DODGE COUNTY

Search reveals firearms, hidden bunker in home of Minnesota man accused of impersonating federal agent

Emily Cutts — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 20:30:00 GMT

ST. PAUL — A Dodge Center, Minn., man charged with impersonating a federal agent faces a second charge of illegally possessing a firearm after federal agents filed an amended criminal complaint Tuesday, Sept. 21, in U.S. District Court.

The U.S. Attorney's Office announced Monday that 52-year-old Reyel Devon Simmons had been arrested and charged with impersonating a federal agent after the FBI received a tip in August that he was portraying himself on social media as a federal agent.

An amended criminal complaint was filed Tuesday, adding a second charge of felon in possession of a firearm. Simmons was convicted of menacing in 2007 in Colorado, according to the amended complaint.

The amended complaint also provides more information about Simmons' arrest and searches that law enforcement conducted at his residence in Dodge Center, at his place of employment and his truck. Dodge County property tax records do not list Simmons as a primary owner or taxpayer.

Simmons was arrested at his workplace in Shakopee, Minnesota, on Monday, Sept. 20. At the time of his arrest, investigators found a “go bag” that “bore lettering and insignia suggesting it was issued by the Department of Homeland Security," the amended complaint states.

Inside the bag, agents found a handgun and three loaded magazines as well as law enforcement and military accessories, including a fake badge.

At his Dodge Center residence, agents seized eight firearms that were found in a safe room or bunker that could only be accessed through a hidden doorway located in the storage area of the basement, the complaint states. A folder with legal documents related to Simmons’ prior criminal convictions also was found in the safe room.

Agents also reported finding suspected silencers/suppressors, detonating cord and a blasting cap.

“Throughout the Property, agents also discovered the following items: thousands of rounds of ammunition, law enforcement style badges, law enforcement identification documents, clothing and gear branded with insignia or wording indicating they were issued by a law enforcement agency (e.g. “POLICE,” DHS, etc.) a ghillie suit (a style of camouflage outfit most commonly used by military or law enforcement snipers), multiple blank CDC COVID-19 vaccination cards, and multiple tactical vests bearing insignia and wording suggesting they were issued by a law enforcement agency and two of which were outfitted with steel plates (making them bulletproof/bullet-resistant),” the amended complaint reads.

Following his arrest, Simmons initially denied that federal agents would find any firearms in his backpack or at his property, but when told agents already found numerous firearms, he reportedly admitted that the handgun in his backpack and several firearms at his property belonged to him.

Simmons insisted that he was at one time affiliated with DHS through a contractor, but could not provide specifics “nor a coherent explanation,” the amended complaint reads.

At his initial appearance in U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, Simmons was ordered held pending Wednesday's hearing. He reportedly pretended to have fainting spells to avoid transport and when U.S. Marshal Service deputies prepared to carry Simmons to transport, "he became physically combative with them," the amended complaint states.

At the hearing Wednesday, Sept. 22, Simmons was ordered to continue to be held in jail.

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Minnesota sheriff hosts podcast that honors fallen law enforcement members

Emily Cutts — Tue, 11 May 2021 15:00:00 GMT

MANTORVILLE, Minn. — When Winona Police Officer Mathew Hamilton was killed in December 1874, the internet and podcasts were not even found in a fever dream. But now, nearly 150 years after his death, his story is being shared across the country and even world as part of the Officer Down Memorial Podcast.

The podcast, made by current Dodge County Sheriff and former radio broadcaster Scott Rose, tells the stories of the men and women who lost their lives serving in law enforcement.

Hamilton collapsed following a fight with a drunk man at a railroad depot. He was carried onto a stagecoach life vehicle and brought home where he died. An autopsy determined he had heart disease sufficient enough to cause his death and that it was aggravated by overexertion during the fight.

His story was the first law enforcement member's story shared for the podcast.

Rose, who serves on two boards of organizations that honor fallen law enforcement members, said part of the motivation to start the podcast was to move beyond the two or three sentences normally provided on memorial websites.

