A Hastings man has been charged with multiple felony counts of Theft by Swindle after an investigation from the Hastings Police Department. According to court records, the Hastings Police Department was alerted to a potential series of thefts in March of 2025 by an employee of MidState Plumbing, where 47-year-old Brandon Anderson was accused of stealing as much as $85,000 over several years.
Court records state the owner of MidState Plumbing became suspicious when the part of the business Anderson oversaw lost a significant amount of money, material costs were found to be unusually high, and Anderson’s behavior began to change. The investigation determined that since 2021 Defendant had stolen money from MidState through multiple methods:
1). Collecting payment for work MidState completed and retaining it for himself
2). Selling company inventory to employees for personal use and/or side projects and then keeping the money
3). Selling company inventory to customers and retaining the money for himself
Items allegedly stolen by Anderson include water heaters and installations, water softeners, batteries, furnace, and contract work among others over a five-year period.
Anderson has been charged with five felony counts of Theft by Swindle, two of which are designated in amounts between $1,000 and $5,000, two are designated as over $5,000, and one for over $35,000 stolen. The highest charge includes a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a possible fine of between $30,000 to $100,000.
As with any criminal case, a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.