The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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October 16, 2012

Update: Nicollet Schools dean of students charged with felony theft

By Amanda Dyslin Free Press Staff Writer

NICOLLET — The athletic director and dean of students for Nicollet Public Schools has been charged with two counts of felony theft for stealing money from concession and ticket sales, according to Nicollet County Investigator Marc Chadderdon.

Justin Berg, 31, of rural Le Sueur County is accused of stealing about $1,500 over “numerous occasions” during or after athletic events in Nicollet during a three-week period. He was hired in July.

The Nicollet school district called the Nicollet County Sheriff’s Office Oct. 8 to report missing money from the concession and ticket sales fund, Chadderdon said. There wasn’t a detailed receipt system in place, Chadderdon said, but accounting records showed missing funds.

“And after one event they had less money than what they started with,” Chadderdon said.

According to court documents, on Oct. 8 district officials told Chadderdon that Berg was responsible for collecting the funds and putting them in the safe after events. So last Thursday Chadderdon installed a motion-activated camera in the storage room where the safe was located, he said. Staff and Chadderdon confirmed the safe contained $978.

Each time the motion sensor was activated, Chadderdon received an email with photographs. After Berg was identified in one of the photographs accessing the safe, the money was counted again and $520 was missing, Chadderdon said.

When Chadderdon met with Berg Friday, he first denied taking the money until confronted with the evidence from the motion-activated camera. He then admitted to taking an unknown amount of money over several weeks, according to court documents.

Berg told Chadderdon he had taken the money to pay for a leased car that his ex-wife defaulted on. Berg’s name was on the lease.

When asked if Berg still had the $520 taken that day, he said he had spent some on bills, gas and to buy football cards, which he planned to sell to make a profit, court documents state. He had spent money previously taken on cards as well, he said.

Chadderdon arrested Berg Friday, and he was charged with one count of felony theft and one count of felony theft of public funds in Nicollet County District Court. Chadderdon said the dollar amount, being over $1,000, resulted in the felony-level charge.

Berg has been released pending his first court appearance. He couldn’t be reached for comment.

Supt. Jack Eustice said, due to data privacy laws, he couldn't discuss whether Berg is still employed by the district or other details of the investigation.

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