Published: November 6th, 2026.
SOUTH SAINT PAUL, MN - A 38-year-old man faces two felony charges in Dakota County after allegedly operating a stolen moped in South St. Paul and admitting to police that he suspected it was stolen.
Scott Lee Schmitz has been charged with felony receiving stolen property and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance following an incident on November 4, 2026.
According to the criminal complaint, a South St. Paul police officer received a notification about a stolen vehicle traveling northbound on Concord Street. The officer searched the area, located the vehicle, identified as a moped, and conducted a traffic stop.
The driver was identified as Schmitz. During the stop, the officer observed that the moped did not have a key and that its ignition had been punched, according to the complaint.
Schmitz was arrested and transported to the South St. Paul Police Department. During a search incident to his arrest, an officer allegedly discovered a baggie containing a crystalline substance suspected to be an illegal drug.
The Dakota County Drug Task Force subsequently weighed and conducted a preliminary field test on the substance, which indicated it was approximately 0.49 grams of methamphetamine.
According to the complaint, Schmitz told investigators after being advised of his Miranda rights that he had traded his bicycle for the moped but acknowledged that "it seemed like it was stolen."
Schmitz allegedly admitted noticing the damaged ignition but continued operating the moped despite believing it was stolen. He reportedly explained that he continued using it because "other people were driving it."
Court records cited in the complaint indicate that Schmitz was previously convicted of fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance on November 11, 2025.
Schmitz now faces one felony count of receiving stolen property involving a motor vehicle under Minnesota Statute 609.53 and one felony count of fifth-degree controlled substance possession under Minnesota Statute 152.025.
Each charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. These are statutory maximum penalties, not necessarily the sentences that would be imposed if Schmitz is convicted.
The allegations are based on the criminal complaint filed in Dakota County District Court. Schmitz is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.