Convicted Thieves Charged in Massive Theft from Rochester Store

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- Two men with a history of theft convictions are facing new charges in connection to the theft of thousands of dollars in items from a Rochester store. 

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Olmsted County prosecutors filed felony theft charges against 32-year-old Tyler Lentz of Eyota and 48-year-old Garrick Sneed of Rochester Wednesday. The criminal complaint accuses the men of stealing over $2,000 in merchandise from a store in northwest Rochester on June 19. 

Store surveillance footage captured Lentz and Sneed leaving the store with stolen merchandise. Sneed was seen carrying items out through a side exit door and Lentz was spotted pushing a cart full of unpaid items out of the store, according to the complaint. 

Store employees were able to obtain a description of the vehicle that investigators later learned had stolen plates. Roughly two hours after the reported theft, the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office received a report of two men, later identified as Sneed and Lentz, seen loading power tools into a vehicle at an Eyota residence. 

Responding deputies recovered power tools, security cameras, and other items worth a combined $2,065.29 from the trunk of a vehicle at the Eyota residence, according to court documents. Sneed denied stealing items while talking with deputies. 

Court records indicate Sneed has theft convictions that go back as far as 1992. He was charged in Olmsted County Court last month in connection to a stolen vehicle case. 

Lentz has five prior theft-related convictions in Olmsted and Winona Counties, with the most recent conviction occurring in 2020. Both men are in custody at the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center.