On January 6, 2026, Maplewood Officer Green responded to Maplewood Toyota, 2873 Highway 61, Maplewood, County of Ramsey, on a theft/fraud. Staff KE reported on December 30, 2025, a male who identified self with a yellow temporary driver’s license as RYAN THOMAS BARBER, [DOB REDACTED]- arrived at the business in an Uber. BARBER wanted to purchase a recent trade-in 2016 Chevrolet Silverado. BARBER pulled out a folded single check form his wallet and completed it in front of her. She told BARBER that because the truck was a recent trade-in, they would replace the tires, brake pads, and cracked windshield.
BARBER drove the truck off of the lot that day. BARBER returned to the business on January 5, 2026, dropped of the Chevrolet Silverado for the repairs, and was given a rental car-a 2025 Toyota Corolla. On the morning of January 6, 2026, KE was notified by Wells Fargo that the check written by BARBER was fraudulent and not processed. KE said the rental vehicle they provided to BARBER had GPS tracking and was showing in Plymouth, Minnesota. The check written by BARBER is check number 6903, in the amount of $26, 135.24. BARBER wrote the number B616-755-792-526 on the check as his driver’s license number and telephone number 612-790- 9247. The bank listed on the check, Community Federal Bank, [ADDRESS REDACTED] C West, does not exist.
St. Paul-written on the check-used a comma instead of a period. In the address, the N in MN is lowercase. The font/size of the check number 6903 is disproportional to the other font on the check. Wells Fargo advised the account linked to the check never existed. A check on this driver’s license in Wisconsin and Minnesota did not yield results. Staff at Maplewood Toyota were able to track the Toyota Corolla to [ADDRESS REDACTED] North, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. This address is the listed address for BARBER in DVS. It is also the address he gave Maplewood Toyota when he signed the contract to purchase the Chevrolet Silverado.
The address on Neddersen Parkway is a group home. Maplewood Officers responded to the residence. The Toyota Corolla was found in the driveway of the residence. Officers made contact with staff at the door of the residence. Staff confirmed BARBER was in his room. Officers went to BARBER’s room and took him into custody. BARBER said he could provide information to “help himself” against these charges. BARBER was searched. A folded fraudulent check was found in BARBER’s wallet, check #6902, with similar errors as the check written to Maplewood Toyota.
After a Miranda advisory, BARBER spoke with an investigator. BARBER requested to work with officers to “help himself.” BARBER said he went to Maplewood Toyota to purchase a vehicle because he was told to do so by a person he knows. BARBER hesitated when providing a name for the person and then said “Nicholas Trenell.” BARBER said that “Nicholas Trenell” had done this to Toyota before and it would be easy. “Nicholas Trenell” gave him instructions on how to apply for the vehicle and purchase it, and printed the check with his name on it. “Nicholas Trenell” also told him the account would go negative for a few days, but then return to normal.
