Mazeppa man seeks investigation of public officials

March 21--MAZEPPA -- A Mazeppa man wants an investigation into alleged misconduct by public officials in Mazeppa, Wabasha County and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, alleging they have failed to investigate what he says is wrongdoing by city and county officials.

Steve Peplinski, 51, contends there have been cover-ups of wrongdoing in Mazeppa by Wabasha County Sheriff Rodney Bartsh and County Attorney Jim Nordstrom. He has sought help from state and federal agencies, but he said they have declined to take action.

Peplinski, who said he's a former insurance fraud investigator and owns a trucking company, also complains that the Wabasha County Board won't pursue the matters. "I can't get anybody to listen to me," he said.

One allegation has to do with what he calls a cover-up of a drunken driving offense by a prominent Mazeppa business leader. Another has to do with an animal abuse claim that he said also wasn't pursued.

Nordstrom said in an interview that Peplinski has filed complaints with several agencies, but "everything he has alleged was thoroughly investigated and was found to be totally unsupported by facts. There is no cover-up going on here, never has been."

Bartsh said his office has about 100 documented calls or contacts with Peplinski. He said it all started with Peplinski getting into a zoning problem with the city of Mazeppa. The sheriff's office got involved because it handles policing in Mazeppa.

Peplinski, who has lived in the Rochester and Mazeppa areas for about 10 years, said he went to Mazeppa city hall to see if he needed a permit to remodel a building and was told no. But the city council later "chewed my butt because you need a building permit," he said. He had to pay for a permit and was fined, he said. From there, "it kind of escalated," he said, and went on to involve other issues.

On that, the sheriff agrees with Peplinski. "This thing just snowballed and started rolling down the hill faster than anything I have ever seen," Bartsh said. "We could do anything he asks, and it won't be good enough."

Bartsh said he stopped a conversation between Peplinski and a deputy on one occasion because his office has given him too much time already.

"There is no fix for this in what he wants," he said.

Bartsh also noted that from 2011 to 2013, Peplinski had at least eight restraining orders filed against him in Wabasha County District Court, including one by a public official.

Peplinski said he has informed the Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust, which helps insure Wabasha County, that he will file a claim against the trust if they don't take action against the county. "If the county isn't going to follow the laws of he state of Minnesota ... I will file a claim," he said. "It's not a money issue; it's a right or wrong issue."

Twin Cities attorney Scott Anderson, representing the Intergovernmental Trust, confirmed that he has been asked to look into the claim but said "the fact that we look into something doesn't mean there was any wrongdoing."

Peplinski also has filed a claim of employee misconduct by Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Wade Setter, Assistant Superintendent Drew Evans, Special Agent in Charge Jeff Hanson and Director of Communications Bruce Gordon. He alleges that some of the top BCA agents "refused to meet with me to collect evidence." He also alleges that Gordon gave false information to the media about a meeting Peplinski had with a BCA agent.

"The Internal Affairs Division of the Department of Public Safety is investigating allegations made by Mr. Peplinski against DPS employees," Gordon told the Post-Bulletin in an email. "The Internal Affairs Division investigates approximately 50 cases annually."

Wabasha County Commissioner Deb Roschen, who represents the Mazeppa area, said she has tried to help Peplinski but others on the board haven't gone along.

"I am not sure what else I can do to represent him," she said. "I do not have the authority as one commissioner to do anything. It takes a voting majority and I don't sense from the board majority that they are interested in helping this man."

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