Published: October 19, 2026
WASHINGTON COUNTY, MINNESOTA: A Lakeville woman and a Woodbury man are facing felony charges after authorities say they conspired to arrange an unauthorized release from the Washington County Jail by having the woman impersonate an employee of a treatment facility and attempt to pick up the inmate under the pretense of a medical treatment transfer.
According to separate criminal complaints filed in Washington County District Court, Bobbi Elizabeth Wolfe, 24, of Lakeville, and Shandon Tyler Gamst, 27, of Woodbury, have each been charged with one felony count of conspiracy to escape from custody following an incident on September 8, 2026, at the Washington County Jail in Stillwater. Investigators allege Gamst, who was being held on pending felony drug charges, instructed Wolfe to visit the jail, falsely identify herself as an employee of Dakota Healing Center in Shakopee, and claim she was authorized to transport him directly from the jail to the treatment facility.
Court documents indicate jail staff discovered the alleged plan after reviewing communications between Gamst and Wolfe that appeared to outline an attempt to secure his release. Both defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both, if convicted.
Jail Staff Discover Communications Suggesting Escape Plan
According to the criminal complaints, a Washington County Sheriff's Office Deputy was dispatched to the lobby of the Washington County Jail on September 8th after correctional staff discovered communications between an inmate and someone outside the facility that raised concerns about a possible escape attempt. The inmate was identified as Gamst, while the individual communicating with him was identified as Wolfe.
When the Deputy arrived at the jail, a jail sergeant informed him that Wolfe had appeared at the facility and was attempting to pass herself off as an employee of Dakota Healing Center, a treatment facility in Shakopee. The sergeant told the deputy that Wolfe was claiming she had arrived to pick up Gamst and transport him to the facility.
Jail personnel provided the deputy with three pages of messages exchanged between the two that investigators believed documented their alleged plan. The complaints do not specify exactly when jail personnel first discovered the communications or whether Wolfe had previously attempted to arrange Gamst's release.
Wolfe Allegedly Admitted Plan Was Intended to Spend Time With Gamst
The deputy located Wolfe as she was returning to the jail lobby after stepping outside. During their initial conversation, Wolfe reportedly maintained that she was at the jail to transport Gamst to Dakota Healing Center. However, as the deputy continued questioning her, Wolfe allegedly acknowledged that she and Gamst had coordinated a plan to get him out of jail so they could spend time together.
According to the criminal complaints, Wolfe told investigators that she and Gamst wanted to "see each other again" and "hang out" before Gamst eventually went to the treatment facility. Wolfe allegedly admitted that she recognized the plan was inappropriate but claimed Gamst had made her feel guilty about potentially refusing to participate. Investigators say Wolfe explained that Gamst had instructed her during a telephone conversation to tell jail employees she worked for a treatment center and had arrived to conduct a "bed-to-bed transfer."
A bed-to-bed transfer generally refers to the direct transportation of an individual between facilities, such as moving someone from a jail to an inpatient or residential treatment program.
In this case, authorities allege the claimed transfer was being used as a pretext to obtain Gamst's release from custody. According to the complaints, Gamst also instructed Wolfe to tell jail personnel that she did not have identification verifying her employment with the treatment center. Instead, he allegedly told her to present a bag displaying the Dakota Healing Center name as evidence of her supposed affiliation with the facility.
The deputy reported observing Wolfe in possession of a bag bearing the treatment center's logo. Wolfe reportedly acknowledged that her actions were a "poor decision" and told investigators she should have waited for Gamst to be picked up by an actual treatment facility. Authorities subsequently seized Wolfe's cellphone as evidence.
Jail staff also positively identified Wolfe as the woman who had appeared at the facility that morning claiming to be an employee authorized to transport Gamst to treatment.
Recorded Jail Calls and Messages Allegedly Corroborate the Plan
Following the initial investigation, a detective was assigned to conduct additional investigative work, including reviewing communications between Gamst and Wolfe. According to the complaints, the detective obtained messages exchanged on September 8th through Turnkey, a communications platform used by inmates at the Washington County Jail to make telephone calls and exchange electronic messages with individuals outside the facility.
