car was sent on his way.

The driver told police that he was driving on Northwestern when he saw the man and his friend crossing the street. He said it was icy and he wasn’t able to stop the car and nearly hit the pair. When the driver confronted the pedestrians the man kicked his car and walked away and the driver then followed the pair until police got there. There was no damage to the vehicle, and the driver told police that he had calmed down and they could leave.

Shovel stolen from porch

A shovel was stolen from the front porch of a home on the 3500 block of Pine Hollow Place.

A resident of the home told police that she heard someone  walking on her porch and discovered that her shovel was missing. The theft wasn’t reported until four hours after the incident because the woman was unsure of what to do. Police checked the area and noticed that other shovels on the front porch were still there and doubted that the shovel was taken with the intent to keep the shovel from the woman.

–Compiled by Avery Cropp

An 84-year-old man fell victim to the grandparent scam over the weekend.

The grandparent scam is a common scam that occurs when someone calls an elderly person and tells him or her that a relative that is in trouble and needs money sent right away.

The 84-year-old man told police that a male claiming to be his grandson said he had gotten into a car accident and was in trouble.

The victim asked the person if he was “Matt,” and the caller said he was.

The caller asked the victim to wire him $275 to assist with legal fees and that if he didn’t then the “grandson” was going to spend some time in jail. The victim wired the money.

After the victim wired the money and the transfer went, through the “lawyer” called him again saying that the transfer hadn’t gone through and asked for another $275 and told him that the original money would be refunded.

The victim became suspicious and called his children to make sure that his grandson, who lives in Arizona, was okay. The grandson was okay, at work, and life was normal.

The victim then called the police. The case is currently considered inactive.

Attempted scam

An Employee from the Stillwater McDonald’s called police to advise them that someone identifying himself as Steve Floyd from the Stillwater Police Department called looking for a certain employee. The manager confirmed that the employee does work there but was in school at the time of the call. The individual claimed that the person needed to call them back or a warrant would be issued for her arrest.

The manager said the caller had a heavy Middle Eastern accent and didn’t sound authentic in any way. Police advised the manager to forward the message on to the person asked for and to ignore the call as sometimes even calling the numbers can cost money on their phone bill. No financial or personal information was exchanged.

Smash and grab

Stillwater police were dispatched to the parking lot of Anytime Fitness for a reported theft of items valued at $400.

The front passenger side window on the vehicle was smashed out and items were stolen.

Stolen items included a black purse worth $50, a wallet worth $20, various credit cards, a debit card, a drivers license, a social security card, makeup, check stubs and deposit slips.

The victim was advised to cancel all credit cards. While canceling credit cards, the woman learned that $112 and $25 were charged on her card at Walmart. Police were planning on looking at surveillance video from the store, and the case remains under investigation.

Compiled by Avery Cropp at avery.cropp@ecm-inc.com

An Isanti woman faces charges of the alleged theft of $1,861 worth of merchandise and giving police officers a false name.

Kayleigh Skye Olson-Zopfi was stopped by Walmart employees and Oak Park Heights police Dec. 13.

Complaint reports state that the woman was seen walking out of Walmart with a full cart of merchandise without attempting to pay. When Olson-Zopfi was confronted in the parking lot, employees asked to see a receipt, which she was allegedly unable to give them.

When police asked for her name, authorities say the woman gave a false name, which didn’t match her identity.

The cart was inventoried and the woman taken in to custody.

A Bayport woman allegedly stole more than $100,000 from her employer while working for a Stillwater insurance agency.

Carol Greethurst, 51, faces one count of felony theft by swindle of more than $35,000. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Prosecutors allege that Greethurst used her position as accountant at Farmers Insurance on Curve Crest Boulevard in Stillwater to embezzle $136,482.63 from her employer between January 2010 and July 2013.

Kathy Schoenborn-Atkins of Farmers Insurance said she discovered the alleged theft while Greethurst was on vacation around July 4 last year.

“I needed to access our account for something while she was gone, and that’s when I noticed her large paycheck cashed through my account,” Schoenborn-Atkins said.

Schoenborn-Atkins said she reported her suspicions to police but it took eight months to determine the extent of the alleged theft.

According to the criminal complaint, Stillwater police hired a certified national examiner to investigate the claims. Through forensic analysis, the investigator concluded Greethurst had swindled the company by:

• Adding a total of $48,217.24 unauthorized payments to her checks.

