Thief River Falls Woman Sentenced in $29K Theft

THIEF RIVER FALLS (trfnews.i234.me) — Tina Marie Kulvik, 48, was sentenced Monday, June 22, in Pennington County District Court.

Kulvik was sentenced for felony theft involving more than $5,000. A second felony theft charge was dismissed.

Jail, Probation, and Restitution Ordered

The court granted Kulvik a four-year stay of imposition. She must serve 60 days in jail, with credit for time served.

Kulvik will also serve four years of supervised probation. She must complete a mental health diagnostic assessment.

The sentence bars her from possessing firearms, ammunition, or explosives during probation. She must also provide a DNA sample.

Kulvik was ordered to pay $135 in fees and fines. She must also pay $29,880 in restitution.

The case began with a January 31, 2025, theft report at Northdale Petro Pumper. The business is located in Thief River Falls.

Records showed differences between ATM entries and checks used to obtain cash. The checks funded cash deposits into the store’s ATM.

Kulvik worked as the assistant manager during the reported thefts. She sometimes collected bank cash and entered ATM deposit amounts.

Another employee also filled the machine. Investigators said those deposits matched the related bank withdrawals.

The sentence covered more than $26,000 taken between July 24, 2024, and January 24, 2025.

The dismissed charge involved about $3,300 between February 5, 2024, and July 23, 2024.

Investigators reviewed bank records, ATM summaries, and surveillance video from the business and bank.

They alleged Kulvik sometimes withdrew cash using a company check. She then placed a smaller amount inside the ATM.

The video also showed incidents involving cash placed inside her sleeve, according to the criminal complaint.

On October 18, 2024, $10,000 was withdrawn from the ATM. Kulvik allegedly recorded a deposit of only $4,960.

A second incident occurred on October 25, 2024. Investigators questioned whether the recorded ATM amount was actually deposited.

Authorities interviewed Kulvik at her home on March 12, 2025.

Kulvik admitted taking $1,000 on one day and $500 on another day, according to investigators.

She denied stealing the full amount identified during the investigation. She also said she could not explain the other differences.

Investigators compared company checks with ATM withdrawal and settlement records.

They calculated a shortage of about $26,680 during the later period. They found another shortage of about $3,300 earlier.

Readers can visit the Pennington County District Court website for court information.

The official Minnesota theft statute is available through the state Revisor of Statutes.

I’m Chris Harper, reporting for TRF News.