Meter Maid Charged With Theft

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A long-time public works employees on Tuesday was charged with stealing as much as $34,000 worth of coins he was supposed to be collecting from parking meters over a period of nine months.
 
The theft apparently was uncovered by tellers at City & County CU, where he regularly brought coffee cans full of coins to several branches. Vincent Schettner, 63, was charged with two counts of felony theft.
 
Schettner told one teller he collected coins, according to a search warrant filed with the court. After she saw him on the street emptying meters for his job, she tipped an off-duty police officer working at the credit union. Police interviewed four other tellers, who also were suspicious of the meter collector. None of them saw him make anything but coin transactions.
 
A review of the credit union's records confirmed Schettner made weekly deposits of $1,000 to $1,500 in coins at branches in St. Paul, Lake Elmo and Maplewood. He would usually exchange about $800 to $900 of the quarter and dollar coins for currency.