2 arrested in Mankato, over 4 pounds of meth seized

Two people were arrested and more than 4 1/2 pounds of methamphetamine was seized from an apartment in Mankato.

The Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office said agents with the Cannon River Drug and Violent Offender Task Force, the MN River Valley Drug Task Force and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension executed the search warrant at an apartment on Hilltop Lane on July 8.

According to the sheriff’s office, authorities had been conducting a narcotics investigation into the apartment’s tenants for a month.

Upon executing the warrant, authorities found 25-year-old Jacqueline Rodriguez and 39-year-old Jason Scheff. Their infant child was also at the apartment.

Agents also located a large number of narcotics and evidence indicating sales inside the apartment. Rodriguez was believed to be involved in selling and transporting large amounts of meth, the sheriff’s office said.

In total, 4.52 pounds of meth was seized, and additional smaller baggies of cocaine were also located along with several digital scales. A total of 24.27 grams of cocaine was seized along with $3,100 in cash.

The sheriff’s office said the street value of the drugs seized is about $200,000.

Rodriguez and Scheff were arrested for multiple felonies, including first-degree possession and sales of a controlled substance. Authorities said both Rodriguez and Scheff have prior convictions for possession and sale of controlled substances.

"The seizure of 4.5 pounds was significant for our area," said CRDVOTF Commander Paul LaRoche. "We are pleased to prevent an upper-level dealer from distributing the drugs to others in this area. We were also able to intervene an unsafe environment for the infant involved."