A Hastings man was convicted of theft last week for financial transaction card fraud and for stealing items from a car last year.

According to court documents, on Oct. 29, 2020, the Redwood County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by Integrity Bank in Wabasso about fraudulent charges on an account. A client had reported her debit card was lost on Oct. 25, and multiple transactions had been made on it at area businesses.

Further investigation, aided by surveillance video from those businesses ultimately determined that Ermaine Lewis Burke, age 32, of Hastings, had been making the fraudulent transactions.

On Sept. 14 Burke was convicted for financial transaction card fraud to 60 days in the Redwood County jail, with credit for 32 days time served, and three years supervised probation.

Also, in a separate charge, on Oct. 30, 2020, the Lower Sioux Tribal Police Department was contacted by Jackpot Junction security about a theft that had occurred in the casino’s parking lot the evening before. The vehicle involved in the theft was then currently at the gas pump of the convenience store.

A deputy drove to the store and made contact with Ermaine Lewis Burke, who denied involvement in the theft, then admitted he had taken some toolboxes from a trailer. The deputy found three toolboxes, valued at $1,800, in Burke’s trunk.

On Sept. 14 Burke was convicted of theft and sentenced to 60 days in the Redwood County jail, with credit for 32 days time served, and three years supervised probation, to run concurrent with the previous case’s charges.