Guilty Plea Reached in Rochester Bar Burglary

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Twin Cities man accused of burglarizing a Rochester bar two years ago has entered a guilty plea. 

See Also: Young Man Identified as Victim of Fatal Minnesota Rollover Crash 

Rochester police responded to the burglary in April of 2023. Investigators identified the suspect and the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office charged him last year. 

Newly-filed court documents indicate the burglary was one of 44 conducted by eight members of an alleged organized Minneota burglary operation. 

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Guilty Plea Reached in Rochester, MN VFW Burglary Case

31-year-old Tyler Nicolaus Paananen-Berneche of Newport, MN was charged with third-degree burglary and first-degree property damage. 

The criminal complaint says Rochester police responded to the burglary at the Rochester VFW on the morning of April 3, 2023 and found the front window of the establishment had been smashed open. 

A review of security camera footage showed three suspects breaking into the business then fleeing in a vehicle that was eventually stopped for speeding on Hwy. 52 about 10 minutes after the break-in, the complaint says. 

Read More: Charges: Rochester VFW Was Victimized by Statewide Organized Burglary Operation 

The charges say Paananen-Berneche identified himself as the driver to the state trooper. Investigators reviewed footage of the traffic stop and matched the individuals and vehicle in the traffic stop video with images taken from the VFW cameras. 

Nothing was reported stolen. On Monday Paananen-Berneche pleaded guilty to the first-degree property damage charge in exchange for the dismissal of the burglary count. 

A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. The plea deal calls for a 21-month prison sentence. 

The agreement does not spell the end of legal troubles for Paananen-Berneche. He’s one of eight men now facing racketeering charges in connection with the statewide burglary operation.