Authorities Seek Man Accused of Swindling Burnsville Jewelry Store

A nationwide warrant has been issued for a man accused of swindling a Burnsville jewelry store out of $2,000 in April.

Marlon Molina, 31, is charged with felony theft by swindle, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

An arrest warrant was issued Friday for Molina, whose whereabouts are unknown.

According to the criminal complaint, Molina and a female companion went to an unnamed Burnsville jewelry store on April 21 and said they wanted to sell a gold chain.

The store owner performed a chemical test on the chain to confirm that it was real, measured and weighed it, then began haggling with Molina over the price, according to the complaint.

The owner offered $2,000. Molina became upset and demanded that the owner return the chain to him, the complaint says.

The woman stepped in to help calm down Molina, according to the complaint. When he was sufficiently calm, Molina decided to go through with the sale, and handed the chain back to the store owner, the complaint says.

The owner paid $2,000, made a copy of Molina’s driver’s license and put the chain in a safe for a mandatory waiting period. On June 3, he removed the chain from the safe and noticed that it was discolored.

The owner took the chain to the refinery, where he discovered that it was fake. He told police that the chain he tested on April 21 was real; he believes that Molina switched it with a fake chain while he was pretending to be upset and demanding to have the chain returned to him, the complaint says.

Molina is described as a white male, approximately 5'10 in stature, with a build of about 150 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He is known to use a number of aliases, including Antonio, Jose, Mario or Marlin Molina. Anyone with information concerning his whereabouts is encouraged to call the Dakota County Sheriff's Office at 651-438-TIPS.