• Using false reimbursements through payroll withholding in the amount of $34,316.52.

• Paying $40,601.94 in personal expenses from the company’s bank account.

• Obtaining $7,308.26 from a company line of credit

• Using company funds to pay for $638.70 in personal auto insurance costs.

Schoenborn-Atkins said the thefts appeared to have occurred in small increments over time but believed about a third of the total was taken in the six months prior to the investigation.

“Looking back, there’s all kinds of things I could have done to prevent it,” Schoenborn-Atkins said.

But she hadn’t felt the need, she said, noting that Greethurst had worked for the family-owned business more than 10 years before Schoenborn-Atkins took the helm from her father.

Upon discovery of the alleged thefts, Greethurst was dismissed from the company, and Schoenborn-Atkins said and the agency is now doing well.

“It was definitely affecting us at the time,” she said. “We were able to recover pretty quickly because we’re not paying out all that money.”

Some of the reported losses were covered by an “employee dishonesty” policy the business had.

This is not the only case of alleged employee dishonesty to affect an area business recently, according to Washington County Attorney Pete Orput.

“We’ve had a number of these lately,” he said. “Businesses being exploited by their accountants or bookkeepers or family members. … Typically these types of theft go on for some time before someone gets suspicious.”

Greethurst declined to comment. Her first court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. May 1.

Contact Jonathan Young at jonathan.young@ecm-inc.com

Cardboard obscures a window at Mayor Ken Harycki’s personal business March 20. (Gazette staff photo by Jonathan Young)

The IRS and FBI agents searched Stillwater Mayor Ken Harycki’s personal business, Customized Payroll Solutions on the 1800 block of Curve Crest Boulevard., the morning of March 20.

Media outlets reported that Vicki Petricka, a special agent with the IRS criminal investigations unit in Minneapolis, said the raid was part of an “enforcement action.”

Mike Zipko, who identified himself as a media representative for Harycki with Zipko Strategy in St. Paul, released the following statement from Harycki:

“The issue that is being investigated involves a former client of Customized Payroll Solutions.  I am deeply disappointed by this situation and we are fully cooperating with authorities.”

Zipko said Harycki was not available for further comment.

Minnesota IRS spokesperson Karen Connelly could only confirm that the agency was at the office “on official business.” But IRS agents had contacted Stillwater Police earlier in the morning asking for assistance in the search.

According to Police Chief John Gannaway, when the department learned the search involved the mayor, it immediately declined to participate, citing a conflict of interest. Gannaway said it’s “pretty standard” to contact local law enforcement and request them to stand by during a search.

FBI spokesperson Kyle Loven confirmed that FBI agents were involved in the search.

Cardboard obscured the view through windows at the office.

Stillwater City Administrator Larry Hansen said there wasn’t any impropriety with city funds to his knowledge.

Contact Jonathan Young at jonathan.young@ecm-inc.com

On March 16 Stillwater police cited a Burnsville man for solicitation without a permit in the 1500 block of Benson Boulevard. A neighbor had reported that the man had been driving around her neighborhood for several hours. Police reports state that she was concerned because her children had mentioned that they had seen the vehicle a lot and it seemed like the driver was following them while they were riding their bikes in the street.

The vehicle was located by license plate number, and the man told police he had been asking for help to get support for PAC workers. He was cited for soliciting without permits.

The man also presented police a driver’s license, which identified him as a resident of Maine. He said he had moved to Burnsville in September. He was then cited for failure to change licenses within 60 days.

Baby formula theft arrest

A St. Paul man was cited for baby formula theft on March 18 after stealing $111.93 worth of the product.

Stillwater police were called to Cub Foods around 5 p.m. An employee of the store told officers that he had seen the man hide seven cans of formula inside his jacket and leave the store without paying for the items.

He was taken into custody outside the store.

Police reports state that though he didn’t have any identification, he had paperwork concerning an upcoming court date, public defender application and jail release for an open bottle warrant which he was just released from custody for shortly before the time of the theft.

A Shakopee man was given 26 months in jail after abusing his ex-girlfriend and preventing her escape from his mother’s home in Stillwater.

He was convicted of violating a no contact order within 10 years of the first of two or more convictions.

Timothy Lee Donavan Olson got into a physical altercation at a residence on William Street North in Stillwater with his ex-girlfriend on March 16, 2013. The victim arrived at Olson’s mothers home, and Olson was also there. According to court documents, at some point in the evening Olson slapped and punched the woman, and when she attempted to leave the residence, Olson prevented her from doing so.

