Moorhead $37,500 Trailer Theft Leads to Charges

Moorhead (trfnews.i234.me) — A Staples man faces four felonies after a trailer and Honor Flight merchandise were allegedly stolen.

Robert Joseph Andert was charged in Clay County District Court after the August 3, 2026 incident.

The criminal complaint says the white enclosed trailer belonged to the American Legion in Moorhead.

It contained about 60 to 70 storage totes holding merchandise for Honor Flight North Dakota.

The items included T-shirts, tumblers, folding tables, carts, and other materials.

Prosecutors estimated the merchandise was worth about $30,000.

The trailer was initially valued at about $7,500.

Trailer Taken Before Dawn

According to the complaint, surveillance video captured activity near the trailer around 2:45 a.m.

The video allegedly showed a red Chevrolet pickup pulling alongside the trailer.

A person was seen leaving the pickup before the truck later drove away with the trailer attached.

Investigators later linked the pickup to Andert, according to the court filing.

Authorities then obtained a search warrant for Andert’s vehicle and property in Staples.

The warrant was executed on August 7, according to the complaint.

Investigators reported finding a burn pile containing evidence from merchandise belonging to Honor Flight North Dakota.

The complaint says Andert’s wife reported seeing him with a white trailer earlier that week.

She said he claimed he had purchased the trailer online.

Court records say investigators later contacted Andert about the trailer.

The complaint alleges Andert admitted having the trailer and agreed to return it the next day.

It also alleges he admitted burning merchandise that had been inside the trailer.

Andert faces three felony theft counts and one felony property-damage count.

The most serious theft count involves property prosecutors say was worth more than $35,000.

The complaint lists a maximum sentence of 20 years and a possible $100,000 fine for that count.

Two additional theft counts each list maximum sentences of 10 years and possible $20,000 fines.

The property-damage count lists up to five years imprisonment and a possible $10,000 fine.

The state’s property-damage statute is also available through the Minnesota Revisor.

The case is filed in Clay County District Court under court file number 14-CR-26-2829.

The charges are allegations and do not establish guilt.

Andert is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.