Mankato man convicted in Redwood County Court of giving false name to police officers

A Mankato man was found guilty in Redwood County Court of giving a false name to police officers investigating him for suspicious behavior.

According to the criminal complaint and testimony at trial, officers were called to the Jackpot Junction Casio at about 12:20 a.m. on June 24, 2020 to investigate a suspicious  male taking photographs of security guards. The man also appeared to be tampering with several  motor vehicles. Security staff  identified Todd Richard Kalis, age 52, as the suspicious male.

Officers found Kalis in the hotel lobby; as they  approached him he began walking away. After being asked twice to stop he complied. When  asked what his name was he told officers, “Trong”. He also stated he did not have a reason to  identify himself to officers. Kalis was asked many times to provide his name, but refused. 

Officers later learned Trong was a real person who Kalis was staying with at the hotel. Officers  were finally able to identify him as Todd Kalis after he was placed under arrest by a debit card  located in his wallet.  

A Redwood County District Court jury found Todd Richard Kalis, 52, guilty of giving a  false name to a police officer, County Attorney Jenna Peterson announced Wednesday. The jury deliberated for approximately three hours on Friday, May 21st, before delivering the guilty verdict around 2 p.m.  

Kelsie Kingstrom, Assistant Redwood County Attorney, who prosecuted the case, told  the jury in her closing argument, “This is not a complicated case. You cannot give the name of  someone else to a police officer, when that officer is trying ascertain who you are.”  

Kalis was sentenced on May 21st at the Redwood County Courthouse to pay a $200 fine,  to serve three days in jail, and was placed on six months of unsupervised probation with the  condition that he remain law abiding and of good behavior.