Neighbors reported hearing a woman crying and hearing sounds as though heavy objects were being moved or dropped.

The woman spent the night at the home and tried to call 911 the next morning but continuously had to hang up when Olson entered the room.

At one point Olson had left for a long enough that the woman was able to get out of the residence. She ran out the door without any shoes and flagged down someone driving by to use their cell phone to call the police. Olson then fled the scene.

Olson was sentenced to 26 months in jail with credit for 326 days served. The no contact order was also canceled.

Woman convicted of drug possession

A Hudson woman, Dominique Josylyn Tierney, was sentenced to four years of probation in connection with an incident involving drug possession.

On Oct. 29, 2012, Minnesota State Troopers pulled over a vehicle without a bumper after noticing that the license plate was not visible from the window. The vehicle was on Hudson Road near Walmart in Woodbury.

Upon pulling the car over, the trooper asked for identification. When the driver opened the glove compartment, the trooper noticed a large knife and asked the driver to get out of the car. The driver told the trooper that there weren’t any additional weapons but indicated that she did have a marijuana pipe in the vehicle. A grinder and purse with several needles were found, and a pat search was done. When police asked if there was anything else, Tierney said that she had contraband in her bra, including needles and heroin. A female officer was called in and found a yellow balloon with heroin in it. It weighed .05 grams.

In addition to probation Tierney was given one day of jail with one day of credit and community service in lieu of a $200 fine. She must also attend a treatment program.

A Stillwater man who lives on the 200 block of St. Croix Avenue West was the victim of burglary on March 25.
The man had $1,600 worth of electronic items stolen from his residence, the suspect is a former roommate who had lived with him for three months.
The burglary took place between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. while the man was at work. When the man returned home, police reports state, he noticed that his house had been entered and items had been stolen. He had left the front door unlocked.
Items stolen included two televisions, an Xbox game and controllers, a laptop, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 64, noise cancelling headphones, 15 CDs, a blue ray DVD player and a wallet.

Identity theft victim
A Stillwater woman has filed a fraud report of her name being used to seek unemployment funds.
The woman suspects that someone is using her maiden name and her parent’s address in Afton. The woman’s husband said she had received information from her place of work and received a request of funds from the unemployment insurance of Minnesota.
After getting the information from employment services, the man said his wife called and reported the fraud. The account was flagged and was marked ineligible for funds. The woman also notified all credit and banking accounts of possible fraudulent activity along with social security.
Upon visiting her parents, the woman was told that they had gotten notice of appeal to her fraud flagging attempts. The packet they received included a copy of a fake drivers licenses and social security that the suspect had been using.
Two unknown phone numbers were listed within the packet titled Notice of Hearing on March 21, 2014.
It was concluded that she was a victim of identity theft though no suspects currently exist. The case has been forwarded to investigations.

In 2013 The Stillwater Fire Department experienced fewer calls than 2012 but has had an increase in calls during the first quarter of this winter.

Fire Chief Stu Glaser presented the annual fire department report at the April 1 city council work session. Last year overall calls decreased by 3 percent, from 1,754 to 1,701.

“We’ve had a 12-13 percent increase in this first quarter of 2014 from last year though,” Glaser said. “There’s been an increase in motor vehicle accidents, an increase in natural gas leaks and carbon monoxide calls, and lots of power line issues. They’re mainly weather-type responses, which makes up a little bit of that difference.”

Glaser said that about 84 percent of the calls in 2013 were made in Stillwater, 7 percent in Stillwater Township and 4 percent in Grant and May Township.

“We’ve been pretty consistent in having about 21 calls a year to our surrounding partners, like Lake Elmo, Hugo and others,” Glaser said. “I suspect that the call volume will increase as we develop the gateway trail and the bridge is completed. I suspect we will have more traffic from the current motel being considered and additional people downtown now with our special events coming back. We’ll see how this will work through the summer with Log Jam.”

Glaser also reported that emergency medical calls for the department rose slightly, with 1,433 in 2013, compared to 1,395 in 2012.

“There hasn’t been a lot of increase on our EMS side, and we continue to work with Lakeview EMS,” Glaser said. “They’ve taken 2,378 calls in our district. The fire department has been on 1,030 of those calls.”

