Ski Hill Worker Charged With Selling Stolen Snowboards
HASTINGS, Minn. (WCCO) -- A former employee at a Burnsville, Minn. ski hill is accused of stealing snowboards there and trying to sell them.
Twenty-seven-year-old Brenton Troy Gerholdt, of Northfield, has been charged with two felony counts of theft and receiving stolen property.
Officers responded to a call of a stolen snowboard at the ski hill on January 10. The victim said that he left his board outside for about 30 minutes and found it missing when he came back. He said it was worth about $727.
Within a day, the board was seen listed for sale on Craigslist. Police contacted the seller, who said that he'd recently bought it from Gerholdt for $80.
He said he knew the board was worth significantly more, but also figured that Gerholdt was selling it for such a low price because he was often in need of money.
The buyer's text message conversations showed Gerholdt claiming to have other snowboards for sale, as well as goggles, helmets and a bicycle.
Officers checked to see when other snowboards were being stolen, and checked against Gerholdt's work schedule. They found that he had been working all but one of the times snowboards had been reported stolen at the ski hill.
The criminal complaint says that Gerholdt's brother told police that his brother had been taking snowboards and selling or pawning them.
Gerholdt faces up to 5 years in prison on each count if convicted.
