Zumbrota Woman Accused of Felony Drug Sales, DWI

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A driving complaint over the Thanksgiving weekend has led to felony drug sales charges against a Zumbrota woman. 

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The Olmsted County Attorney’s Office charged 40-year-old Tanya Veal with felony first degree drug sales, felony second-degree drug possession and misdemeanor DWI Monday. An Olmsted County judge set her conditional bail at $50,000. 

The criminal complaint says the State Patrol responded to a driving complaint in the area of Hwy. 52 and 85th St. in rural north Rochester on November 25. The trooper noticed a vehicle driven by Veal weaving in and out of its traffic lane. 

Once the vehicle was stopped, the trooper asked Veal to exit the vehicle and another trooper who responded to the stop noticed a purse in the passenger seat that contained a clear plastic baggy with many small zip lock baggies in a bundle inside the open purse, which the charges say indicates drug sales. 

The complaint also says Veal was displaying signs of drug impairment. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 28 grams of a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. The charges say an additional 1.8 grams of suspected meth fell from Veal’s clothing while she was being booked into the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center. 

A further search of Veal’s purse led to the discovery of a digital scale, and a smoking pipe with white and brown residue. While speaking with Troopers, Veal admitted to purchasing the meth on the day of the traffic stop and said it was for her own personal use. 

The charges say a PBT test conducted at the site of the traffic stop did not detect the presence of alcohol, which led troopers to obtain a sample of Veal’s blood that has been sent to the BCA for further testing. 

Court records indicate Veal was convicted of felony drug possession in Olmsted County in 2020. Her next court appearance is set for December 7.