The investigation into a series of thefts and burglaries in Kossuth County and Martin County has resulted in a pair of arrests.
According to the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office, Deputies received a report on Sunday, November 10th of two side by side ATV’s that had been stolen out of Martin County. At that time, law enforcement agencies in Kossuth County were already investigating several reported burglaries in the Algona and Wittemore area.
Deputies eventually gathered enough information to obtain a search warrant for the residence of 29 year old Dakota Mullen, just east of Wittemore.
Stolen property from the burglaries in Minnesota and Kossuth County were seized during the execution of that search warrant, including power tools and one of the two ATV’s stole in Minnesota. The second ATV was eventually recovered at a rural residence near Corwith.
Mullen was arrested in Fairmont while in possession of a firearm and a motorcycle that had been reported stolen out of Algona. He was booked into the Martin County Jail on 2 counts of Felony Theft, 2 counts of Felony Receiving Stolen Property and one count of Illegal Possession of Ammunition, an Aggravated Misdemeanor. Mullen also had warrants for his arrest in Kossuth County stemming from this investigation.
Kossuth County Deputies also arrested 38 year old Kenneth Benard of Oklahoma in connection with this case. He was booked into the Kossuth County Jail on a charge of 1st Degree Theft, a Class C Felony.
Deputies in Kossuth and Martin Counties, along with members of the Algona and Fairmont Police Department’s worked together to gather evidence in the case. The estimated value of the recovered stolen property in the case is nearly $50,000. The investigation is ongoing and more charges are possible.