WINNESSHIEK COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – A Winneshiek County man is now out on bond, accused of stealing 24.5 semi-loads of grain in 2023. This equates to approximately $175,000 in ill-gotten gains.

This is according to criminal complaints associated with Kurt Krauskopf of Decorah. He faces charges of continued criminal conduct, two counts of first-degree robbery and one count of second-degree robbery.

The Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office says the charges stem from a lengthy investigation. They served a search warrant on the afternoon of October 30 and later issued an arrest warrant. Authorities arrested Krauskopf on Monday, November 4. During his initial court appearance that same day, the Sheriff’s Office says the magistrate reduced his bond from $50,000 cash to a signature bond, and Krauskopf was released.

Criminal complaints detail how Krauskopf allegedly obtained the stolen soybeans and corn.

It shows that a review of K&B Farms business records found that a large amount of corn and soybeans were removed in 2023. “Secretly and without permission, Kurt Patrick Krauskopf took corn and soybeans from grain bins and transported them to grain elevators. grains for sale. By depositing the checks for this grain into his personal bank account, he intended to permanently deprive Brad Herman and K&B of their property.”

The documents also show that he kept income from cereal sales out of monthly profit and loss filings with Federal Bankruptcy Court.

They say that in 2023, Krauskopf actually transported 65 semi-loads of corn, averaging 1,028.36 bushels per load, but failed to report approximately 20,293.63 bushels of corn, which documents show matches the amount stolen from K&B Farms .

The documents also describe 9 semi-loads of soybeans that Krauskopf sold in 2023, averaging 860.68 bushels per load, and then failed to report 3,928.67 bushels on his monthly federal bankruptcy profit and loss filing.

Documents show that all of that was the equivalent of 24.5 semi-loads, which they say demonstrates “an ongoing pattern of criminal activity for financial gain” and more than $175,000 in stolen proceeds.

Another document shows that authorities verified data from Krauskopf’s combine, indicating areas that were not combined, but were actually cut for silage from Krauskopf fields, as well as those belonging to K&B Farms. It was equivalent to approximately 7.9 acres, or 1,853.82 bushels of corn.

The document goes on to show that “Kurt Krauskopf confirmed that he did not receive any payment in corn for the partnership with K&B. “Kurt Patrick Krauskopf admitted to harvesting less bushel than he sold during October-December 2023 and admitted to cutting silage on the K&B farm without permission.”

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