In the dead of night on April 13, 2023, a duo of thieves took less than five minutes to strong-arm their way into Howard Lake American Legion, wielding a sledgehammer that proved the undoing of a safe and subsequently almost $12,000 in funds earmarked for youth and community programs, as per a detailed report by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
The heart of the community throbbed in anguish over the lost dollars meant for softball, 4-H, band—a buffet of development opportunities for children, irrespective of wealth, all this the vile spoils of what emerged as an audacious and organized crime spree stealing from charitable gambling venues across Minnesota; Howard Lake Police Chief David Thompson, affected both in his duty and his role on the American Legion board, lamented to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, "People play pull tabs knowing that their money supports the community... And then someone came and stole that good-cause money."
As it stands, eight individuals are confronting the weight of racketeering charges post the filing on April 18 in Hennepin County District Court, the accusations encompass a startling 44 felony counts including second-degree and attempted theft and burglary, encapsulating the breadth of an operation that preyed upon charitable gambling locales to the tune of more than $197,000.
The Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement (AGE) division's Special Agent Michael Miller and his cohorts commenced the laborious task of untangling this web of deceit in August 2023, the endeavor spanning 14 painstaking months which culminated in a collaborative coup that drew on resources of over 20 law enforcement agencies and myriad search warrants, all to pinpoint the head of this criminal hydra—50-year-old Arron Scott King Sr. of St. Paul, who helmed the scheme from the confines of his abode, designating burglary targets to his accomplices, which, as Miller shared with the aforementioned Minnesota Department of Public Safety, was cracked thanks to the indispensable networking with crime analysts.
Amidst the scheme's unraveling, Howard Lake's Police Chief Thompson conveyed a deep-seated appreciation for AGE's spearheading which shined a light on what local enforcement, stretched thin in manpower, could hardly tackle, saying in a statement to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, "I don't know that a local law enforcement agency could do that." AGE's resolve serves as a stark reminder of the necessity of stringent security measures, with Miller advising that fully operational security cameras and closely monitored alarm systems can make a world of difference, a thought he shared with the same source.
