Dodge County Man Sentenced For Tearing Up Rochester Golf Course

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A man identified by authorities last December as the suspect for a large portion of the catalytic converter thefts that occurred in the Rochester area last fall has been sentenced for a crime connected to one of the theft cases.

37-year-old Shawn Clement has been ordered to serve two years on probation and to pay $2500 in restitution for the damage he inflicted on a local golf course. He earlier entered a guilty plea to a gross misdemeanor count of damage to property in the case.

He was accused of driving a pickup through Oak Summit Golf Course near the Rochester Airport on November 28th. While investigating the damage, Olmsted County Sheriff's Office deputies discovered several pieces of paper along the vehicle's path of destruction along with parts from a gray Ford F-150 pickup. Two of the papers were receipts from a local tire business that listed Clement's name and identified the vehicle that was serviced as a 2008 Ford F-150.

That led to the issuance of a search warrant for Clement's property in West Concord where investigators located the pickup along with numerous catalytic converters and tools believed to be from a burglary in Stewartville. One of the catalytic converters had a part number that was a direct match for one of the five vehicles that had catalytic converters stolen from them while parked at a business adjacent to the golf course.

He still faces felony charges for his alleged involvement in the converter thefts at the business. Following his arrest in November, Olmsted County Sheriff's Office announced the charges were the result of an intensive investigation that uncovered evidence linking Clement to dozens of catalytic converter thefts in southeastern Minnesota, Iowa, and the Twin Cities area.