FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner announced that Wyatt Johnson, 33, of Hankinson, North Dakota, admitted to committing thefts in Cass and Clay Counties over several weeks in February and early March. Johnson was arrested by Fergus Falls police and Otter Tail County deputies after a break-in at Harvest States French Elevator, west of Fergus Falls, on March 2nd. Following the break-in, Johnson called authorities to turn himself in and expressed regret for his actions. Sheriff Jahner stated that elevators in Cass County were also targeted in Arthur, Page, and Ayr. Through a combination of investigative work and tips from the public, Johnson was identified as the suspect.
In addition to the incidents in Cass and Otter Tail Counties, Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting revealed that Johnson admitted to burglarizing an elevator in Georgetown, north of Moorhead. While charges have been filed against Johnson for burglary and drug possession in Minnesota, charges in Cass and Clay Counties are pending as the investigation continues.