Warrants issued for final two suspects in Boyceville Fire Department theft

By Cara L. Dempski

MENOMONIE — Dunn County Circuit Court Judge Rod Smeltzer issued warrants for two more suspects in the June 2016 theft of sound equipment owned by the Boyceville Fire Department.

Online records indicate Smeltzer issued a warrant for Andrew J. Helmueller, age 25 of Boyceville, on April 3, and Hope Chovan, age 19 of Somerset, April 4. Boyceville Police Chief Greg Lamkin indicated the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office arrested Chovan the evening of April 4; he had no further information regarding her arrest.

Officers reported to Helmueller’s last known address to arrest him, but were told he no longer lives there.

The two are the final suspects in the theft of approximately $3,000 worth of sound equipment from the Boyceville Fire Department’s concessions stand at the local airport in June 2016. Chovan is charged with one count of burglary of a building or dwelling as a party to a crime, a class F felony, while Helmueller is charged with both burglary and felony bail jumping, a class H felony.

If convicted, Chovan and Helmueller could face fines up to $25,000, up to 12 years in prison, or both for the burglary charges. Helmueller, who has been charged in at least two other Dunn County theft cases in 2016, could receive up to $10,000 in fines, six years in prison, or both for class H felony bail jumping.