Pine River Man Charged in Pinecone Payment Fraud Case
HUBBARD COUNTY, Minn. (trfnews.i234.me) — A Pine River man is accused of defrauding the State of Minnesota out of thousands of dollars in a pinecone collection program, according to Minnesota court records.
Donald Edward Anderson of Pine River has been charged with felony theft by swindle after allegedly altering receipts to receive extra payment for pinecones sold to the Badoura State Forest Nursery in Hubbard County.
According to the criminal complaint, the state nursery buys different species of pinecones from the public at a rate of $80 per bushel. On September 29, Anderson reportedly checked in at a DNR station with 3.66 bushels of pinecones. However, he allegedly changed the receipt to reflect 8.6 bushels before cashing the check.
Investigators say Anderson repeated the same scheme on September 30 and October 2, leading to a total overpayment of approximately $2,360.
Anderson has now been charged with felony theft by swindle. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) investigated the incident. More details are expected as the case proceeds through Hubbard County District Court.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
