On or about September 2, 2025, Dilworth Police Department Investigator E. Hoversten was dispatched to a report of a credit card fraud. The Victim indicated that her credit card had recently gone missing, and was being used at multiple businesses in the Fargo - Moorhead area. The Victim reported that two of the charges they noticed occurred at the Dilworth Walmart, located in Clay County, MN, and the amounts charged were $913.68, and $124.66 respectively. The Victim [NAME REDACTED] did not recognize these transactions, and did not authorize anyone to make them.
Hoversten contacted the Dilworth Walmart, and was able to obtain videos of the transactions. The charges occurred on two separate dates. In videos of the first incident, two individuals enter the store together on or about August 30, 2025. The first individual is wearing a red sweatshirt, and scanned $913.68 worth of gift cards before charging the transaction to the Victim's credit card successfully. The second individual, who was wearing a green sweatshirt, separately scanned $506.84 worth of gift cards, and attempted to complete the transaction with the Victim's credit card.
The transaction was subsequently declined. The first individual then came over to the second individual and attempted the transaction again with the Victim's card, and it was then declined. On or about August 31, 2025, the second individual, this time apparently alone, again entered the Dilworth Walmart wearing the same green sweatshirt and used the Victim's card to purchase a cell phone for $124.66. The second individual wearing a green sweatshirt on both October 30 and October 31 was later identified as ERIC ALLAN LEMER [DOB REDACTED], hereinafter the Defendant, after reviewing the videos of both incidents and comparing them to prior booking photos.
The Defendant's identity was further confirmed after observing a tattoo of a swastika on the second individuals hand in the surveillance videos of the incident. The Defendant has the same tattoo, which has been document during past incidents with law enforcement. In total, the Defendant personally charged or attempted to charge $631.50 to the Victim's credit card during the two incidents. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: Pursuant to Minn. Stat. 609.49., intentional failure to appear for duly scheduled court appearances may result in additional criminal charges, and in addition to any arrest warrant that may otherwise be issued by the Court.
