By Deb Kroon
Review Staff Writer
On Wednesday, September 27, there was an attempted break-in and damage to Exchange State Bank in Ellsworth. The Bank’s surveillance footage recorded a man coming to the bank around 1 a.m. who began kicking the doors of the 24-hour access area and the glass entry door of the bank. The male from the surveillance footage appeared to be Shane Conklin, who was placed under arrest.
Shane Conklin, a 21 year old man from Kenneth, MN, allegedly broke the glass door to the bank’s 24-hour public access area and kicked the ATM machine. The complaint goes on to say that a Nobles County Sheriff’s Office deputy saw Conklin walking away from the bank, and upon stopping him, smelled alcohol. Conklin told the sheriff’s deputy that he been drinking in Sioux Falls, S.D. earlier that night and was staying at a house in Ellsworth. Conklin said he left his friend’s house around midnight and was looking for shelter from the cold, but denied having been at the bank. A preliminary breath test revealed Conklin had a breath alcohol content of 0.116 percent.
Conklin said he did not remember breaking the door to the bank, when interviewed the next day.
Conklin has been charged with second-degree burglary of a building containing a bank — use of force, a felony; and fourth-degree intentional damage to property, a misdemeanor. The felony charge has a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and/or a $20,000 fine.
Conklin’s initial appearance in Nobles County District Court has been scheduled for Oct. 10.
