The Fergus Falls Daily Journal

A Fergus Falls man accused of three burglaries over the last year reportedly stole over $1,000 worth of women’s underwear and other women’s items, including a dresser drawer full of thongs.

Joseph Bruce Johnson, 22, has been charged in Otter Tail County District Court with three counts of second degree burglary. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years incarceration and/or a $20,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, Johnson’s string of bad decisions began on the morning of Nov. 4, 2009, when he visited an apartment on the 1000 block of North Springen Ave. A woman who lived in one of the apartments reported to the Fergus Falls Police Department that a man who she did not know (later identified by witnesses as Johnson) knocked on her door and asked for a man who did not live in that apartment.

After being informed that the man did not live there Johnson asked to use the bathroom, the complaint states. As he was leaving, he asked the woman if she wanted to be “texting buddies.” The woman found his behavior unusual and reported it to police.

On Nov. 23, the woman’s apartment was vandalized. A neighbor told the police that she had heard a loud crash and one of the apartment’s windows had been broken.

On Dec. 29 the woman staying in the apartment called the police again to report that her home had been burglarized while she was away on a trip, the report states. The burglar had taken about $1,000 in underwear, lingerie, purses, high heels and DVDs, she said.

The woman then recalled the exchange she had with Johnson the previous month. An officer called Johnson and asked him if he had had any more involvement with the woman beyond talking to her on Nov. 4, but he denied any further contact.

The complaint went on to state that on March 1 of this year, a home on the 600 block of West Birch Ave. was burglarized sometime before 8:15 p.m. The woman reporting the burglary said that the burglar had taken underwear and bras belonging to her and her daughter.

The woman and her family were also familiar with Johnson, according to Detective Carol Schmaltz, and police had dealt with him before on other matters. These factors, as well as interviews with other witnesses and further investigation, led the police to believe that Johnson was responsible for the burglaries. On Sept. 22, police executed a search warrant on Johnson’s home and found underwear in one of his dresser drawers.

He later admitted to the burglaries, the complaint reported, and he said that he had dumped much of the underwear into the city landfill.