"To me, the stories really emphasize the point that the majority of cops are great people. These are ordinary people that are willing to take extraordinary risks to help keep our communities safe, our families safe," Rose said. "I think we lose sight of that when we hear all the anti-law enforcement noise and all of the politics. We lose sight of the fact that these are truly great people that are willing to take a lot of risks for, in many cases, people they don't even know."

About a dozen episodes are now available. They tell the stories of people such as Claremont Police Chief Greg Lange, Hayfield City Marshal Ole Havey and Omaha policeman Thomas Welch. The stories are from the recent past as well as centuries long gone.

Rose starts each podcast by setting the scene and familiarizing listeners with the era before introducing the officer as a person.

"It kind of puts you in the position where you kind of get to feel what that survivor family felt," Rose said. "We spent time letting you get to the know the officer, the agency and the area and then we take him."

Rose said survivor families have found the experience of sharing their family's story cathartic. For some, talking about their dead loved one was taboo.

"They’ve found comfort in the fact that the real story, the whole story, is finally being told," Rose said.

A new episode of the podcast is typically published every other Friday. In May, however, an episode will be published for the first three Fridays of the month to mark Police Week. The podcast is available on all podcast platforms or at www.officerdownmemorialpodcast.com.

Listen:

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Dodge County community, old friends caring for victims of Minnesota fire

Brian Todd — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 16:00:00 GMT

MANTORVILLE, Minn. — When Shelby Jacobson and her family lived in Mantorville, Minn., she lived in the Chestnut Apartments, and they made friends with many of their fellow residents in the building.

"My son was really close to two of the kids who lived in the apartments," Jacobson said. "I’ve had contact with a few of the residents who survived the fire, or weren’t in the hospital."

Jacobson, along with her boyfriend and her son, lived in the apartment building beginning in 2018 before moving to Stewartville, Minn., at the end of 2019, living in apartment No. 1 in the 12-unit building.

Jacobson, who started a GoFundMe page to help residents of the Chestnut Apartments who lost their homes last week, said she's talked with friends who escaped the fire on Thursday.

"Most of them are staying at the hotel in Kasson, and the Kasson community has been so wonderful and supportive in helping them," she said.

SEMCAC, a community action agency that operates emergency services for Dodge County, has handled the temporary housing needs for the individuals who escaped the fire. The agency will also help look for permanent housing solutions for those individuals.

Jacobson's GoFundMe page has a $15,000 goal. The funds, she said, will be used to get gift cards to Walmart so those individuals, who lost everything in the fire, can buy essentials, whether that be toiletries, clothes, or toys for the kids.

At the time of the fire, Jacobson said she knew of three children living in the building. Those children, as well as the adults, are in need, she said.

Any hope of salvaging items from the fire was dashed Saturday, Feb. 6, when the fire re-flamed and firefighters were again called to put out the smoldering remains of the building.

Jacobson isn't the only one hoping to find financial help from the community.

Michelle Sontag, of Stillwater, Minn., is asking for support for burial costs for her aunt, Cynthia Ferguson, who died in the fire.

In her message on GoFundMe, Sontag said her aunt had been battling lung cancer for some time.

"She had no money and no insurance and lost everything," Sontag wrote. "The family is looking for help to pay for her funeral and medical expenses. Any amount would be greatly appreciated."

While she moved away from the Chestnut Apartments over a year ago, Jacobson said the building was a place where her neighbors became her friends, and she hopes the community will give to her friends in their time of need.

"Well, when I lived there, you become a little community, and they become part of your family," she said. "Most of these residents are out everything they have worked so hard for in life. For some, this place was a stepping stone to move into a home, but for most, it was their forever home."

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One dead, five injured in Minnesota apartment building fire

Forum News Service — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 23:26:07 GMT

MANTORVILLE, Minn. — A 68-year-old woman died in an apartment building fire Thursday morning, Feb. 4, in Mantorville, Minn.

Cynthia Ferguson was identified as the victim by Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose. Ferguson's cause of death was unknown as of Thursday evening.

In addition to the death, five people were taken to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys Campus in Rochester, with at least one person in critical condition, Rose said. All five were being treated for various levels of smoke inhalation, Rose said in a news release shortly before 5 p.m.

