The owner of a now-closed business in Mt. Lake has been charged in Cottonwood County District Court with nine counts of felony theft by swindle and one count of felony fasifying documents.
According to the criminal complaint, nine separate individuals asserted that Jason J. Flanagan, 43, of Tomahawk, Wisconsin, had swindled them out of money as owner of Mountain Lake Automotive and Powersports.
The complaint stated that on Feb. 24, the Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Department investigator began investigating complaints regarding the dealership. Those complaints documented possible criminal activity from Dec. 31, 2025, through March 1.
The maximum possible sentence for the theft by swindle counts varies, based on the value of the theft. The three counts carrying a value of $35,000 or more have a maximum possible sentence, if convicted, of 20 years in prison and/or a $100,000 fine. Counts with a value of over $5,000 carry a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine. Counts with a value between $1,000 and $5,000 have a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
The charge of falsifying documents has a maximum sentence, if convicted, of three years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.
More on this story appears in the June 17 print and e-editions of the Citizen.
