Court Grants Rochester Woman Path to Clear Drug Conviction

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester woman is being given an opportunity to clear her criminal record of a felony drug conviction involving thousands of fentanyl pills.

According to Olmsted County Court records, 26-year-old Samantha Jo Pittelko was charged with first-degree drug possession following a drug bust at a residence in the Homestead Village townhome complex in southeast Rochester last year. The criminal complaint says Pittelko lived in the residence, where Rochester police seized more than 2,300 fentanyl pills, 12 grams of a white powder that tested positive for fentanyl, and a large amount of cash. A loaded handgun was also found under a couch cushion.

Plea Deal Reached Before Trial

Just before her trial was scheduled to begin in June, Pittelko entered into a plea agreement and admitted to a third-degree drug possession charge. She has now been granted a stay of adjudication, which means if she abides by the terms of her five-year probationary sentence, the felony conviction will be removed from her criminal record.

The criminal complaint in the case indicates the search warrant that led to the drug seizure was obtained after police conducted surveillance of the residence and documented “consistent short-term traffic” indicative of narcotics sales. The charges also stated that a confidential police informant was able to purchase drugs from a man living in the townhome.

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Co-Defendant Faces Firearm and Drug Charges

The court document identified the man connected to the alleged drug deal with the informant as 30-year-old David Ansell Dorenzo. He was arrested later the same day, and the court document says police found him in possession of a loaded handgun, which he was prohibited from having due to a prior conviction.

He is charged with first-degree drug sales and possession, second-degree drug possession, and illegal possession of a firearm as a person convicted of a crime of violence. His case is still pending, but court records show he was recently sentenced to 15 months in prison for violating probation in a previous felony drug possession case.

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