Three individuals are being charged in District Court in Todd County with burglary and other charges in connection with the theft of some $30,000 worth of vehicles, guns and other items from a rural Long Prairie home, a theft that was reported on Dec. 10.

The Todd County Sheriff’s office investigation led to one of the stolen vehicles being located in California, with one of the suspects driving it. The other men involved were located in the Brainerd area or the Twin Cities.

One of the men involved is a grandson of Charles and Phyllis Krause, the owners of the home which was burglarized.

The grandson, Joseph A. Ferrian Jr., 36, Brainerd, was charged Dec. 30, in Todd County District Court for his involvement in the theft of personal property from his grandparents’ home near Long Prairie. He will make his next court appearance on Feb. 1.

Criminal charges were filed Jan. 11 in Todd County District Court accusing two other men - Randy Leibeg, 49, Burnsville and Justin Dellwo, 24, Santa Rosa, Calif. - with second- and thirddegree burglary changes. Warrants were issued for their arrests.

According to the criminal complaint, Ferrian faces charges of second- and third-degree burglary, aiding and abetting second- and thirddegree burglary and conspiracy to commit second- and third-degree burglary. Ferrian, who appeared in Todd County District Court, was released from jail on $50,000 bail.

According to the criminal complaint against Ferrian, the Todd County Sheriff’s Department was called to the home of Charles and Phyllis Krause just west of Long Prairie to investigate a burglary. The burglary was discovered by their daughter. The Krauses were at their winter home in Texas at the time of the burglary. It was determined that the burglary occurred between Nov. 22 and Dec. 10.

Law enforcement discovered that a door to the house had been forced in breaking the door jam and door knob. The criminal complaint said, once inside, the suspects randomly went through numerous areas of the house. The safe in the master bedroom was empty and numerous drawers in the bedroom area had been ransacked.

The keys for a Dodge Intrepid and a Toyota pickup as well as the vehicles were missing. It appeared that keys were used to gain entry into an outside building. More than 80 items were taken from the residence and outbuildings, including tools, many rifles and shotguns, hunting equipment, two motor vehicles and jewelry, all valued at over $10,000.

The criminal complaint states that the St. Helena, Calif., Police Department stopped Dellwo, who was in the stolen Dodge Intrepid bearing Minnesota license plates. The report also said that numerous items belonging to the Krauses were found at Leibeg’s home in Burnsville.

Charges are pending against a fourth man from the Brainerd area. According to the complaint, law officers using a search warrant discovered firearms and other items from the Krause home at this man’s Brainerd residence.

Assisting the Todd County Sheriff’s Department in this investigation were the St. Helena Police Department in California, the Santa Rosa Police Department in California, the Brainerd and Burnsville Police departments and the Crow Wing and Mille Lacs County sheriff’s departments.