Granite Falls man sentenced to three years for stealing guns and ammo from home of deceased neighbor
Nov. 30—GRANITE FALLS — A Granite Falls man was sentenced Nov. 22 in Yellow Medicine County District Court to 36 months in prison for breaking into his recently deceased neighbor's house and stealing guns and money.
Gauge Allen Grimes, 19, pleaded guilty to felony third-degree burglary before his sentencing as part of a plea agreement under which felony charges of third-degree burglary, illegal possession of ammunition or firearms and theft were dismissed.
District Court Judge Thomas Van Hon credited Grimes with 88 days for time served.
Grimes was also ordered to pay restitution, though the Yellow Medicine County Attorney's Office has 30 days to certify the amount.
According to the criminal complaint:
Grimes had previously been convicted of felony first-degree burglary as a juvenile in March 2018 in Yellow Medicine County and had just been released weeks prior to the burglary in his current conviction.
According to a witness, he had bragged about the burglary to several friends and had asked people to go shoot stuff with the stolen firearms.
The deceased man's son told law enforcement that he noticed the missing firearms and ammunition when he went to the home for a celebration of life for his father.
During an August search of Grimes' house, law enforcement found two 12-gauge shotguns, ammunition and gun cases that were found to be the deceased friend's.
Grimes later admitted to law enforcement he took the items from the house.