According to Rose, the fire call came in at 6:37 a.m., and deputies were on the scene 2 minutes later in Mantorville.

When law enforcement arrived, heavy smoke could be seen coming from the building, and several residents were on the phone with dispatch saying they were trapped inside the building, Rose said. Sheriff's deputies and Kasson police officers were first on the scene and evacuated five individuals from the building before fire crews from Kasson and Mantorville arrived a few moments later to help.

The fire started on the first floor in the northeast corner of the apartment building, and the north half of the building is a complete loss.

While the fire was put out shortly after 8 a.m., Rose said crews were continuing to search for hotspots and other victims as a precaution past 9 a.m. By 10:20 a.m., the sheriff reported that all residents of the building had been accounted for.

A school bus was set up as a shelter for displaced residents as the snow fell, but the bus was empty. By 9 a.m., the nearby First Congregational Church was opened in case residents needed a place to stay warm.

Firefighters from Byron, Dodge Center and Kasson were called for mutual aid support. Ambulance crews from Mayo Clinic Ambulance, Dodge Center Ambulance and Hayfield Ambulance also responded to the scene, as did Minnesota State Patrol officers.

The state fire marshal's office was on the scene helping the Mantorville Fire Department with investigation of the cause. The fire started in apartment No. 5, Rose said. The cause of the fire will be determined by the state fire marshal's office.

Both SEMCAC, a community action organization, and the American Red Cross were helping find temporary shelter for individuals or families displaced by the fire.

Two of our investigators are on scene and will help local officials determine the cause of this fire. https://t.co/nlRZ3kkzOM
— State Fire Marshal (@MnDPS_SFM) February 4, 2021

One dead, five injured in Minnesota apartment building fire

Fire and paramedics from several agencies work to extinguish an apartment fire in Mantorville Thursday, February 4, 2021. (Ken Klotzbach / kklotzbach@postbulletin.com)

A school bus is used to keep residents warm after an apartment fire in Mantorville Thursday, February 4, 2021. (Ken Klotzbach / kklotzbach@postbulletin.com)

Fire and paramedics from several agencies work to extinguish an apartment fire in Mantorville Thursday, February 4, 2021. (Ken Klotzbach / kklotzbach@postbulletin.com)

One dead, five injured in Minnesota apartment building fire

Fire and paramedics from several agencies work to extinguish an apartment fire in Mantorville Thursday, February 4, 2021. (Ken Klotzbach / kklotzbach@postbulletin.com)

A school bus is used to keep residents warm after an apartment fire in Mantorville Thursday, February 4, 2021. (Ken Klotzbach / kklotzbach@postbulletin.com)

Fire and paramedics from several agencies work to extinguish an apartment fire in Mantorville Thursday, February 4, 2021. (Ken Klotzbach / kklotzbach@postbulletin.com)

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Attempted murder sparks manhunt in Dodge County

Forum News Service — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 23:30:00 GMT

MANTORVILLE, Minn. — Law enforcement is looking for a man who may have attempted to kill another man and dispose of the body in rural Dodge County in Minnesota.

Dodge County dispatch received a 911 call at 3:04 p.m. Aug. 12 from a witness who said they saw a man trying trying to throw a male victim over the side of a bridge and into the water at the Milliken Creek Bridge on Dodge County Road 22. The victim — a 62-year-old Hispanic man from Rochester — was found hiding in a wooded area near the bridge, bleeding from a large laceration across the front of his neck. He was taken to a hospital.

The Dodge County Sheriff's Office is looking for Rigo Eleazar Lopez Macias, also known as Alejandro "Alex" Torres Lopez, 27, who works at Rochester Cheese under the Alejandro alias. The dispute between the suspect and victim appears to have been drug-related, authorities said.

Macias is a light-skinned Hispanic male, 6-feet tall and 200 pounds. He was last seen fleeing the scene at the bridge in rural Dodge County driving a gray 2013 Ford Taurus sedan, Minnesota license number ECH680.

