NEW ULM — A 34-year-old New Ulm man accused of stealing a vehicle near Highway 68 in Blue Earth County in March 2021 and later charged with felony 3rd-degree burglary and two felony theft charges stemming from the incident, received stayed a prison sentence in Brown County District Court Jan. 9.

Travis M. Stanton, 322 N. State St., New Ulm, was sentenced to 39 months in the St. Cloud Correctional Facility, stayed for 5 years supervised probation for felony 3rd-degree burglary. He was sentenced to 365 days local confinement, credited with 239 days served.

Stanton was ordered to pay $6,823.06 restitution and apply for AOD (diversion) Court and complete a diagnostic assessment. A court hearing was set for 3:45 p.m. Jan. 30 with Judge Krehbiel.

Stanton was also convicted of felony count of receiving stolen property and 4th-degree drug possession. Two felony theft charges and another 3rd-degree burglary charge and a 5th-degree drug possession charge were dismissed.

3AHe was sentenced to 30 months at the St. Cloud Correctional Facility, stayed for five years probation.

According to court documents, a Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Deputy told New Ulm Police that they were investigating a vehicle stolen March 5, 2021 near the intersection of TH 68 and 549th Avenue in Blue Earth County.

The alleged victim told the deputy he drove his 2003 Chevy Cavalier to the intersection and walked down towards the Minnesota River to check out fishing, leaving the keys and fishing gear in the car. When he returned to the intersection, he noticed his car was stolen and called the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office.

On March 7, Mankato Police arrested two suspects regarding the stolen vehicle. One of them said he drove his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle in Mankato March 5. On the way back to New Ulm on TH 68, he pulled over by the victim’s Chevy Cavalier, looked inside and stole the car and fishing gear.

Another witness told the first witness to drive the stolen car to 322 N. State St. in New Ulm, where Stanton removed the fishing gear and put the stolen car in the garage.

On March 6, the first witness asked the third witness to pick up the stolen car at 402 N. Broadway in Hanska and drive it to Mankato.

According to a Feb. 16, 2021 Brown County Sheriff’s Office report, items totaling at least $10,000 were stolen from his property on CR 10, rural Sleepy Eye. Vehicles were tipped over, catalytic converters were cut off and other items were stolen.

Law enforcement observed a silver Audi and flat-bed truck parked at the State St. residence. Executing a search warrant, law enforcement searched a shed and found a glass meth pipe, two handguns and ammunition in plain view. In the residence, a Jennings 9-CA handgun and magazine full of 9mm bullets, vintage paper money and a handgun holster were found.

About half of Stanton’s garage contained the items stolen from the rural Sleepy Eye address including DeWalt tools with a company name on it, logging chains, catalytic converters cut from vehicles, a paint sprayer, welding helmet, torque wrench, chainsaws and air impact guns. In addition, $1,530 in cash was found on Stanton.

Other items found in the garage included drug paraphernalia, 9.22 grams of suspected meth and about 2.3 grams of suspected marijuana.

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