State House candidate, wife charged in Alexandria sign-stealing spree
ALEXANDRIA, Minn. — A candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives and his wife both face charges after authorities allegedly found a stockpile of stolen signs in their backyard in central Minnesota.
Wendy Hoff faces one count of felony theft, while Judd Hoff faces one count of aiding and abetting the same and one count of receiving stolen property, charging documents show. Judd Hoff is running for the state House in District 12B.
According to a criminal complaint, starting in early July and going through the beginning of August, authorities in Alexandria took multiple reports of stolen signs in the area, including political, garage sale and real estate signs, among others.
In early July, Wendy Hoff told a Douglas County deputy one of her husband's signs had been stolen.
"If I put a sign within 12 feet of this property, by law, you as a person could come by and take that piece of property because it's in the right-of-way," she said, according to the complaint. "You can't put even a, technically, a garage sale sign, a realtor sign, [OK]? Them b****hes gotta go."
After a theft at a towing company, surveillance video showed Wendy Hoff's car at the scene, the complaint states. In another instance in late July, an Alexandria Police officer allegedly witnessed Wendy Hoff stealing signs honoring Pope County deputy Josh Owen, who was shot and killed in the line of duty last year.
On Wednesday, authorities searched the Hoffs' home. According to the complaint, they found 242 signs worth thousands of dollars in total. Some of the signs had been painted over with "Vote Hoff, State Representative 12B."
The Hoffs were arrested during a traffic stop Saturday, according to the Alexandria Police Department.
Judd Hoff had earned an endorsement from the Douglas County DFL, but the executive committee rescinded the endorsement Sunday. The state DFL earlier this year urged the local party to withdraw its endorsement, after Hoff was accused of stalking and harassing Rep. Mary Franson, District 12B's incumbent. No charges were filed in that incident.
In 2021, Hoff was convicted of felony second-degree assault for wielding a machete at a man who had torn a flag off Hoff's vehicle. The victim had taken the flag down after noticing it was upside down, according to a criminal complaint. Hoff has several other convictions — including multiple counts of disorderly conduct and damage to property — dating back to 1991.
District 12B includes Alexandria and Sauk Centre.
