Rochester Man Pleads Guilty in Phone Theft and Burglary Cases

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man is scheduled to be sentenced in October after pleading guilty to felony charges in two separate cases.

Court documents indicate 29-year-old Reed Joseph Bennett was arrested last year after Rochester police responded in early June to a report of a theft from the Cricket Wireless store. An employee told police that three individuals were involved in the theft of iPhones from the store safe.

According to the criminal complaint against Bennett, officers returned to the store about five days later to investigate a report that someone had come into the business and attempted to activate one of the stolen cell phones. Investigators then learned that the person seeking to activate the phone had purchased it from Bennett.

The charges say investigators were able to match a photo of Bennett with one of the suspects captured in surveillance camera video of the thefts.

While that case was still under investigation, Rochester police responded to a report of a residential burglary. A woman told officers that an unknown male had entered her garage and stolen a leather jacket and chaps.

The criminal complaint says officers were able to identify Bennett as the suspect by reviewing video recorded by a doorbell camera.

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He was charged with felony theft and receiving stolen property in the cell phone case and second-degree burglary for the garage break-in. He has now entered guilty pleas to the burglary and felony theft charges.