Longtime Offender Pleads Guilty in Rochester Meth Case

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man with a lengthy criminal history dating back more than 20 years has entered guilty pleas to felony drug charges stemming from a traffic stop earlier this year.

Olmsted County Court records state that a Rochester police officer on patrol initiated a traffic stop on the afternoon of January 13 after the driver of the vehicle went through a stop sign and failed to signal for a turn. The criminal complaint against 52-year-old Mark Anthony Heath says he was driving the vehicle and was displaying signs of impairment.

Heath Found With 25 Grams of Meth, $1,200 in Cash

The court document says that after Heath failed field sobriety tests, a search led to the discovery of more than 25 grams of methamphetamine and $1,200 in cash inside his jacket. The arresting officer reported finding the drugs divided into individual baggies, and a digital scale was also located nearby.

Heath was charged with first-degree drug sales, third-degree drug possession, and misdemeanor DWI. He has now entered guilty pleas to all three charges in exchange for the dismissal of another criminal case.

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That case involved a police chase that occurred in May. Court documents say Heath was spotted speeding on a motorcycle in northeast Olmsted County and was accused of weaving in and out of traffic in no-passing zones in an attempt to elude an Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office corporal. He was charged with a felony count of fleeing police and misdemeanor speeding.

Felony Convictions Date Back Over Two Decades

State court records dating back to 2001 show Heath has multiple felony drug convictions, including a 2005 first-degree drug sale conviction in Fillmore County that resulted in a 158-month prison sentence. He also received a five-year prison sentence in 2011 after being convicted of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in Fillmore County.

Heath is scheduled to be sentenced in December for his convictions stemming from the January Rochester traffic stop . 

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