The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

May 21, 2008

Sting leads to meth bust

A methamphetamine sting led to the arrest of two people last week, including a woman who was hospitalized for two days after allegedly swallowing a “substance” when investigators confronted her.

Angela Nicole Bluhm, 21, of Janesville and Christopher Robert Schmidt, 26, of Kasota have both been charged with two counts of first-degree drug sales. They were arrested May 14 after allegedly agreeing to sell an informant a half ounce of methamphetamine for $1,100.

Schmidt also has been charged with felony theft after investigators searched his house and found a stolen television, which had been taken from the Lake Washington home of a man who had died, and stolen speakers, another criminal complaint said. The speakers had been stolen from a bar in Mankato.

With assistance from the Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force, a deputy in Le Sueur County had an informant arrange to buy methamphetamine from Schmidt.

The drug task force then set up video and audio surveillance in a room in the Riverfront Inn on Riverfront Drive in Mankato.

Schmidt and Bluhm arrived at the motel later and were videotaped while the informant laid the marked cash out for them to count.

Bluhm also was seen lighting what appeared to be a methamphetamine pipe in the room, the complaint said.

After taking the money, Schmidt and Bluhm allegedly said they would deliver the methamphetamine later At 9:20 p.m., Schmidt called and told the informant to meet him at the Holiday Inn downtown, then called again a short time later and said the methamphetamine had been dropped off at an old gas station near the Riverfront Inn.

Drug task force investigators realized Schmidt was waiting at the former Ember’s restaurant building downtown and went to that location to arrest him. He was taken into custody after a short chase that ended between the restaurant and Blue Earth County Library.

About 10 grams of methamphetamine, which is about 4 grams short of a half ounce, was found in the investigators’ car after Schmidt’s arrest. Schmidt allegedly admitted to dropping the drugs and kicking them under the seat after he was placed in the back of the car.

Bluhm was arrested after she was seen in a car that was driving through the Riverfront Inn parking lot. When officers confronted her, she allegedly swallowed a substance and wouldn’t spit it out. She was taken to the hospital, where she remained for two days, the complaint said.

The woman who was driving the car Bluhm was in told investigators they were looking for Schmidt.

After his arrest, Schmidt was questioned about the stolen television and speakers. He told a Mankato detective an owner of The Underground bar had given him permission to take the speakers. Schmidt said he was doing construction work in the bar and the owner told him the four speakers were blown, so he repaired them.

The bar owner told the detective he hadn’t given Schmidt permission to take the speakers.

The detective also reported all but one of the four speakers had its original parts.

Schmidt allegedly admitted to taking the television from the Lake Washington home after the owner died.

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