The Dodge County Sheriff's Office reports Macias is wanted for first-degree attempted murder and should be considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information should contact the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office at 507-635-6200 and ask for Investigator Bob Morris, or email bob.morris@co.dodge.mn.us.

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Riess pleads not guilty to 2018 murder of her husband

Emily Cutts — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 20:11:02 GMT

MANTORVILLE, Minn. — Lois Riess pleaded not guilty Tuesday, July 7 on charges she murdered her husband in March 2018 and that she committed theft.

Riess appeared at her hearing in Dodge County District Court via a video call from the Steele County Jail where she is being held. Riess was seated behind glass windows in an orange jumpsuit while her attorney, Lauri Traub, sat in front of her on the other side of the glass.

Assistant Dodge County Attorney Crysta Parkin and Attorney Matthew Frank of the Minnesota Attorney General's Office also appeared via video conference. The hearing took less than 10 minutes. A pretrial date has not been set.

Riess was indicted in May 2019 by a Dodge County grand jury on charges of first-degree and second-degree murder. Riess’ husband, David Riess, was found shot to death in the couple’s Blooming Prairie home in March 2018. Lois Riess is also charged with a felony count of theft.

At the hearing Tuesday, Judge Jodi Williamson ordered Riess be held without bail on the murder charge and set a $10,000 conditional bail on the theft charge. Riess waived her right to argue bail at the hearing, but may make arguments on the topic at a later hearing.

On the theft charge, Riess is alleged to written close to $10,000 worth of checks from the business account of Prairie Wax Worm Farms LLC and then deposited them in her husband's personal account. Riess then wrote checks to herself from that account, according to court documents.

The bank reviewed the checks and believed there may be an inconsistency with the signatures on the checks from the transactions as compared to the signature card, according to court documents.

After her husband's murder, Riess led authorities on a four-week, nationwide manhunt that went through Fort Myers Beach, Fla. — where she was accused of a second murder — before ending with her arrest in South Padre Island, Texas.

Extradition paperwork was filed with a Florida court in March to have Riess returned to Minnesota to answer to the charges here. She was listed in custody at the Steele County Jail on July 3.

Riess is serving a life sentence in Florida for the murder of Pamela Hutchinson. Hutchinson, 59, of Bradenton, Fla., was found shot to death in a Fort Myers Beach condo on April 9, 2018.

In Lee County Court in Florida, Riess pleaded guilty in December 2019 to first-degree murder with a firearm, grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft and criminal use of personal identification information of a deceased individual.

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Lois Riess returned to Minnesota to face murder charges

Emily Cutts — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 21:33:26 GMT

OWATONNA, Minn. — Lois Riess has been returned to Minnesota to face charges in the death of her husband.

The Steele County Sheriff's Office lists Riess on its inmate roster with a booking date of July 3, 2020.

She then led authorities on a four-week, nationwide manhunt that went through Fort Myers Beach, Fla. — where she was accused of a second murder — before ending with her arrest in South Padre Island, Texas.

In December, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement that Riess should face justice in Minnesota for two reasons.

"First, because her crime spree started in Minnesota with the murder of Mr. Riess. Second and more importantly, because the interests of justice demand it. The people of Blooming Prairie, Dodge County, and all of Minnesota — and especially Mr. Riess’s family — deserve to see justice done and the chance to heal."

"Ms. Riess should not be allowed to escape responsibility for such a serious crime in Minnesota simply because she was able to abscond to another state and commit another crime there," Ellison concluded.

Riess is serving a life sentence in Florida for the murder of Pamela Hutchinson. She is scheduled to appear via video conference in Dodge County District Court on Tuesday morning on the Minnesota charges.

In Lee County Court in Florida, Riess pleaded guilty in December 2019 to first-degree murder with a firearm, grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft, and criminal use of personal identification information of a deceased individual, according to the 20th Judicial Circuit Administrative Office of the Courts in Florida.

Hutchinson, 59, of Bradenton, Fla., was found shot to death in a Fort Myers Beach condo on April 9, 2018.

