Tinted windows lead to multiple felony drug charges

A traffic stop for excessive window tint led to the recovery of more than a half-pound of cocaine, thousands of pills and multiple other drugs — as well as several felony charges against a Rochester resident.
Logan Michael Ziegler, 19, faces two counts of first-degree drug sale, and one count each of fourth-degree drug possession, fifth-degree drug sale, fifth-degree drug possession and fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle.
He remains in custody in lieu of $100,000 conditional bail, and is due back in Dodge County District Court on May 26.
The incident began May 11, when a sheriff’s deputy and a reserve officer who were on patrol in West Concord saw a vehicle with “excessively dark window tint;” additionally, the registered owner of the car did not have a driver’s license on file.
When the deputy followed the vehicle, the driver made a series of turns in an apparent attempt to evade law enforcement; a traffic stop was initiated.
The driver was identified as Ziegler, who the complaint says made “several furtive movements;” the car was described as having a strong odor of marijuana. Officers also noticed plastic baggies and unmarked pill containers in the back seat.
When asked to shut off the vehicle, Ziegler allegedly drove off quickly, eventually pulling into an open garage at a residence on Southview Street.
Ziegler was arrested there; his car was towed to the impound lot and he was taken to the Olmsted County Detention Center.
A search warrant was granted for the vehicle, which court documents say included a Glock 29 10 mm handgun; 13 rounds of 10 mm ammunition; two powder bricks of a substance that field-tested positive for cocaine — totaling more than 10 ounces; more than two ounces of an unknown powder/crystal; and individual baggies that held a total of nearly two more ounces of cocaine.
The document goes on to say additional drugs found in the car included 2,030 Alprazolam pills; 18 amphetamine pills; 13 unidentified pills; 1.5 grams of psilocybin mushrooms; a bottle of codeine; three cell phones and drug paraphernalia such as a digital scale and alcohol wipes.
The inventory continues, the complaint says, with more than 200 marijuana vapes; more than 100 marijuana resin containers; 68 marijuana gummy packets; 12 marijuana cookies, seven marijuana chocolate bars and four full marijuana gummy boxes.
More than $13,000 in cash was found in the center console of the vehicle; the gun was reportedly under the driver’s seat, within Ziegler’s reach.
The most serious charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both.