NEW ULM — Three men from the Rochester area are accused of being involved in the Thanksgiving weekend theft of several New Ulm Public Utilities (NUPUC) vehicles, a boat motor and electronic devices.

Jeff Anthony Ward, 55, and Morgan Raymond Fischer Wolf, 36, of Wykoff were charged with felony 2nd and 3rd-degree burglary, 2nd and 3rd-degree aid and abet burglary and theft on Thursday. Phillip Ivan Kocer, 32, Rochester, was charged with felony receiving stolen property.

Former New Ulm Public Utilities employee Garrett Loudermilk was charged Tuesday in Brown County District with felony 2nd-degree burglary-use of force and felony 3rd-degree burglary.

According to court documents, New Ulm Police were called Saturday, Nov. 25 from an Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Josh Matti said a safe connected to the City of New Ulm was found on the side of a road in Olmsted County. The safe was open and contained paperwork and invoices relating to the City of New Ulm Public Utilities.

New Ulm Police Sergeants Aaron Lewandowski and Brady Murphy later met a witness at the PUC building and discovered a safe was missing and a printer and laptop case were on the floor near a desk. The office had been closed for the Thanksgiving holiday since Wednesday, Nov. 22.

Several power tools were reported missing. Several vehicles were parked in the garage. Investigator Jeff Hohensee was told the PUC was missing two larger pickup trucks with tool chests attached and one van. One of the remaining trucks was pulled forward, allowing access to a vehicle to be moved into the garage bay for easier access to the stolen tools.

Loudermilk was traced to the burglaries through use of his PUC access card. He was apprehended near his St. James residence Saturday by St. James Police. He was a PUC employee at the time of the burglaries, but he has since been terminated from the New Ulm PUC.

Investigator Hohensee later talked to Loudermilk who said the boat motor was in his Chevy Tahoe and he intended to go to Iowa to trade it for two jet skis later that evening.

Loudermilk said the stolen PUC truck was parked in Hanska near the grain elevator and the stolen van was in Darfur, near the elevator; and that he and his friend parked the two stolen vehicles at those locations.

Loudermilk confirmed he used his City of New Ulm access card to gain entry to the doors.

Stolen items included a 2013 GMC van, 2016 Ford F350 truck, Dodge Ram truck, 2022 Kubota tractor, 2013 Mac-Lander trailer, Mercury 40 horsepower boat motors and numerous electronic devices including iPads, tools and other PUC supplies.

A search warrant for Loudermilk’s address was granted. Three truckloads of stolen items were found in Loudermilk’s garage. New Ulm PUC was written on numerous tools and items including a missing 85-inch television set.

After investigator Hohensee interviewed Loudermilk, Watonwan County law enforcement secured his residence.

Officers noticed a red 2013 Ford Focus parked in the alley at Loudermilk’s residence in which Wolf was sitting in, smoking methamphetamine with the motor running.

Watonwan County Deputy Erik Gratz arrested Wolf on drug charges and transported him to the Watonwan County Jail. Deputy Gratz called investigator Hohensee after he noticed tools and items consistent with the PUC burglary in Wolf’s vehicle.

Law enforcement received Wolf’s phone at the Watonwan County Jail and turned it over to New Ulm Police.

On Monday, Nov. 27, New Ulm Police Investigator Tara Martin authored a search warrant for Wolf’s cell phone. Photos consistent with the PUC building interior were found in addition to messages between Wolf and Loudermilk that detailed how to disable the Kubota tractor GPS system.

On Tuesday, Nov. 28, investigators Hohensee and Chris Moellenhoff went to Rochester to locate Ward and a friend identified as Kocer who Loudermilk identified as another individual involved in the theft of a Kubota tractor and truck and trailer. Kocer was found and arrested. Ward was identified as coming to New Ulm with Kocer to help load the Kubota tractor.

Loudermilk’s bail was set at $100,000 without conditions, $20,000. He has bailed out of jail. A hearing was set for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday Dec. 12.

Initial court appearances were set for Wolf at 3:45 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1 and at 8:30 am. Tuesday, Dec. 12 for Ward and Kocer.