NEW ULM — A 43-year-old Winthrop man who bought and then apparently abandoned Heritage Memorial Creations of New Ulm is accused of stealing $20,829.94 from 15 customers by taking money for but never delivering gravestones and markers or providing services the customers paid for. He faces 13 theft by swindle counts in Brown County District Court.

Nine felonies, one gross misdemeanor and three misdemeanor charges were filed June 18 against Jesse L. Ellerbroek, 402 N. Carver St., Winthrop. A court appearance was set for 8:30 a.m., July 6.

According to the complaint, New Ulm Police Senior Investigator Jeff Hohensee began investigating complaints in June 2020 from unhappy customers of Ellerbroek, who had purchased Heritage Memorial and Stone Creations on a contract for deed in July 2014. As of April 5, 2020, Heritage Memorial was closed and Ellerbroek reportedly left town.

Hohensee talked to the son of one victim, and learned the victim worked with the VA (Veterans Administration) and Heritage Memorial and Stone Creations to obtain a headstone for a deceased relative, then bought a headstone for herself for $800, and paid cash to Heritage Memorial. They were never delivered.

Hohensee received phone calls from 14 other victims reporting problems of never receiving headstones or services they bought from Heritage Memorial and Stone Creations.

In June 2020, Hohensee conducted a search warrant at 1301 German St. N. regarding Ellerbroek and found several headstones.

Earlier, onn April 28, 2020, police had been called to 1301 German St. N. for a report of a person trying to drive away without insurance and expired registration and that the caller was trying to stop them.

At the scene, New Ulm Police Sgt. “Chip” Rasche was told by the caller that he is friends with another person who used to live in New Ulm and formerly owned Heritage Memorials before moving to South Dakota and selling the business to Ellerbroek on a contract for deed.

Rasche was told Ellerbroek quit paying on the business and he was trying to hide his assets and vehicles from the bank, vehicle titles were not changed, registration was expired and there was no vehicle insurance.

Rasche saw a business truck with expired tabs back into the driveway of the rear of the residence. Rasche said Ellerbroek told him the truck was needed to move about six large, stone memorial headstones he was storing in a garage as he could no longer have them at the business.

On May 13, 2020, Hohensee got a search warrant for an unattached garage at 1301 German St. N. regarding missing stones from Heritage Memorial and Stone Creations. A number of the headstones were recovered. Some victims whose headstones were recovered are allegedly out of the money they had paid for placement of the stones, or for carving names and dates, work that was never done.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com).