Major Rochester Meth Dealer Gets 17 Years

Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man has been given a 17-year prison sentence for a major drug bust last year.

30-year-old Steven Lindquist was indicted on federal charges after an investigation by the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team led to the seizure of 55 pounds of methamphetamine in Rochester. The drugs were found hidden in the gas tank of a pickup that was parked outside the home of 24-year-old Tiffany Gauthier in southwest Rochester last May.

The indictment alleged the drugs originated in Mexico and were transported from Arizona to Rochester in the vehicle. At the time, the bust was described as the largest ever seizure of meth in the region.

According to investigators, Lindquist continued selling meth after the seizure and was caught with 600 grams of the drug in Carlton County a few weeks after the Rochester bust. He had earlier been caught with a quantity of meth and $18,000 in cash during a traffic stop that occurred in April in Red Wing.

Lindquist and Gauthier both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute meth and she was earlier sentenced to 5-years in prison.

News Update: Rochester Woman Arrested For DUI - For The 7th Time