Rochester woman sentenced to supervised probation, fines, fees, restitution on felony burglary and aiding an offender charges in Mower County District Court

A Rochester woman involved in the theft of 10 firearms, a compound bow and other items from a residence in Austin in January of 2022 has been sentenced to supervised probation, fines, fees and restitution, plus community work service in Mower County District Court.

28-year old April Taylor Arends was convicted and sentenced Thursday to one year of supervised probation, just over $5,000 in restitution, fines and fees, plus 40 hours of community work service for a felony charge of 1st degree burglary, possession of a dangerous weapon or explosive.  Arends must adhere to 15 different conditions while on probation, and she was also convicted and sentenced Thursday to one year of supervised probation and 40 hours of community work service for a felony charge of aiding an offender, obstructing an investigation.  Arends received a stay of imposition on both charges, mearing that the defendant pleads guilty to a felony-level offense.  If he or she successfully completes their probation, the conviction will be deemed a misdemeanor.

Arends pleaded guilty to both charges on February 17th, and 10 felony charges for theft of a firearm, a felony 2nd degree burglary charge, plus a gross misdemeanor theft charge in the case against Arends were all dismissed with her guilty pleas.