St. Paul man sentenced in Redwood County court for receiving stolen car, smuggling meth into jail

A St. Paul man, Chou Vang, age 39, has been sentenced in Redwood County Court for separate charges of receiving stolen property, and smuggling drugs into the Redwood County jail.

According to court documents, on Sept. 17, 2022, a Redwood Falls police officer noticed a vehicle on E. Bridge Street, ran a license plate check, and learned the vehicle had been reported stolen. The officer stopped the vehicle on Highway 19 and spoke to the female driver. A male passenger, Vang, was lying in the back seat, and gave the officer a false name and birthdate. Both were arrested for possession of stolen property.

At the Redwood County jail, Vang was fingerprinted and correctly identified. Officers also learned Vang had multiple warrants for his arrest. A search of the vehicle located two jars of marijuana and items of drug paraphernalia. While in jail, officers noted that Vang had a small plastic bag of methamphetamine on his person.

On April 21, Chou Vang was sentenced to a total of 13 months in the correctional facility in St. Cloud, stayed for three years, 217 days local confinement, three years supervised probation, and fines and fees of $485.