Northfield Man Accused of Stealing Snowboards from Buck Hill

A Northfield man who worked at Buck Hill ski resort in Burnsville is accused of stealing snowboards and other sports equipment while he was at work, then selling them on Craigslist.

Brenton Troy Gerholdt, 27, was arrested Wednesday in Northfield on a nationwide warrant charging him with two felonies: theft and receiving stolen property, each of which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. 

Gerholdt remains in the Dakota County Jail on a $3,000 bond. He made a first appearance Thursday and has an omnibus hearing scheduled July 3 in Dakota County District Court in Hastings.

According to the criminal complaint, Burnsville police were called to Buck Hill on Jan. 10 on a report of a stolen snowboard.

The victim told police that he had left his snowboard, a red-and-white Burton Harvester valued at $727, outside for about 30 minutes, and when he returned, it was gone.

The next day, the victim’s mother called police and told them that she had found her son’s snowboard listed for sale on Craigslist. Police contacted the man who placed the Craigslist ad, who told them that he had bought the board from Gerholdt for $80.

The man who listed the board for sale told police that Gerholdt contacted him and offered to sell the snowboard, and that he knew the board was worth more than $80 and he intended to resell it and make a profit

The seller said it didn’t occur to him that the snowboard was stolen, because Gerholdt is a snowboarder and is known to have little money.

He showed police a text message from Gerholdt in which he said he was selling the snowboard for gas money. The seller also had other text messages from Gerholdt in which he said he had three other snowboards for sale, as well as goggles, helmets and a bicycle, according to the complaint.

Police contacted Buck Hill and learned that Gerholdt had been fired after his brother—also a Buck Hill employee—alerted a supervisor that Gerholdt was stealing snowboards while he was at work, the complaint says.

Officers got a copy of Gerholdt’s work schedule and compared it to Buck Hill theft reports. They determined that between Dec. 13, 2011, and Jan. 14, 2012, nine snowboards were reported stolen, and Gerholdt was working at the time of eight of the thefts.

Gerholdt’s brother told police that Gerholdt had admitted to him that he was stealing snowboards and selling them. He said Gerholdt had recently given him a ride home from work, and he saw two snowboards in the back of Gerholdt’s truck, which he described for officers.

The value of the stolen snowboards, goggles and helmet was more than $1,600, according to the complaint.