Guilty Plea in $46K Rochester Bowling Alley Theft

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The third man charged in a major theft case involving a Rochester bowling alley has pleaded guilty.

Fifty-four-year-old Timothy Donald Arnold and two of his coworkers were charged in November 2024 with stealing nearly $46,000 from Colonial Lanes through a year-long theft scheme. Olmsted County court documents indicate the northwest Rochester establishment contacted police in July 2024 and reported the theft.

Skimming ATM Deposits

According to the criminal complaint, the responding Rochester police officers were told that three employees had stolen $45,720 by skimming money from ATM deposits. The charges alleged that Arnold was responsible for more than $37,000 in ATM deposit inconsistencies.

Thefts Funded E tab Gambling

The court document says investigators were told that Arnold would play the electronic pull-tab gambling machines at the bowling alley without depositing money. The criminal complaint says the two other defendants told police that Arnold would "pocket money designated for transfer to the ATM or use register money to cover the e-tab shortages that he created."

Helped by Coworkers

The two other employees, 39-year-old Ravuth Thorng and 27-year-old Pheerayout See, were accused of being responsible for about $8,600 worth of discrepancies. The criminal complaint says Thorng told investigators that he and See "fudged the numbers" to cover for Arnold's thefts.

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Thorng earlier entered into a plea agreement, admitted to a felony theft charge, and was sentenced to five years on probation. See was able to work out an agreement last month that suspended prosecution in his case in exchange for $8,100 in restitution to the business.

Plea Deal

Arnold was charged with three counts of felony theft and has now admitted to one of the charges in exchange for the dismissal of the other two. He is scheduled to be sentenced in July.

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