Burglars Fake Contractor Identities To Target Elderly In Minnesota

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- Authorities have issued arrest warrants for a national burglary crew accused of posing as contractors to gain access to Rochester area homes. 

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The warrants were filed in Olmsted County Court on Tuesday. The suspects are alleged to have committed the burglaries in late May. 

Both pairs of victims are described as elderly in the court documents. 

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Traveling Burglary Crew, Known for Operating in Multiple States, Hits Two Olmsted County Homes

21-year-old Cody Luigi Frank of Schaumberg, IL, 47-year-old Jason Leo Frank of Elgin, IL and 35-year-old Andy Bimbo of North Chicago are wanted for two counts each of first-degree burglary charges. 

Court documents say the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported burglary at a home on 75th St. on the evening of May 30. 

The son of the homeowners told deputies he returned from a bike ride when he received a motion notification from the inside of his parent’s home. 

He told law enforcement two men, later identified as Bimbo and Cody Frank, had “tricked their way” inside of his parents home claiming to be roofing contractors from a company called 5 Starts Construction. 

Surveillance footage from inside of the home shows Frank entering the homeowners bedroom while Bimbo spoke with the victims. The warrant says Frank is seen putting on gloves and going through dresser drawers. 

He then is seen exiting the room when Bimbo made a chirp that sounded like the word bike, the court documents say. 

Around the same time, the sheriff’s office responded to the report of a theft at a rural Byron home on nearby Olmsted County Rd. 103. 

The homeowners told law enforcement three men claiming to be from 5 Starts Construction informed them their roof was damaged. One of the suspects conversed with the victims while the two others went about the house to inspect the corners of the ceiling. 

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When the suspects left, the homeowners discovered that $300 in cash was missing and that several things were out of place, the warrants say. 

After identifying the suspects, investigators came across a law enforcement intelligence bulletin that describes the group as a “known traveling burglary crew operating in multiple states.” 

The warrant says their whereabouts are currently unknown.