Beltrami County (trfnews.i234.me) – Two people now face felony charges after $30,000 was reported stolen from a Bemidji home.
According to a criminal complaint, the case centers on a house where the homeowner was staying in a care facility.
The home in Bemidji was supposed to be empty and secure.
Family members were checking the property while the owner received medical care.
On November 29, a family member went to the home and noticed something was wrong.
A safe inside the residence appeared damaged.
The complaint says the safe had been pried open.
The cash stored inside was missing.
The family member told investigators the safe had held about $30,000 in cash.
The investigation led officers to 28-year-old Joshua A. Church of Roseau and 27-year-old Amelia R. Shockley of Bemidji.
Both are now charged in Beltrami County District Court.
Each faces one felony count of burglary and one felony count of theft.
You can read more about Minnesota burglary and theft laws on the state statute site.
According to the complaint, a family member who knows Joshua Church shared a key detail with investigators.
That person said Church claimed he recently won $15,000 at a casino.
The timing raised questions because the money in the safe had just been reported missing.
Image: Mugshot tied to the Beltrami County theft charges.
Investigators say Amelia Shockley later admitted she was inside the residence.
The complaint says she told officers she entered the home with Joshua Church.
Shockley reportedly said Church used a crowbar to get into the safe.
The safe was then forced open and the cash removed.
Court documents do not list that the full $30,000 has been recovered.
They also do not state that the homeowner was home at the time.
The alleged burglary happened while the homeowner remained in a care facility.
Family members discovered the break-in and then reported it to authorities.
If convicted, Church and Shockley could face prison time and large fines.
Felony burglary and felony theft can carry serious penalties in Minnesota.
More information about felony levels and possible sentences is available from the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission.
The case will move forward in Beltrami County District Court.
Future hearings and filings will appear on the Minnesota trial court public access site.
Both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
