Two St. Paul, Minnesota, men, including one arrested a year ago in Dallas County for allegedly stealing catalytic converters, were arrested Friday morning on U.S. Interstate 80 on theft and meth charges.
Eh Thaw, 20, of 1730 Minnehaha Ave., St. Paul, Minnesota, was charged with second-degree theft, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of burglary tools, first-offense possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, providing false identification information and being a fugitive from justice.
Dei Gay Moo, 21, of 1342 Sixth St., St. Paul, Minnesota, was charged with second-degree theft, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of burglary tools, first-offense possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The incident began about 9:45 a.m. Friday near the 108 mile marker of eastbound U.S. Interstate 80, where an Iowa State Patrol Trooper stopped a 2006 Honda Accord for a equipment violation.
The trooper made contact with the driver, Moo, and the passenger, Thaw, who “was covering his face with his shirt and was not wearing his seat belt properly,” according to court records.
During the course of the traffic stop, the trooper “noted numerous items of interest” that raised in the trooper’s mind a “reasonable articulable suspicion” that Moo and Thaw “were engaged in criminal activity,” according to court records.
A K9 unit was summoned to the scene, and the dog signaled “the odor of narcotics emanating from the suspect vehicle,” according to court records.
A probable-cause search of the vehicle ensued and disclosed “approximately 6.5 grams of methamphetamine in a small baggy, a used, glass meth pipe with residue, power tool chargers, miscellaneous tools and Sawzall blades,” according to court records.
In the trunk were found “six stolen catalytic converters along with a jack, a Sawzall and other miscellaneous tools used to burglarize vehicles,” according to court records.
A loaded Glock .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun was found concealed in the sunroof of the Honda.
Thaw allegedly “would not provide an ID” to the trooper and gave “a fake name and date of birth,” according to court records.
Law enforcement records indicated that Thaw had several active arrest warrants out of Ramsey County and Washington County in Minnesota and Dallas County in Iowa.
Both Moo and Thaw allegedly “admitted to using methamphetamine out of the pipe last night” and records indicated that both Moo and Thaw were “prior convicted felons who are disqualified from possessing firearms.”
Moo is held in the Dallas County Jail on a $15,000 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled for a hearing June 29 in Dallas County District Court.
Thaw is held in the Dallas County Jail on a $50,000 cash-only bond. He is scheduled for a hearing June 25 in Dallas County District Court.
Thaw was arrested in May 2020 in Dallas County on charges of second-degree theft, possession of burglary tools, first-offense possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. A warrant for his arrest was ordered in February after he failed to appear for a hearing in Dallas County District Court.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
