Pennington County, MN (trfnews.i234.me)—On December 9, in Pennington County District Court, Branden Wayne Rausch, 31, of Thief River Falls, was sentenced for multiple felony offenses, including third-degree burglary and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance exceeding 0.25 grams. The court imposed concurrent prison terms of 15 months and 13 months for these charges, respectively, both stayed for five years. Rausch was also placed on supervised probation for five years.
Court-Ordered Conditions
As part of his sentencing, Rausch is required to:
- Complete a comprehensive assessment within 60 days and follow through with any recommended treatment and aftercare.
- Refrain from possessing firearms, ammunition, or explosives for life.
- Provide a DNA sample.
Additionally, Rausch was fined $210 in connection with the burglary case.
Details of the Burglary Incident
The charges stem from a reported burglary on February 11, 2022, at the Hazel elevator, where various tools, predominantly DeWalt brand, were stolen. Surveillance footage captured a van arriving at 3:21 a.m., identified as belonging to Rausch, who was already a suspect in other burglaries. Further footage from Seven Clans Casino showed Rausch interacting with the van later that day. It was also noted that Rausch had been terminated from employment at the elevator in May 2020.
Subsequent Arrest and Confession
Rausch was later arrested for a separate burglary, during which he was found in possession of 10 grams of methamphetamine. While in custody, he admitted to stealing the tools and concealing them at an acquaintance’s apartment in Warren. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the location and recovered the stolen items.
Additional Felony Theft Charge
In a separate incident, Rausch faced a felony theft charge related to a theft reported on February 9, 2024, at Sungarden Apartments, where clog-removing tools and boxes of flooring were stolen. Surveillance video placed Rausch’s vehicle at the scene. Subsequent investigations led to the discovery of his vehicle in Moorhead, containing stolen items valued at approximately $1,800. Rausch admitted to driving the vehicle and parking it at his girlfriend’s apartment in Moorhead. At the time of this offense, he was out on conditional release for two other felony cases.
I’m Chris Harper, reporting for trfnews.i234.me