Murder Plot Foiled, Armed Robbery Suspects Indicted

The following stories first appeared during the past week on Patch sites throughout the South Metro region. To read the full stories, click on the headline links.

Dakota County

Woodward Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Murder Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom

John Stephen Woodward was charged by the Rice County Attorney’s Office after Minnesota Correction Facility—Faribault officials uncovered a plot by Woodward to murder Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom.

Armed Robbery Suspects Indicted in Federal Court

Eric Wade Forcier, 27, of Farmington and Julie Ann Campana, 23, of Apple Valley, were charged in Federal Court.

Apple Valley-Rosemount

Rosemount Man Previously Convicted of Vehicular Homicide Arrested Again for DUI

Police arrested James Geraghty Bouchard on felony DUI charges. Bouchard was convicted in 2006 of causing a crash that killed an Apple Valley man.

Rosemount Man Charged with Imprisoning, Threatening Woman

Police say Jamie Lee Krier kept the victim from leaving his Rosemount home, threatening her with a loaded shotgun and dismantling her cell phone.

Burnsville

Burnsville Woman Ordered to Pay $244K in Restitution to Victims of Swindling

Laura Michelle Schwartz, 37, was given a light jail sentence but a heavy financial penalty for swindling both her former employer and Dakota County.

Burnsville Man Charged with Stalking Ex-Wife

Police say Isaac Kim sent threatening letters to his ex-wife, apparently in an effort to get her to move out of the townhouse that they jointly own.

Eagan

Charges: Eagan Man Pulled Gun on Victim After Bar Confrontation

Hamzeh Daghighian, 52, faces one count of second-degree assault and one count of terroristic threats following the incident.

Eagan Man Charged with Fleeing Police Claims He Was 'Stressed'

Police say Gregory Gordon Anderson led them on a chase through neighborhoods in Bloomington, but told them he fled because of stress.

Inver Grove Heights

Inver Grove Man Accused of Stealing Packages from UPS Facility

Phat Vinh Nguyen, who was employed at the UPS distribution center in Eagan, has been charged with one count of felony mail theft.

IGH Man Charged with Possession of Cocaine

Police say Joseph Scott Welch had a large quantity of cocaine in his pants pocket when he was arrested last weekend.

Lakeville

Dumb Criminal: Passenger 'Forgets' Name, Driver Goes to Jail

Lakeville Police stopped a vehicle for multiple minor traffic violations recently. When the driver borrowed his passenger's ID, the passenger was forced to forget his name to help cover it up.

Mendota Heights

Mendota Heights Police Officer Discovers Stolen Vehicle in South St. Paul

A 19-year-old Minneapolis woman has been charged with felony auto theft following the Nov. 21 traffic stop.

Northfield

Northfield Woman Arrested Again for Heroin Possession

Authorities say they found heroin in Danielle Elizabeth Bergson's car when they made a routine traffic stop in October.

Man Facing Felony Drug Charges Appears in Court

Authorities say Todd Alan Berhow of Elk River had marijuana, Adderall and methamphetamine in his car when a sheriff's deputy spotted him asleep in the Flying J parking lot in August.

Shakopee

Police: Shakopee Teens Seen Burglarizing Home

A witness confronted the boys as they left the home carrying a television.