Michael Zeug, veteran police chief of Walnut Grove, is being held in the Brown County Jail after his arrest on Friday.
Prosecutors in Redwood County have charged Zeug with prostitution-attempting to hire a minor under 18 — a felony charge that carries with it the possibility of a five-year prison sentence, $10,000 fine, or both.
Zeug, a 1991 Tracy Area High School graduate, was arrested as part of an undercover operation that included a Craigslist ad that offered sexual services in exchange for cash. Zeug allegedly responded to the ad and was later arrested after driving around the home where he was to meet up with a 17-year-old girl in Redwood Falls, according to the criminal complaint.
Zeug, who was one of three men arrested Friday, had a law enforcement radio on him, which gave him the capability to monitor police channels, the complaint said.
Zeug, 45, has been police chief in Walnut Grove for 12 years. His next scheduled court appearance is a Rule 8 hearing at 11 a.m. on July 26, but it is not known in what county that will take place.
The operation included multiple local agencies, including the Lower Sioux Police Department, the Redwood County Sheriff’s Office, the Sleepy Eye Police Department and the Renville County Sheriff’s Office.