By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — A 21-year-old Wheeler man accused of armed robberies at Peoples State Bank in Boyceville and at U-Fuel near Elk Mound has been found competent to stand trial and has pleaded not guilty.
David J.R. Hoffman appeared in Dunn County Circuit Court January 3 with attorney Lynn McMullin to enter his plea of not guilty before Judge Rod Smeltzer.
McMullin noted the court hearing was scheduled for a competency evaluation and for an arraignment.
Dr. Donna Minter, a clinical psychologist, has completed a mental health examination and submitted a report to the court, Judge Smeltzer said.
Dr. Minter finds Hoffman to be competent, and based on Dr. Minter’s report, the judge said Hoffman is competent to assist in his own defense and to go forward with court proceedings.
Hoffman is charged in two separate case files regarding the armed robbery of Peoples State Bank in Boyceville October 1, 2019, and an armed robbery at U-Fuel in the Town of Elk Mound on October 11, 2019.
Hoffman entered pleas of “not guilty” for both case files, and Judge Smeltzer accepted Hoffman’s pleas.
When asked if Hoffman was waiving his right to a speedy trial, McMullin said Hoffman wanted to reserve that right for two days to give him time to discuss it with the attorney of record, Shelly Tomtschik.
No explanation was given during the court hearing as to why McMullin was appearing with Hoffman rather than Tomtschik.
The judge set bail at $10,000 cash at a bail hearing October 14 for the U-Fuel robbery.
Hoffman told the court he would only be able to obtain $1,000 in cash from his family.
Judge Smeltzer also set bail at $10,000 cash for the People’s State Bank robbery at the October 16 initial hearing and with the condition that Hoffman is to have no contact with Peoples State Bank in Boyceville.
The bail amounts in both cases are concurrent, meaning Hoffman would only have to post $10,000 in cash once to get out of custody.
Hoffman is charged with two felony counts of armed robbery with the use of a dangerous weapon.
According to the criminal complaints, Hoffmann admitted to investigators he had robbed both Peoples State Bank and U-Fuel.
Armed robbery is a Class C felony that carries a possible penalty for each count, upon conviction, of a fine of up to $100,000 cash and/or 40 years in prison.
Hoffman remained in custody at the time of the January 3 court hearing.
Another hearing is scheduled for Hoffman in Dunn County Circuit Court February 4.
According to the criminal complain, at around 8:26 a.m. October 1, Boyceville Police Chief Greg Lamkin was dispatched to Peoples State Bank in Boyceville on a report of an armed robbery.
A bank employee told Police Chief Lamkin the suspect had displayed a silver handgun and had demanded money. The suspect then fled from the bank on foot, the complaint states.
On October 11 at about 12:57 p.m., Dunn County Sheriff’s Department deputies were dispatched on a report of an armed robbery at U-Fuel on 850th Street in the Town of Elk Mound.
The U-Fuel clerk described the suspect as a 20 to 30 year old white male, between 5’9” and 5’10” tall, medium build, blue eyes and wearing a light tan jacket and blue jeans. The suspect had covered the lower part of his face with a bandana before he entered the U-Fuel store, the complaint states.
Investigators obtained a photograph from a security camera at the storage units north of U-Fuel, and the possible suspect vehicle was an older blue Ford Escape. The images were posted on Facebook in an attempt to gain additional information.
Later that day, a woman contacted one of the deputies at the Dunn County Jail lobby and said she had received information from her daughter that David Hoffman was a suspect in the Peoples State Bank robbery in Boyceville on October 1. The woman said she had reviewed the photograph posted online from the U-Fuel robbery and that the suspect was Hoffman according to the complaint.
The woman said she was the owner of the Ford Escape, and Hoffman had been using it for approximately the last month. The woman also said Hoffman owns a silver handgun, the complaint states.
