On March 24, 2026, prosecutors charged Jason Robert Schaalma, 50, of Bemidji, with two felony counts of theft by swindle under Minn. Stat. § 609.52.2(a)(4).
Authorities allege Schaalma manipulated dealership inventory records to hide unauthorized vehicle transactions. The dealership reported roughly $84,000 in missing inventory.
According to the criminal complaint, Schaalma, who worked as a used car manager at a dealership in Northwest Minnesota, prepared purchase agreements for vehicles sold to another dealer, printed the documents, and then removed the transactions from the dealership’s system. Prosecutors allege he deleted those entries so the vehicles would not appear in online listings and provided inaccurate explanations about their whereabouts when questioned.
The complaint states dealership personnel observed Schaalma acting suspiciously while transferring property from a demo vehicle to a newly leased truck. Upon further inspection, dealership staff discovered eighteen deal jackets containing vehicle transaction data inside the demo vehicle left at the dealership.
Investigators reviewed bank records and identified twenty-one checks issued to Schaalma by the other dealer between March 2025 and February 2026, totaling $50,800. Authorities allege he deposited those funds into a personal account and acknowledged accepting side payments and reallocating amounts across deals to offset discrepancies.
