A Rochester man accused of sales and possession of nearly a half-pound of methamphetamine made his initial appearance last week in Olmsted County District Court.
Scott Christopher Dobbelaere, 35, faces one count each of first-degree drug sales, first-degree drug possession, storing meth paraphernalia in the presence of a child, causing a child to be exposed to meth, all felonies; as well as one count each of gross misdemeanor child endangerment and misdemeanor fleeing a peace officer on foot.
He's in custody in lieu of $125,000 conditional bond and is due back in court Feb. 10.
The investigation began when authorities received information about the possibility of ongoing drug activity at the Dobbelaere's house in the 5400 block of 51st Street Northwest, the criminal complaint says, and police surveillance confirmed it.
On Jan. 12, officers watched as Dobbelaere left the home in his vehicle; they performed a traffic stop in the area of Kenosha Drive and Valleyhigh Drive Northwest. When told he was under arrest, Dobbelaere allegedly turned and ran; officers quickly caught him and made the arrest.
ADVERTISEMENT
Deputies at the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center found two plastic bags on Dobbelaere with a combined weight of 4 grams; they tested positive for meth, court documents say. In his car, authorities found more than $3,000 in cash, several small plastic bags and a glass pipe that tested positive for meth, the papers continue.
A search warrant executed at Dobbelaere's home on 51st Street recovered multiple bags of meth, with a total weight of 189.1 grams, the complaint says, as well as numerous items containing meth residue. The meth and the related items were all found in Dobbelaere's bedroom "within arm's reach of a small child," the report says.
The total alleged weight of 193.1 grams is nearly 7 ounces.
His 5-year-old child told an investigator she was in her father's room earlier that day. One of the items allegedly containing meth was a plastic trick-or-treat bucket, sitting next to the bed, and a meth pipe with a large gas torch on a table near the window.
A search of the garage of the home turned up 30 pills on a shelf, the document says, and a plastic bag labeled "Nitracaine" that contained brownish crystals.
A review of Dobbelaere's criminal history indicates at least three felony drug convictions and past prison sentences of 68 and 74 months.
