Second Person Charged in Rochester Meth Bust Prompted by Grease Fire

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Rochester man charged earlier this year in connection with a drug bust prompted by a grease fire last year made his first appearance in Olmsted County Court Tuesday morning. 

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Rochester Firefighters responded to an apartment fire started by grease from mozzarella sticks last September then called police to the scene after reporting a woman seen flushing a white powder down the toilet was refusing to leave the apartment unit.

The woman, identified as 32-year-old Elizabeth Raimann, was arrested after an officer found her in the apartment complex’s parking lot holding a glass plate with a substance on it that later tested positive for 4.3 grams of meth, according to the criminal complaint. 

Police then obtained a search warrant for the apartment and discovered 92.7 grams of meth, $8,155 in cash, a rifle and a partially full box of ammunition, court documents say. Raimann has since been charged with felony drug and weapons counts.  

Police learned through evidence gathering and prior interactions that Raimann shared the apartment with her boyfriend, identified as 32-year-old Xavier Lee Heeder. Investigators learned that Heeder fled the apartment on foot prior to officers arrival, the complaint states. 

Raimann told police she and Heeder were holding the meth for a friend. Heeder was arraigned on felony charges of first-degree drug sales, first-degree drug possession and ineligible possession of a firearm Tuesday morning. 

Court records indicate Heeder was convicted of second degree assault in Blue Earth County in 2015, a crime that prohibits him from possessing a firearm. He was released without bail but with conditions. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 21.