Notice: Pursuant to Minnesota Rule of Criminal Procedure 7.02, the prosecution provides notice that, at trial, the State will offer evidence of all offenses referenced herein, in addition to the offense herein charged, for the purpose of proving the motive, intent, preparation, plan, and identity of the perpetrator. This complaint relates to offenses committed in St. Paul. A separate complaint will be filed for offenses committed in Maplewood. Maplewood (CN: 26006023) On 3/1/2026, at 0747 hours, Maplewood Police took a robbery report.
The caller, IZH, said her boyfriend was driving her 2009 Lincoln MKX (MN/TBA-937) and someone stole it. Police spoke to her boyfriend, IRC, who said he was driving the Lincoln the night before (2/28/26) and gave a homeless guy a ride to the Holiday Gas Station at 280 McKnight Road S in Maplewood, Ramsey County. IRC said he had given the guy rides before and only knew him as “Chevy G”. Police later positively identified “Chevy G” as Johnny Bernard BURGIN Jr. ([DOB redacted]). According to IRC, while they were parked at Holiday, BURGIN yelled at him, grabbed IRC’s phone (iPhone 16 - valued at $899), grabbed the Lincoln’s keys, and said "I could kill you." BURGIN then exited the vehicle, said he would be back in 15 minutes, and left the scene in a blue SUV. IRC waited at Holiday, BURGIN did not return, so IRC took an Uber home.
IRC said he hoped the situation could be settled without police, but in the morning (on 3/1/26), he learned that the Lincoln was gone from Holiday. IRC provided police a description of BURGIN, including his distinctive face tattoos, and the Lincoln was entered into NCIC as stolen. The next day, on 3/2/26, a Maplewood Detective spoke to IRC again and IRC provided him a photo of BURGIN. Using MRAP photos and recent booking photos, the Detective positively identified the suspect as BURGIN and issued a KOPS alert.
The Detective then reviewed other police incidents involving BURGIN and identified LRH as BURGIN’s girlfriend. The Detective contacted LRH by telephone at about 1100 hours. LRH said BURGIN came to her house at night on 2/28/26. He told her about a confrontation with IRC and asked her for a ride to the Holiday gas station. At about 1930-2000 hours on 02/28/2026, LRH drove BURGIN to Holiday, dropped him off, and saw the Lincoln there. LRH said BURGIN had been driving the Lincoln since then and told her that it wasn’t necessarily stolen.
LRH said she last saw BURGIN about 25 minutes earlier (at about 1030 hours) in the Lincoln near the Sun Ray shopping center. LRH also provided the Detective BURGIN’s phone number. The Detective called BURGIN and left a message. At about 1104 hours, BURGIN called him back and said "Chevy G speaking." When the Detective mentioned the incident at Holiday, BURGIN hung up. After several failed attempts to call BURGIN back, at about 1545 hours, the Detective spoke to BURGIN again. BURGIN admitted that he took the keys and the Lincoln from Holiday.
