Man pleads guilty to felony theft

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- A man accused of stealing $500 to $2,500 worth of butter and cheese and several other items from a Crystal Farms plant in Gaylord pleaded guilty to a charge of felony theft, in exchange for a lighter sentence Monday in Brown County District Court.

Two other charges stemming from the alleged burglary were dropped as a result of the guilty plea.

Richard Allen Lashbrook, 33, of Albert Lea, faces a maximum sentence of five years in jail, a $10,000 fine, or both, for pleading guilty to felony theft.

Lashbrook was originally charged with burglary in the third degree and criminal damage to property in the third degree as well as the felony theft charge.

An investigation by the Nicollet County Sheriff's Department found Lashbrook and Michael Allen Siler, 25, worked for both the M.G. Waldbaum egg plant and the Crystal Farms facility that share a building.

Lashbrook and Siler lived in a house on the premises of the facility at the time of the alleged burglary.

Company records showed Lashbrook's last day at Crystal Farms was Feb. 23; the alleged burglary happened Feb. 25.

A police search of Lashbrook and Siler's house in Albert Lea showed investigators the two had arrived in Albert Lea late on the night of Feb. 24 or early on the morning of Feb. 25. Police also learned Lashbrook had moved to Fargo to take a job.

Nicollet County Investigator Don Wersal and the Fargo Police Department searched Lashbrook and Siler's residence in Fargo on March 2 and found a ring of keys, which were identified later as keys for the plant's main building.

Police also found a bolt cutter and a pry bar, which the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said were consistent with the types used to cut locks off at the plant.

Crystal Farms butter and cheese were recovered in the apartment. Several pieces of shop and video equipment and $413.50 in cash were also found.

Lashbrook blamed Siler for the alleged incident, When interviewed by Wersal, he said the items found in the apartment "just appeared." Lashbrook said he purchased the butter and cheese at the Crystal Farms employee sales store. Wersal later learned the majority of the butter and cheese found in Lashbrook and Siler's residence is not available at the employee sales store.

Lashbrook will receive his sentence Sept. 9 in Nicollet County District Court.