Warren, Minnesota (trfnews.i234.me) A Fargo man now faces a theft charge in Marshall County after a phone and other personal items were reported stolen from the Dollar General store in Warren.
Court records identify the defendant as Jackson Ismael Francois, 33, of Fargo. He is charged with gross misdemeanor theft under Minnesota Statute 609.52. The complaint says the value of the stolen property was more than $500 and not more than $1,000.
Charge Filed In Marshall County
The criminal complaint was filed in Marshall County District Court. The case stems from an October 9, 2025, report at Dollar General in Warren.
According to the complaint, Sharon Kay Watts was working on inventory near the store’s refrigerators. She told authorities she set her Samsung Galaxy phone on a shelf while working. The phone had a teal case.
Watts said the case held $200 in cash, two debit cards, one Venmo card, a health insurance card, a sheet with passwords, and her driver’s license.
What The Complaint Says Happened
The complaint says the store video showed Watts with the phone shortly before she left it on the shelf. About 20 minutes later, the video allegedly showed a man walking down the aisle and remove the phone.
The same man was then seen leaving the store, returning briefly, and leaving again with grocery bags, according to the complaint.
Store manager Brandy Jones and district manager Kendra Karsh later identified the man in the video as one of the outside inventory workers at the store that day, the complaint says.
The complaint states that investigators later contacted Francois by phone. It says he denied taking anything.
Phone Later Reported Active
About a week later, Watts told authorities she had replaced the phone at a cost of $500. She also said her Verizon account showed the old device had been turned on in Minneapolis.
The complaint says investigators explored whether the phone’s movement could be traced. The filing also says WIS workers at the store used rental vehicles from WIS International job operations.
Francois has been charged, but the case has not been decided in court. A criminal charge is only an allegation until proven in court.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
