Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A guilty plea was recently entered by a man who was accused of a "smash and grab" burglary at a jewelry store in Rochester.

According to court records, 29-year-old Garrett Dorsher was arrested in April of last year by Rochester police after he allegedly attempted to pawn some of the jewelry that had been stolen from the business in the early morning hours of April 14, 2024. He was charged with felony counts of second-degree burglary, theft, and damage to property.

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The criminal complaint states that Rochester Police responded to the jewelry store around 1:45 in the morning to investigate a potential break-in and discovered the front doors were broken and a jewelry case had been smashed. The court document says blood was found on the broken case and numerous bracelets and earrings were found on the ground outside the business, suggesting the thief had dropped some of the merchandise while leaving.

Police Found the Doors to the Business Broken and a Jewelry Case Smashed With Blood on it.

The charges say the store manager confirmed the jewelry found outside the business had come from the store and valued it at more than $8000. The criminal complaint says the value of the jewelry found in Dorsher's possession at the time of his arrest totaled about $2600, while the damage to the business was estimated at around $3200.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Dorsher admitted to a third-degree burglary charge in exchange for the dismissal of the other charges.

He also faced a felony financial fraud charge connected to an incident that occurred during the afternoon of the same day that police responded to the burglary. The criminal complaint alleged that Dorsher stole a woman's wallet and credit cards and used them to make more than $700 in purchases at a southeast Rochester business. That charge was also dismissed as part of the plea deal.

Dorsher is scheduled to be sentenced for the burglary conviction next month. He is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for his conviction on a charge of illegal possession of a firearm and/or ammunition in St. Louis County. Court records indicate he was originally sentenced to probation in that case, but was ordered to serve what had been a stayed prison sentence following his arrest in Rochester.

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