Tafari Densel Mitchell

On January 27, 2026, an adult male, “Victim” herein, contact the Eden Prairie Police Department to report fraudulent activity on his Best Buy account that occurred on January 18, 2026, at the Eden Prairie Best Buy location. The total fraudulent transaction was $1,738.54. Victim [NAME REDACTED] was unauthorized. Victim [NAME REDACTED] had been contacted by the Middlebury, Indiana Police Department and was informed that during an arrest on January 19, 2026, a Texas driver’s license with Victim’s information was located.

The Texas driver’s license was identified as fraudulent, as it bore the photograph of the arrestee, TAFARI DENSEL MITCHELL, [DOB REDACTED], “Defendant” herein. Eden Prairie Police opened an investigation and learned that during the Middlebury, Indiana arrest, officers seized nearly $20,000 in Best Buy merchandise and 68 forged driver’s licenses. Defendant appears to be a resident of Missouri, but involved in an organized retail crime scheme. Middlebury officers arrested Defendant while he was driving a U-Haul truck, bearing an Arizona license plate.

Officers reviewed surveillance footage from the Eden Prairie Best Buy and the person who used Victim’s Best Buy account on January 18, 2026, improperly authorizing the $1,738.54 transaction is Defendant. In the surveillance footage he is wearing the same camouflage jacket that he is wearing during his arrest on January 19, 2026. Transaction notes that the Victim’s Best Buy account was used via lookup, that the fraudulent Texas identification was used to verify the identity, and that Defendant did not actually present the physical Best Buy card.

The State respectfully requests a warrant issue in this case. Defendant was in possession of a significant number of fraudulent identifications, appears to not be a resident of Minnesota, and has an active nationwide warrant out of Elkhart County, Indiana.