On October 27, 2025, at approximately 3:12 P.M. Officer Koop with the Waite Park Police Department was dispatched to Fleet Farm located at [address omitted] in the City of Waite Park, County of Stearns, State of Minnesota, for a shoplifting complaint. Loss prevention staff had detained the suspect, later identified as Bryan Michael Rakes, [DOB redacted], the defendant herein. The defendant was observed on surveillance video selecting a Milwaukee battery and wrapping it in tinfoil. The defendant concealed the battery under his coat and exited the store past all points of sale.
The defendant did not try to pay for the battery and did not have permission to take it. Loss prevention staff confronted the defendant who dropped the battery and tinfoil, and complied with their request to go back to the loss prevention office. The value of the battery was $299. Based on Officer Koop's training and experience, tinfoil is commonly used as a shoplifting tool to defeat the loss prevention devices at the entrance of stores. During a statement to Officer Koop, the defendant stated he came to the store with a female named Amanda.
They came to the store with the purpose of shoplifting. Amanda gave him the tinfoil and his understanding of the purpose of the tinfoil was that it would defeat the loss prevention devices. Complainant has reason to believe and does believe that all of the above information is true and correct. The above facts constitute your complainant's basis for believing the above-named defendant, on or between the 27th day of October, 2025, in the city of Waite Park, county of Stearns, state of Minnesota, committed the offenses described herein.