The fire department is usually requested when a life-threatening medical emergency occurs and additional emergency medical treatment and support is required. The EMS portion of the calls has beaten out most other types of calls for the past three years.

The $1.3 million budget for the fire department is 11 percent of the city budget total. Contracts for services that the department works with bring in about $300,000, according to Glaser. Permit and code enforcement revenue stands at $2,602, and training reimbursement comes from federal, state and county grants at $19,171 for a total revenue of $332,091.04.

The department, like others in surrounding areas, continues to struggle with maintaining paid on-call firefighters, and Glaser said that he and other fire chiefs throughout the state continue to work to find solutions to the problem. On average Glaser said three paid on-call officers are hired each year, and the department is currently six short of the 30 it strives to maintain. Glaser said that state legislation to give a $500 tax credit to paid on-call firefighters is currently working its way through the Legislature.

Contact Avery Cropp at avery.cropp@ecm-inc.com

A 24-year-old Stillwater man, Darrin Lee Wolf, faces criminal sexual conduct charges with an underage victim.

Wolf is accused of having sex with a 14-year-old girl. The teenager’s parents reported the alleged crime to The Stillwater Police Department Sept. 6, 2013, after Wolf allegedly called the victim’s junior high school and told staff that the teen was sick and wouldn’t be coming to school. Initially the teen said she knew Wolf and had exchanged text messages with him but didn’t have a romantic relationship with him.

Court documents state that Wolf told officers he did know the victim but that she had told him she was 20. Officers allegedly found Facebook communications that indicated that Wolf knew otherwise.

The victim told police that she told Wolf she was 17 at first and later told him that she was 14 after several people told Wolf that she was 14.

Wolf allegedly had sex with the victim both before and after he knew her real age.

Stillwater man charged with stealing $25,000 worth of jewelry

A 20-year-old Stillwater man, Arthur Ryan Wittebort V, faces second-degree burglary charges in connection with an incident reported Jan. 21.

Wittebort allegedly stole some valuable jewelry from his friend’s parents’ home in Woodbury while they were away. The friend had called officers to report that when checking the house while his parents were away, he discovered that a safe in the closet of the master bedroom was pried open and numerous items of jewelry were missing. The items stolen included a gold Rolex watch, a diamond bracelet, a large topaz ring with diamonds, a pair of gold hoop earrings and various other pieces of jewelry. The value of the items stolen totaled over $25,000.

A list of friends who had been in the home were provided to Woodbury Police, and two friends on the list came back as having allegedly pawned seven jewelry items recently.

Wittebort allegedly told police that he had helped one of the friends pawn the items then cashed a check for $1,000. Court documents also state that he told officers the other items were by a tree in Oak Park Heights and that bleach was poured on the jewelry to hide any fingerprints.

Oak Park Heights inmate sentenced

A 28-year-old inmate at the Oak Park Heights prison, Kippy Gene Wilson, had 15 months added to his sentence in connection with an assault on another inmate. Wilson has been in prison for homicide since 2006. According to the Minnesota Department of Corrections website, his expected release date is Feb. 21, 2030.

On Feb. 8, 2013, corrections officers saw Wilson strike another inmate, and he was sprayed with an irritant to stop him from striking the other. A homemade weapon made from a razor blade was found lying on the other inmate’s back.

Wilson had a razor permit, which officers believe was where the weapon came from. The other inmate was diagnosed with lacerations to his right ear and the left side of his head and chin. He needed 10 stitches and seven staples to close the injuries.

Contact Avery Cropp at avery.cropp@ecm-inc.com

Friends and family of former Lumberjack Days organizer David Eckberg filled the courtroom April 18 to hear his sentence after he plead guilty to writing dishonored checks.

Judge Susan Miles sentenced Eckberg to probation for one year, a fine of $1,000, and 240 hours of community service in the next six months. She ordered restitution paid in full to the victims. According to Eckberg’s attorney, Eric Thole, the entire restitution — $37,400 — has been paid in the last week.

According to the criminal complaint against Eckberg, he failed to make good on four checks: $5,800 to the Needham Distributing Company, $1,600 to Hohenstein’s Inc. for the purchase of beer at the festival, $20,000 to Icabod Productions for services rendered by a staging and lighting company, and $10,000 for labor provided by Stillwater Blue Line Boosters, which supporst Stillwater Area High School hockey.

