Brown County District Court

• Willie Shepherd, 42, 313 4th Ave. S.E., Sleepy Eye was charged Friday with felony failure to register as a predatory offender and five felony counts of domestic abuse-violate order for protection charges.

According to court documents, Sleepy Eye Police Investigator Shawn Bohnen took a report of a violation of an order for protection (OFP) at an apartment complex. The apartment manager told Bohnen she saw a person she believed to be Shepherd at the complex having contact with her tenant. Bohnen positively identified Shepherd and the victim in videos taken Oct. 22, 24, 25 and 26 shown by the manager.

Bohnen called Brown County Dispatch and confirmed the OFP was still in place and Shepherd must not have any contact with the victim and must stay 100 yards from her residence.

Bohnen searched the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) Predatory Offender Registration (POR) website that showed Shepherd was living at the Colonial Inn, 1315 N. Broadway, New Ulm.

New Ulm Police told Bohnen Shepherd’s vehicle had not been at the Colonial Inn for a long time. A witness told Bohnen that Shepherd moved out about three weeks ago, changed his phone number and moved to the Twin Cities.

Bohnen found Shepherd’s vehicle parked at the victim’s apartment complex. He knocked on the door and learned Shepherd was in the apartment and said he didn’t think the OFP was still in place. Shepherd was arrested for an OFP violation.

Bohnen talked to New Ulm Police staff and learned Shepherd tried to change his registration on Oct. 26, 2022 but was unable to because the office that completes the POR change of information was not available.

Shepherd’s former probation agent said the Minnesota Dept. of Corrections paid for Shepherd’s room at the Colonial Inn until Oct. 10, 2022. Bohnen believed Shepherd was a non-compliant POR from Oct. 11, 2022 to Oct. 26, 2022.

Shepherd was convicted of 5th degree assault July 13, 2021 in Carlton County Court, of sexual battery July 16, 2020 in East Baton Rouge, La. Both offenses are qualified domestic violence-related offense according to Minnesota law. Shepherd is a registered predatory offender convicted of predatory offender violation Feb. 15, 2022 in Brown County Court.

• Two gross misdemeanorcharges of 3rd-degree DWI were filed Friday against Sarah E. Berkner, 23, 30318 State Highway 68, Sleepy Eye.

According to court documents, Minnesota State Patrol trooper Brennon Brase heard Mankato State Patrol Dispatch air a driving complaint of an SUV westbound on TH 68 at 11:13 p.m. Oct. 27, coming into New Ulm. The suspect vehicle almost hit the reporting party’s vehicle on 20th St. S.

Trooper Brase did a traffic stop of the suspect vehicle and identified the driver as Berkner. He detected intoxication clues which she failed. A preliminary breath test read .132 and she was arrested for DWI and taken to the Brown County Jail. A DataMaster breath test read a .09 blood alcohol content at 12:41 a.m. Berkner was convicted of 4th degree DWI in Brown County April 15, 2021.