Brainerd Man Gets 13 Months for Detroit Lakes Theft
Detroit Lakes (trfnews.i234.me) — Christopher Lee Bernu, 46, of rural Brainerd, has been sentenced for felony theft.
The sentence was handed down in Becker County District Court on August 5.
Bernu received a 13-month prison sentence following the Detroit Lakes theft case.
Menards Reports More Than $1,200 in Merchandise Stolen
The case began on December 20, 2024, at the Menards store in Detroit Lakes.
Court records say store employees reported a shoplifting case that day.
Bernu and a woman were accused of entering the store and taking merchandise without paying.
The stolen merchandise was valued at about $1,233, according to court records.
The store provided investigators with surveillance images showing the two suspected shoplifters.
Those images became part of the investigation into the reported theft.
Authorities later identified the male suspect as Christopher Lee Bernu.
Court records say that identification was made on January 29, 2025.
Bernu was later charged with felony theft in Becker County District Court.
Minnesota’s theft statute outlines several theft offenses and possible penalties.
Bernu Sentenced to 13 Months
District Judge Michelle Lawson sentenced Bernu to 13 months in prison on August 5.
Bernu received credit for 286 days already spent in custody.
The Minnesota sentence will run at the same time as his Texas prison sentence.
The court authorized the sentences to be served concurrently.
Bernu was also fined $50.
The court imposed another $85 in court fees.
Information about Becker County District Court is available through the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
The courthouse is located in Detroit Lakes and serves Becker County residents.
Case Followed Store Surveillance Review
The criminal case relied in part on surveillance images supplied by Menards.
The images showed the people suspected of taking merchandise from the Detroit Lakes store.
Investigators later connected Bernu to the reported theft through those images.
The case ended with Bernu’s felony theft conviction and prison sentence.
His 286 days of jail credit will count toward the 13-month Minnesota sentence.
The concurrent order allows the Minnesota term to overlap with his Texas incarceration.
I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.
Copyright 2026 TRF News. All rights reserved.