Woman Facing Arson Charge in Northeast Iowa Convicted on Multiple Theft Charges in Minnesota

A woman facing arson charges in northeast Iowa has been convicted on multiple counts of theft in Minnesota..

On February 13, 2022, a fire at Tin, Rust, & Harmony in downtown Waukon destroyed the structure and heavily damaged an adjacent building. An Iowa State Fire Marshal’s investigation led to a charge of first-degree arson, a Class B felony, against 43-year-old Mindy Jones of Waukon.

According to court documents, it was determined that the blazes were intentionally set and that Jones was allegedly present in her store within minutes of the fires starting. Investigators say she also had a financial motive to destroy the building and the business.

Since a dog died in the fire, Jones is also charged with animal abuse and her trial date is set for February 21st in Allamakee County District Court. 

Before that, on February 12th, Jones is slated to be sentenced in Fillmore County in southeast Minnesota after she was convicted last week on eight counts of felony theft.

Jones, who has resided in several Iowa communities and gone by various names, was charged with 14 theft-related counts involving financial transactions at her former Minnesota business. According to court documents, she allegedly engaged in business transactions knowing she had insufficient funds to cover the payments from 2019 to 2021.

In addition to those convictions, Jones is still facing more financial theft-related charges in Fillmore County.