Moriarty gives ‘diversion’ to Walz admin staffer but charges teen with felony for lesser property damage

The alleged double standard was too much for concerned citizen Jon Shanahan of Brooklyn Park, who filed a complaint this week with the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility.

By
Jenna Gloeb
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Mary Moriarty, Dylan Adams

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty is caught in yet another controversy—this time for letting a state employee off the hook after he was caught on video vandalizing Teslas in Minneapolis, racking up over $21,000 in damage.

Dylan Adams, 33, a fiscal policy analyst for the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), won’t face a single charge.

Instead, Moriarty’s office handed him a free pass in the form of a diversion program—something her own office guidelines say shouldn’t apply to cases with more than $5,000 in property damage. Adams caused more than four times that.

Diversion defended as normal

Moriarty has defended her decision in statements to the media and during a press conference Wednesday, calling diversion normal for first-time property offenders. Her office also said the decision was made so Adams could keep his job at DHS and afford the restitution he owes the victims.

Meanwhile, Moriarty didn’t hesitate to throw the book at a 19-year-old Robbinsdale woman with no criminal record, the Star Tribune first reported. She’s now facing felony charges for allegedly keying a coworker’s car, causing $7,000 in damage—a third of what Adams did. She was charged on Monday.

Complaint filed over ‘inconsistencies’

The alleged double standard was too much for concerned citizen Jon Shanahan of Brooklyn Park, who filed a complaint this week with the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility.

“This inconsistent approach raises serious concerns regarding equal treatment under the law, potential selective prosecution, and the ethical duty of prosecutors to ensure fairness and justice,” said Shanahan in his complaint.

“Politics should never play a role in prosecution decisions,” Shanahan said. “But this case raises serious doubts.”

He’s asking the board to investigate whether Moriarty violated Rule 3.8 of the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct.

Minneapolis police express frustration with Moriarty

The Minneapolis Police Department didn’t hold back in expressing frustration over Moriarty’s handling of the case.

“Any frustration related to the charging decision of the Hennepin County Attorney should be directed solely at her office,” Chief O’Hara said Monday night in a statement about Moriarty. “Our investigators are always frustrated when the cases they poured their hearts into are declined. In my experience, the victims in these cases often feel the same.”

Public backlash grows on social media

This isn’t the first time Moriarty’s charging decisions have sparked public backlash, and now she’s facing intense criticism across social media, especially on X.

Social media posts suggest Adams is a supporter of the DFL, and as Crime Watch Minneapolis reported, his on-camera vandalism spree began after Gov. Tim Walz made headlines for saying watching Tesla stock drop gave him “a little boost during the day,” even though the state holds investments in Tesla.

Alpha News reached out to Moriarty’s office for comment but did not receive a response.

 

Jenna Gloeb
Website

Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.

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