Investigators also reviewed recorded telephone conversations between Gamst and Wolfe from the same date. The complaints state that the messages and telephone calls corroborated Wolfe's statements about the alleged escape plan. Investigators say the communications showed Gamst directing Wolfe to appear at the jail, impersonate a treatment center employee, and claim she had arrived to transport him to Dakota Healing Center.
The communications also allegedly confirmed that Gamst told Wolfe to explain that she did not have employee identification but could show staff a black bag displaying the treatment facility's name. The criminal complaints do not indicate that Gamst was successfully released from custody as a result of the alleged scheme. They also do not allege that Dakota Healing Center or any of its actual employees participated in the plan.
Gamst Was Being Held on Pending Felony Drug Charges
At the time of the alleged escape attempt, Gamst was being held at the Washington County Jail in connection with two pending fifth-degree controlled substance possession cases. The pending drug charges are significant because Minnesota law establishes different penalties for escape offenses depending on the circumstances of a person's custody, including whether the individual is being held in connection with a felony.
Prosecutors allege Gamst was lawfully in custody on the pending felony drug charges when he and Wolfe conspired to arrange his unauthorized release. Both defendants have been charged under Minnesota Statute 609.485, subdivision 2(1), with references to the state's conspiracy statute, 609.175, subdivision 2, and the applicable escape penalty provision.
Under Minnesota law, a conspiracy charge generally involves an agreement between two or more people to commit a crime, along with an overt act by at least one participant in furtherance of that agreement. A completed escape is not necessarily required for a conspiracy charge.
Prosecutors Request $3,000 Bail or Conditional Release for Wolfe, $5,000 Bail with No Conditions for Gamst
Additional court documents filed in Wolfe's case provide more detail on the conditions prosecutors are seeking as she moves through the criminal justice system. In a bail recommendation filed in Washington County District Court, the Assistant Washington County Attorney recommended setting Wolfe's bail at $3,000 without conditions, or releasing her without posting bail if she complies with specified conditions.
The prosecution's recommended conditions include:
Remaining law-abiding.
Appearing for all required court proceedings.
Having no contact with co-defendant Shandon Gamst.
The bail recommendation specifically identifies Gamst as Wolfe's co-defendant and requests that the court prohibit contact between the two while the criminal case proceeds.
Although the form contains several other potential conditions, including restrictions involving firearms, substance use, and contact with victims or witnesses, those additional conditions were not marked as requested in the provided document. The bail recommendation is a request from the prosecution and does not, by itself, establish what conditions the judge ultimately ordered. The provided records do not establish whether Wolfe has posted bail, been released from custody, or received a final bail determination from the court.
For Gamst, prosecutors originally requested bail at $6,000 without conditions or $1,000 with conditions. The court ultimately set interim conditions at $5,000 without conditions.
Both Defendants Face Up to Five Years in Prison
Wolfe and Gamst are each charged with one felony count of conspiracy to escape from custody while Gamst was being lawfully held in connection with felony charges. If convicted, each could face up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. Although both defendants face the same type of felony charge, their alleged roles in the incident differ.
According to prosecutors, Gamst allegedly developed and communicated instructions for the plan, while Wolfe was the outside participant who allegedly appeared at the jail and tried to carry out those instructions. The prosecution's allegations are supported by Wolfe's reported statements to investigators, jail personnel observations, and communications obtained through the jail's inmate messaging and telephone systems.
The case highlights how investigators used recorded inmate communications and information obtained by correctional staff to identify and investigate the alleged conspiracy before an unauthorized release occurred. The criminal complaints do not indicate whether investigators are considering additional charges or whether they identified other participants in the alleged scheme.
Both Gamst and Wolfe are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Gamst's next court appearance, an omnibus hearing, is set for November 30, 2026, at 1:30 PM. Wolfe’s next court appearance, a first appearance, is set for November 19, 2026, at 8:30 AM.
Written by: Will Wight