The complaint states that when the checks were written there were insufficient funds in the accounts to cover the checks. Eckberg requested the recipients hold the checks pending sufficient funds being place into the accounts. In the meantime, records showed Eckberg deposited and then transferred in excess of $40,000 from the Lumberjack Festival and St. Croix Events accounts into his and his wife’s personal accounts. This sum was sufficient to cover the outstanding debt, but Eckberg continued to tell the victims there were insufficient funds in the account and to hold the checks.

“I think this case is pretty unique that all the restitution has been paid for sentencing,” Thole said. “The likelihood of my client re-offending is very little. He is 62, and this is his first offense.”

Blue Line Booster president Beau McGraw gave testimony in court that Eckberg had personally delivered a check for $10,000 two days prior to sentencing.

“That $10,000 was all our yearly fundraising,” McGraw said. “The high school hockey team does not receive much from the school, so these funds pay for buses, tournaments, equipment — anything the players need. We were $10,000 short.”

McGraw said that an anonymous donor gave the club $10,000 in 2011, and another $2,500 in 2012. The club then had to find other ways to raise funds for the hockey team.

“The kids worked hard, the booster club worked hard to raise those funds,” McGraw said. “While it was terrible, it has made the booster club stronger.”

McGraw said that the club does not have an opinion about the sentence, but wanted to say the money had been repaid.

“I agreed with the county attorney’s office that the goal is to pay back the victims,” Thole said.

Assistant County Attorney Richard Hodson requested to add to Eckberg’s sentence that he no longer be allowed to work as either a paid or unpaid consultant in any civic events.

“We have reason to believe that Eckberg has involvement in community events, in promotional or consulting activity, and we ask that he must only do private or commercial events,” Hodson said.

“Newcomers might come and ask him for advice, and he has all of this institutional knowledge,” Thole said. “I think they are overreaching.”

When it came to sentencing, Judge Miles agreed with Thole and did not bar Eckberg from participating in civic events.

While Eckberg did not want to comment on his sentence after court, he did express his regret to Miles.

“I’m very glad restitution has been paid, and I am sorry it happened,” Eckberg said. “It has been a life-changing experience for everyone, and it was my fault for writing the checks without knowing the balance in the bank.”

After Eckberg successfully serves his year on parole and complies with the terms of his sentence, his felony charge will be reverted to a misdemeanor.

“I think it was a fair sentence,” Thole said. “He is focusing on being a father and serving his community service.”

The community service will be served at a court-approved nonprofit organization of Eckberg’s choice.

Contact Alicia Lebens at alicia.lebens@ecm-inc.com

A 28-year-old inmate at the Oak Park Heights prison, Kippy Gene Wilson, had 15 months added to his sentence in connection with an assault on another inmate. Wilson has been in prison for homicide since 2006. According to the Minnesota Department of Corrections website, his expected release date is Feb. 21, 2030.

On Feb. 8, 2013, corrections officers saw Wilson strike another inmate, and he was sprayed with an irritant to stop him from striking the other. A homemade weapon made from a razor blade was found lying on the other inmate’s back.

Wilson had a razor permit, which officers believe was where the weapon came from. The other inmate was diagnosed with lacerations to his right ear and the left side of his head and chin. He needed 10 stitches and seven staples to close the injuries.

Tyler Steven Palmer, 28, of Spring Valley, Wis., faces charges of terroristic threats and disarming a peace officer after an April 15 run-in with Bayport Police.

At approximately 4:10 p.m., Officer Jackson of the Bayport Police Department received a call from the manager at Woody’s Bar and Grill in Bayport, advising that the employees just refused service to a male they believe was intoxicated and may be under the influence of drugs. Additionally, the manager reported that male was heading towards the Greystone Bar.

Jackson responded to that area and observed a male, matching the description given, dancing in front of the window at Woody’s Bar and Grill. Police say the man, later identified as Palmer, left the scene and went to the nearby Holiday Gas Station. Jackson met with the Holiday Gas Station store manager who told him the individual he was looking for was in the women’s restroom. The manager also believed that this individual may have stolen some items from the store. The officer made contact with Palmer.

The officer reported that Palmer was visibly intoxicated.

According to the criminal complaint, Palmer admitted he was on probation out of St. Croix County, Wis., and should not be drinking. He stated he lived a few blocks away and wanted to go home.

Chief Laura Eastman, who had also arrived, and Officer Jackson escorted Palmer to the squad to transport him to his house.

