Minnesota Police Say Businessman Paid Employees in Methamphetamine

Police in Mankato, Minnesota, have arrested an area business owner for allegedly paying his employees with methamphetamine, instead of money.

According to the Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force, the owner of Clear Choice Auto Body Repair in Mankato decided to hand out a half gram of meth to each employee, instead of bonus money. The task force reported that one of the shop’s employees alerted them to the businessman’s actions.

Officers arrested shop owner Jesse Michael Seifert, 40, and his girlfriend Nancy Jean Loehlein, 39, for possession of the illegal drug. Enforcement agents also found syringes and a digital scale in the couple’s possession after their home was raided.

The three agencies involved–the task force, Mankato Department of Public Safety, and Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office–are continuing the investigation, and more charges against the couple are expected.

The businessman noted on his own Facebook page that he has had run-ins with the law before. In one post, for instance, Seifert talked about an ankle monitor he was required to wear for a past violation.

After the arrest, the local newspaper found one forlorn employee sitting outside the closed shop wondering when he would be able to get his latest paycheck.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.