In October of 2025, the Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force (MRVDTF) was investigating Denise Pehrson and Hebert Retting III for allegedly distributing large amounts of methamphetamine. On November 4, 2025, MRVDTF agents conducted surveillance where they observed a drug transaction between Pehrson and Retting at the Kwik Trip in St. Peter, Minnesota. This event was consistent with information obtained from a confidential informant that Retting would transport approximately eight ounces of methamphetamine to Pehrson two or three times a week.
On November 24, 2025, Retting's vehicle was stopped by the Nicollet County Sheriff's Office. $1,300.00, along with a ledger containing drug notes, was seized which was also consistent with what the informant said was the purchase price for eight grams of methamphetamine when Retting and Pehrson made their exchanges. MRVDTF subsequently executed a search warrant on Pehrson's residence located at XXX South Webster Street in Kasota, Minnesota. In part, 101.6 grams of alleged methamphetamine was siezed.
MRVDTF agents also obtained a search warrant for Retting's confirmed residence at [ADDRESS REDACTED], in the City of Chaska, County of Carver. Notably, Renea Jean Lutgen, hereafter referred to as the Defendant, is the spouse of Herbert Retting and also resides at [ADDRESS REDACTED]. On November 24, 2025, MRVDTF agents, along with Chaska Police officers executed the search warrant for [ADDRESS REDACTED]. The following items were seized from the northeast bedroom with most items in plain view. It appeared to agents that this bedroom was used for packaging marijuana. 1) Eighteen glass jars containing suspected THC wax and weighing 2146.9 grams. 2) Multiple bags containing alleged marijuana and weighing 4,193.7 grams. 3) Another set of multiple bags containing alleged marijuana and weighing 4, 547.8 grams 4) Digital scale and food saver sealer Retting's and the Defendant's bedroom is located upstairs in the northwest corner of the residence and the following items were seized. 1) A brown zippered bag containing increments of $1,000.00 or $5,000.00 bound with rubber bands and totaling $42, 885.00. This brown zippered bag was located underneath the bed on the north side of the bedroom. 3 2) Three prescription bottles respectively said to contain hydrochloride bitartrate, oxycodone, and hydroclarrol (at the time this complaint was prepared, the actual prescriptions are currently unknown and therefore not presently charged). Agents recovered numerous bags of marijuana and paraphernalia from the living room and kitchen at the Bennett Street address.
Purported drug notes were found on the center island in the kitchen. Near the service door leading to the garage, agents located a backpack containing white powder that field tested positive for methamphetamine and weighing 345.1 grams. This backpack was also in plain view. In the hall closet on the main floor, agents seized three large cases of Boutique Switch THC cartridges. These cartridges contained approximately 390 grams of THC and at a higher concentration that allowed by state law. The Defendant was present at the time the search warrant was executed.
