Crime & Safety
St. Paul Cop Charged In 13 Burglaries At Same Cub Foods Grocery Store
A criminal complaint says Tommy Lee Adams used his old loss prevention knowledge to enter a secure office, move cameras and steal items.
BLOOMINGTON, MN — A St. Paul police officer has been charged with burglarizing the same Bloomington Cub Foods 13 times, according to a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court.
Tommy Lee Adams, 41, of St. Paul, is charged with 14 felony counts of third-degree burglary. Prosecutors say 13 of the counts stem from completed burglaries, while the 14th count stems from an attempted burglary.
Each completed third-degree burglary count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both. Adams was issued a summons.
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The charges are connected to repeated incidents at the Cub Foods at 8421 Lyndale Ave. S. in Bloomington between November 2024 and September 2025, according to the complaint.
Adams is currently employed by the Saint Paul Police Department as a police officer, the complaint states. Before that, he worked "on and off for fifteen years" in loss prevention for Cub Foods, according to prosecutors.
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That background is central to the case, prosecutors said.
St. Paul Police placed Adams on paid administrative leave in November 2025, KARE 11 reported.
“I was sad to learn of these actions, but I trust this has been a thorough investigation. Officers, like everyone else, must be accountable for our actions," Chief Axel Henry said in a statement.
"This starts by holding ourselves to the highest standards for our community, for our profession and for this department.”
According to the complaint, Cub Foods loss prevention staff told investigators the person seen on surveillance video appeared to know how to enter through a secure door, access a locked loss prevention office, move store security cameras and exit through a fire door leading to the parking lot.
The suspect was accused of entering the office, moving cameras away from the area where items were being taken, returning with merchandise, bagging it up, moving the cameras back and leaving through the fire door, according to prosecutors.
Loss prevention staff later identified the man as Adams, the complaint states. Prosecutors said staff believed the person in the videos had key access and inside knowledge of the store's camera system and loss prevention office.
Investigators said the same person entered the store through a secure door, went into the loss prevention office, moved cameras, took items and loaded them into a Jeep Cherokee on 13 occasions, from November 2024 through August 2025.
Adams is also accused of unsuccessfully trying to enter the store on Sept. 27, 2025.
The complaint says investigators later determined Adams owned a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Cellphone data also showed his phone was in locations consistent with the Bloomington Cub Foods during all 14 incidents, according to prosecutors.
During searches of Adams' vehicle and home, investigators found reusable grocery bags, foldable totes, Cub Foods baskets, hats, clothing and a key that was later determined to open a Cub Foods human resources and personnel office, the complaint states.
Investigators also reviewed surveillance video from Adams' apartment complex and said it showed him wearing clothing that matched clothing worn by the person seen in Cub Foods surveillance video on the same dates, according to the complaint.
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