Red Wing school board member gets year of probation for shoplifting

A Red Wing School Board member accused of stealing more than $500 worth of merchandise from an area Target has been sentenced to one year of probation.

Rachel Marshall Schoenfelder, 49, was charged in September with gross misdemeanor theft after she was found to have allegedly shoplifted from the store eight times from March to July.

Schoenfelder admitted to the shoplifting — telling investigators she knew it was wrong but did it “because things were becoming more expensive,” according to the criminal complaint.

Court records show Schoenfelder pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of misdemeanor theft on Dec. 19. She was given a stay of adjudication, meaning the charges will ultimately be dismissed if she complies with her probation. Goodhue County District Court Judge Patrick M. Biren also ordered Schoenfelder to pay $546 in fines and restitution.

According to the complaint:

Schoenfelder was caught shoplifting at the Red Wing Target on July 18 after surveillance video showed her going through self-checkout without scanning nearly a dozen items that she had placed in a reusable bag.

The items included books, games and bars of chocolate. Schoenfelder admitted to Target security personnel that she had put the items in the bag with the intention of not paying for them.

Target personnel told police that Schoenfelder was a “known shoplifter” with seven other documented incidents at the store dating back to March 7. During those visits, Schoenfelder also concealed items — including Pokémon cards, Legos and a popcorn maker — in a reusable bag as she went through the checkout line.

Schoenfelder was elected to a four-year term on the Red Wing school board in 2022. She stepped down in her role as board treasurer in October after charges were brought forward. She was formally censured by the board in November.