St. Paul man charged after nearly $1,600 in alleged fraudulent credit card purchases following theft from Good Samaritan
Published: June 24th, 2026
WEST SAINT PAUL MN:
A St. Paul man is facing a felony charge after prosecutors allege he used a stolen company credit card to make nearly $1,600 in unauthorized purchases after the card was allegedly stolen from a Good Samaritan who had stopped to help a motorist whose vehicle was stuck in a snowbank.
Justin Timothy Pfaff, 33, has been charged in Dakota County District Court with one count of felony financial transaction card fraud (use without consent). The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 if convicted.
According to the criminal complaint, the investigation began in February 2026 after the West St. Paul Police Department was notified that a stolen credit card had been used to make five unauthorized purchases at a hardware store on Robert Street.
Investigators learned the card belonged to a company employee whose backpack, containing his wallet, was allegedly stolen from his vehicle on Dec. 29, 2025. According to the complaint, the employee had pulled over to assist another motorist whose vehicle had become stuck in a snowbank when someone stole the backpack from his vehicle. The wallet contained several company-issued credit cards belonging to the employee's company.
According to the complaint, neither the employee nor the company authorized the transactions, which occurred on Jan. 28 and Jan. 30, 2026. Prosecutors allege the purchases totaled $1,586.92 and included merchandise as well as several gift cards.
The complaint lists the alleged unauthorized transactions as:
$33.29 for merchandise.
$415.90 for merchandise and two gift cards.
$6.17 for merchandise.
$569.66 for merchandise and two gift cards.
$651.90 for merchandise and three gift cards.
Asset protection employees at the hardware store reportedly provided surveillance footage showing the suspect making the purchases. According to the complaint, investigators compared the footage with a recent booking photograph of Pfaff and positively identified him as the individual completing the unauthorized transactions.
Investigators also attempted to contact Pfaff for a statement but were unable to locate him, according to the complaint.
The allegations against Pfaff are contained in a criminal complaint. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.