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Man killed in 2-car crash in southern Minnesota

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 19:19:09 GMT

MANTORVILLE, Minn. — An Owatonna man was killed and three Hayfield residents injured in a two-car collision Sunday, March 29, near Mantorville.

Mark Douglas Johnson, 58, of Owatonna was driving east on Dodge County Road 16 just north of Mantorville at 11:29 a.m. Sunday when his car collided on a wet road with a vehicle driven by Bradley Herman Schmidt, 54, of Hayfield, according to a Minnesota State Patrol report. Mantorville is about 20 miles west of Rochester.

Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene. Schmidt and his two passengers, Danielle Kaye Schmidt, 20, and Mary Kay Schmidt, 58, also both of Hayfield, were all transported to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys. All three suffered non-life threatening injuries, according to the report. No updates were available on their conditions.

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Minnesota woman, convicted of murder in Florida, to return to state to face charges of killing husband

Emily Cutts / Forum News Service — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 23:36:07 GMT

DODGE COUNTY, Minn. — Extradition paperwork has been filed to bring Lois Riess back to Minnesota to answer to charges that she murdered her husband.

The interstate detainer agreement was filed on Tuesday, March 3, in Dodge County District Court. Riess signed paperwork in January consenting to be brought to Minnesota. It is unclear why the paperwork took so long to reach Dodge County.

A hearing date in Dodge County has not been set. Court records state that Riess must be brought to trial within 180 days of her arrival in Dodge County, unless an extension is granted.

Riess was indicted in May by a Dodge County grand jury on charges of first-degree and second-degree murder. Riess’ husband, David Riess, was found shot to death in the couple’s Blooming Prairie, Minn., home in March 2018.

Riess is serving a life sentence in Florida for the murder of Pamela Hutchinson.

In Lee County Court in Florida, Riess pleaded guilty in December to first-degree murder with a firearm, grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft and criminal use of personal identification information of a deceased individual, according to the 20th Judicial Circuit Administrative Office of the Courts in Florida.

Hutchinson, 59, of Bradenton, Fla., was found shot to death in a Fort Myers Beach condo on April 9, 2018.

Riess is being held at the Florida Women’s Reception Center in Ocala, Fla. Upon completion of the Dodge County matters, Riess must be returned to Florida, according to court documents.

At the time of her sentencing in Florida, some questioned the need to bring Riess back to Minnesota to answer to the charges.

In a statement, Attorney General Keith Ellison said that Riess should not be allowed to escape responsibility for her crimes in Minnesota simply because she was able to leave the state and commit another crime elsewhere.

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Dodge County wind farm weighing grid options

Matthew Guerry — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 20:22:20 GMT

ST. PAUL — NextEra Energy has scrapped its plan to connect a proposed wind farm in the southeastern Minnesota counties of Dodge and Steele to the electric grid.

In its initial request for a route permit, the company put forward a plan to connect the farm to an electrical substation in Byron, by way of a 21-to-26-mile transmission line. But citing cost concerns, the company later requested that its application for the permit — one of three needed to build the project — be withdrawn.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission during its Thursday, Nov. 14, meeting approved that request. It also voted to have the company file its applications for the project's site permit and certificate of need that reflect a new connection plan.

Mike Weich, a NextEra project director, said on Friday that the company is "committed to finding a new customer" to partner with for energy delivery. He said that connecting to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator's grid — which serves the Midwest and part of Canada — via the Byron substation was found to be cost prohibitive.

Speaking by phone Friday, Weich said that the design of the wind farm is complete and unlikely to be affected by any changes in transmission routes. The 170-megawatt wind farm is planned to consist of approximately 70 turbines, and would comprise some 52,000 acres of agricultural land in western Dodge and eastern Steele counties, just west of Rochester.

According to NextEra's filings with the PUC, the company planned to begin building the wind farm in early 2021 and start commercial operations later that year. On Friday, Weich said that no firm construction dates have yet been established.

Initial filings for the project date back to October 2018. When complete, it will be the company's first owner-operated wind farm.

Designing and constructing the project is estimated to cost approximately $250 million, filings show.

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