Suspected Drug Trafficker Found Asleep in Vehicle with Large Methamphetamine Stash; Arrested in South Saint Paul
SOUTH ST PAUL, MINNESOTA - According to court documents released by the Dakota County Attorney’s Office, in the early hours of Tuesday, January 3, 2023, a routine police response at a gas station in South Saint Paul, Dakota County, Minnesota, led to the apprehension of a notorious drug trafficker. Officers from the South Saint Paul Police Department responded to a call regarding a vehicle listed in a KOPS alert. Upon arrival, they encountered the vehicle owner, who directed them to another car in the gas station parking lot where a man was said to be sleeping.
The owner informed officers that a male, whom law enforcement would later identify as Mark Selbitschka, was inside the vehicle and appeared asleep. Approaching the vehicle, officers observed Selbitschka as the sole occupant, seemingly in a state of slumber. Despite attempts to rouse him, Selbitschka struggled to stay awake, exhibiting signs of impairment.
Suspecting Selbitschka to be under the influence of a controlled substance, officers requested him to exit the vehicle for field sobriety testing. However, Selbitschka refused, prompting officers to arrest him. During the arrest, Selbitschka resisted, necessitating officers to restrain him.
Following his arrest, officers searched Selbitschka's person and discovered a substantial amount of money in his pocket, amounting to around $2,578. Further investigation led to the discovery of a backpack in the vehicle containing four large plastic baggies, smaller plastic baggies, and a scale. The larger baggies were found to contain a substance later identified as methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, with a total weight of approximately 1,470.84 grams.
Selbitschka’s car was brought to the local police department, and a search warrant was obtained for a blood sample from Selbitschka. This sample was sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), which revealed the presence of amphetamine and methamphetamine. Additionally, a separate search warrant was acquired by the Dakota County Drug Task Force for Selbitschka’s cellphone data, which implicated him in suspected drug trafficking activities.
Court records show that Selbitschka has over 12 felony convictions since 2012, ranging from drug possession, criminal vehicular operation, receiving stolen property, check forgery, and burglary. The two most recent are for second-degree drug possession on May 1, 2019, and November 24, 2023. He is currently incarcerated with the Minnesota Department of Corrections until January 2029 and faces additional charges related to the recent incident. His first court appearance is set for Tuesday, June 11, 2024. He is considered innocent until proven guilty in terms of his new drug charges.
November 24, 2023 - Drug Incident
According to court records, on November 2023, a detective with the Eden Prairie Police Department spearheaded a drug investigation targeting Mark Anthony Selbitschka, who was suspected of selling methamphetamine from his residence in the 700 Block of 3rd Street East in Saint Paul, Ramsey County. Following a controlled buy and surveillance, a search warrant was executed, revealing a significant quantity of methamphetamine and related paraphernalia in Selbitschka's upstairs bedroom. Other adults who were present during the raid were identified, and all claimed the drugs that were found on their person were for personal use. Selbitschka admitted to owning the substances found in his room, claiming personal use. Presumptive tests confirmed the drugs found were methamphetamine, with weights totaling 198 grams from Selbitschka's room, and 10.7 grams were seized from two other individuals.
mugshotsearch.net - Mugshot from 2019 arrest.
Cover Photo Credit: Cover Photo by Max Fleischmann on Unsplash
Written By: Will Wight
