Government Center Olmsted County Jail
photo by Andy Brownell/Townsquare Media
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Rochester, MN  (KROC AM News) - Three men are facing charges in an unusual drug-related case in Rochester.

They are accused of robbing a Rochester police informant.

The first incident happened Jan. 5th when the informant lined up a meeting with a man to buy drugs. The man told the informant to go to a hotel room. A short while later, two men entered the room. One was 38-year-old Richard Patten of Rochester, who pulled out a gun and demanded the $650 the informant had been given by police to buy the drugs. The other man- 50-year-old Larry Schaaf of Faribault - pulled out a knife. Patten also made the informant smoke some methamphetamine, apparently as a test to see if the person was working with police.

Three weeks later, the same informant had lined up an undercover buy with another suspected dealer, identified as 36-year-old Daniel Schmitz of Faribault. During their meeting, Patten showed up again and pointed a gun at the informant. He took the $800 the informant had been given. Officers working with the informant recognized Patten’s voice and became concerned about the informant’s safety but the person wasn’t harmed.

Richard Patten/Olmsted County ADC
Richard Patten/Olmsted County ADC
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The three men were arraigned Wednesday. Patten’s bail was set at $500,000. Bail for the other suspects was set at $100,000.

 

Larry Schaaf /Olmsted County ADC
Larry Schaaf /Olmsted County ADC
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Daniel Schmitz/Olmsted County ADC
Daniel Schmitz/Olmsted County ADC
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