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Elizabeth Baier
St. Paul, Minn.

Brother of Minneapolis police chief faces drug charges

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The Ramsey County attorney's office has charged Paul J. Dolan, 53, the brother of Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan, with two felonies for possession and sale of drugs.

Dolan, who lives in Minneapolis and works as a U.S. Postal Service carrier, was charged with possession of methamphetamine and sale of marijuana.

After receiving a tip from a confidential informant, postal inspectors placed an undercover surveillance camera in Dolan's postal vehicle, and observed him smoking from a glass pipe and selling drugs along his postal route.

According to a criminal complaint, officials stopped Dolan on July 28 in St. Paul, while he was in his postal vehicle. When officers approached him, he "spontaneously stated that there was methamphetamine and marijuana in the vehicle," which police later found.

Dolan then gave police consent to search his Minneapolis home. There, officers found what they described as a "marijuana grow operation in the basement of the home, backyard and garage," according to the complaint.

In all, police found 130 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, ballast lights, timers and other marijuana growing items, as well as drug paraphernalia, the complaint said.

Dolan admitted smoking methamphetamine but denied selling drugs while working. He also told police he planned to quit smoking meth.

The Ramsey County Attorney's Office is handling the case, even though the search of Dolan's home happened in Hennepin County, because of Tim Dolan's role as Minneapolis police chief.

Chief Dolan declined to comment on the charges against his brother, according to Minneapolis police spokesman Sgt. Bill Palmer.

If convicted, Paul Dolan faces five years in prison or a $10,000 fine, or both. His first court appearance is on Sept. 14.