Officers measured Palmer’s blood alcohol level at 0.189. Palmer told police he did not want his mother to know that he had been drinking and agreed to be taken to his house, as long as a responsible party was present to care for him, the complaint says. When the officers arrived at Palmer’s house, no one was present. They told Palmer they could not leave him alone due to his intoxication level or he would have to go to detox.

According to the complaint, Palmer became agitated and started yelling and swearing in the back of the squad. At this time, other law enforcement officers arrived. While Jackson was making contact with Palmer’s grandmother, Palmer had been calling 911 numerous times in the back of the squad car and was becoming more agitated. When Jackson opened the door, Palmer said he was going to get out of the squad and that the officer should be ready to tase him, the complaint states.

When the officer closed the door, police say Palmer began punching the squad car window. At that point officers opened the door to restrain him.

Officer Zwach of the Oak Park Heights Police Department also had arrived and was assisting to gain control of Palmer. According to the complaint, Palmer began fighting the officers and attempted to kick at them several times. He was told many times to stop fighting and to calm down. Police say he attempted to spit on and bite the officers.

Two officers used their body weight to hold Palmer against the squad to keep him from kicking them, and Palmer removed one officer’s baton from its holster, the complaint says.

Officers were able to disarm Palmer of the baton and re-establish a hold. During this entire time, they continued to tell Palmer to stop fighting, but the complaint says Palmer continued to make threats to the officers.

After other Officers arrived, Palmer was secured, placed under arrest and transported to Washington County Jail. A review of Palmer’s criminal history reveals a violent history of assaulting police officers and obstructing with force.

Stillwater man gets jail for selling marijuana

Alexander Richard Nipp, 20, of Stillwater, was sentenced with 59 day in jail and five year probation after being found guilty of selling marijuana in the Stillwater area.

According to the criminal complaint, on Feb. 1, 2013, a confidential informant (CI) contacted Nipp and made arrangements to meet so Nipp could sell the CI one ounce of marijuana for $320. The CI agreed to meet Nipp in the area of County Road 7 and Jody Avenue, Hugo. The CI met Nipp at the location and Nipp sold a baggy containing a substance consistent with marijuana to the CI for $320. The substance in the baggy later field-tested positive as marijuana and had a package weight of 23.9 grams.

On Feb. 21, 2013, the CI made contact with Nipp by text message regarding the sale/purchase of marijuana, the complaint says. Nipp agreed to meet the CI in Stillwater sell one ounce of marijuana for $320. The CI met Nipp in the area of Greeley Street and Highway 36, and Nipp sold a baggy containing a substance consistent with marijuana to the CI for $320.00. The substance in the baggy later tested positive as marijuana and had a package weight of 38.2 grams. The total weight of the marijuana was 62.1 grams.

Body of 19-year-old found in May Township

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a woman whose body was found April 16 near Big Carnelian Lake in May Township.

The woman, 19-year-old Alyssa Funke, was found by investigators near a lake access point just before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Funke was a student at the University of Wisconsin River Falls, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office had been notified by university police to complete a welfare check on the women, said Washington County Sheriff’s Office Commander Brian Mueller.

The investigation is currently open, and is expected to continue for a couple weeks as forensic information is being analyzed, Mueller said. The sheriff’s office is not looking for a suspect.

Funke was a Bayport native and a 2012 graduate of Stillwater Area High School.

Stillwater police seized more than 22 grams of synthetic marijuana during a traffic stop April 18.

Just before 10 p.m, Stillwater police pulled over a vehicle with no visible tail lights. During the traffic stop, the officer detected the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. According to police reports, the driver, a Bayport man, indicated that the vehicle belonged to the vehicle’s passenger, also of Bayport. Both occupants told police there was no illegal marijuana in the vehicle. Officers searched the driver, passenger and the vehicle and found items used to smoke marijuana and packages of Kronik Kryptonite. The driver told police it was synthetic marijuana.

Officers later found additional packages of synthetic marijuana, a scale and several clear baggies. According to police, the driver said that the items were purchased from a head shop in St. Paul, and he had purchased the synthetic marijuana for friends who did not have a vehicle. Both parties were cooperative, and police issued a citation for the possession of synthetic cannabinoids to the driver. Both were allowed to leave after all the contraband was seized.

In total, police seized 15.5 grams of Fuzzy Wuzzy Kryptonite and 7.4 grams of Kronike Kryptonite synthetic marijuana, and a digital scale.