Man suspected in many identity thefts, other crimes is nabbed

A 22-year-old suspect in several identity thefts has been arrested in Hutchinson, Minn., and was jailed in Stearns County, authorities said.

Nathan Richard Johnson used the identity of Brian James Marquardt to commit crimes in several central Minnesota counties, according to the Stearns County Sheriff's Office and a crime alert issued by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Authorities said Johnson used Marquardt's driver's license and stole checkbooks and personal information from several other victims.

He was taken into custody at about 8:45 p.m. Thursday in Hutchinson without incident. He was apprehended by the St. Cloud Metro Gang Strike Force, with assistance from several other law-enforcement agencies. No other details about the arrest were being released.

He was wanted for felony theft, credit card fraud and check forgery.

According to the Stearns County Sheriff's Office, Johnson is suspected in several car break-ins in Stearns, Benton, Morrison, Wright and Kandiyohi counties, as well as in St. Cloud and the Twin Cities metro area. During these thefts, Johnson allegedly broke windows or entered unlocked vehicles and took checkbooks and credit cards.

Johnson has written checks payable to Marquardt and has used victims' credit cards for fraudulent purchases at several businesses, authorities said.

Johnson, who has no permanent address, is also suspected of using stolen vehicles or those with stolen license plates.

Johnson's victims include the family of Benton County Attorney Robert Raupp, the St. Cloud Times reported today.
Raupp's wife discovered a window smashed on her vehicle and her purse gone, the newspaper said. That led to about $1,000 in charges on the family's checking account and credit cards, the Times said.

He has an extensive criminal history that includes passing worthless checks, receiving stolen property and forgery.