Burnsville Man Charged with Stealing Dryer Coin Boxes

A Burnsville man has been charged with burglary and damage to property after authorities say he broke into an Eagan apartment complex to steal coin boxes from dryers.

Steven Dean Stoltz, 48, is charged with a felony count of third-degree burglary and a felony count of first-degree criminal damage to property, each of which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Stoltz remains in the Dakota County Jail on a $5,000 bond. An omnibus hearing in his case is scheduled for Aug. 8 in Dakota County District Court in Hastings.

According to the criminal complaint, the manager of Glen Pond Apartments in the 1300 block of High Site Drive called police on June 27 to report that someone had stolen the coin boxes off of six commercial dryers.

Police found that the tops had been pulled off the dryers, and the wires cut. The apartment manager provided surveillance video that showed two men removing the tops of the dryers from the complex.

Eagan police sent out a law enforcement alert through the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s crime alert systems. Detectives in Coon Rapids and Pine County identified one of the men as Stoltz; the second man was identified by Eden Prairie authorities, but has not been charged in the case.

The burglary netted about $500 worth of coins, and damage to the dryers was estimated at more than $1,000, according to the complaint.

Stoltz’s criminal record in Minnesota includes five previous convictions for theft, one conviction for receiving stolen goods, one for attempted theft, two for burglary and four convictions for possession of burglary tools.