Bemidji Woman Faces Theft, False Name Charges

Bemidji, Minnesota (trfnews.i234.me) — A White Earth woman faces two charges following an April incident at a Bemidji Walmart.

Hope Christine De Groat, 36, is charged in Beltrami County District Court. She faces one gross misdemeanor and one misdemeanor.

The charges include helping another person allegedly give police a false name. De Groat also faces a misdemeanor theft charge.

The case is listed as court file 04-CR-26-1081.

Store Report Led to Traffic Stop

The case began around 6:33 p.m. on April 23, 2026. Walmart asset protection reported two suspected shoplifters.

Staff said the women left in a Dodge Charger with a white hood. Police later stopped the vehicle on Partnership Drive.

De Groat was driving, according to the complaint. Jessica Mathison was the only passenger.

The complaint says Mathison first provided another woman’s name and birth date. Police reviewed available photos during the stop.

Officers determined the passenger did not match the person she claimed to be. Mathison later provided her actual name.

Police then reviewed the reported Walmart theft. Asset protection provided surveillance video and written reports.

The complaint says De Groat and Mathison used a self-checkout together. Several items were allegedly not scanned.

De Groat reportedly moved beyond the final sales area with unpaid merchandise. She then left the items behind.

Prosecutors charged De Groat with aiding another person’s false identification. The gross misdemeanor carries up to 364 days in jail.

The charge also carries a possible $3,000 fine. The theft charge carries up to 90 days in jail.

The theft count also carries a possible $1,000 fine.

Readers can review the false-name law through the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.
The theft law is also available through the Minnesota Revisor.

Public case information may be available through Minnesota Court Records Online.

A criminal complaint contains allegations and a statement of probable cause. It does not establish guilt.

De Groat is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

I’m Chris Harper, reporting for TRF News.