The Fergus Falls Daily Journal

An Erhard woman who burglarized a home while its owners were sleeping and forged several business checks she stole from another home has been convicted and will have to pay several hundred dollars in restitution.

Amanda Marie Helmer, 24, has been convicted for second degree burglary (reduced from an original charge of first degree burglary) and felony check forgery. Two other felony check forgery charges were dismissed by the court.

Helmer received a two-year and four-month prison sentence, but it was stayed pending the successful completion of 10 years supervised probation. She was fined $100, will spend 90 days in jail (with 47 already served) and must pay $344 in restitution for the burglary and an unspecified amount for the check forgery. It is estimated that she stole about $1,100 through the forgery.

The check forgeries were discovered on March 13, court records state. All of the several checks discovered missing by their owner, a neighbor of Helmer’s, had been used at either the Rothsay Truck Stop or the Erhard municipal liquor store.

Helmer also duped another man into cashing some of the checks for her by claiming that they were for child support, according to court records.

The burglary happened on March 21. Prescription pills stolen from the Erhard residence (another one of Helmer’s neighbors) were found in her possession, and a pair of shoes she wore matched the tread in the snow around the home. Court records state that Helmer had also stolen a wallet from the home. The wallet had been located in the bedroom, which she had entered while the residents slept.