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Crime, Law and Justice
Hannah Yang
Mankato, Minn.

Good Thunder mayor enters guilty plea for misuse of city funds

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Sentencing is set for Good Thunder Mayor Robert Anderson, who was charged in 2022 for alleged conflicts of interest involving city contracts. 

Anderson, who has served as the mayor since 1992, agreed to enter a guilty plea agreement on Sept. 26 to a gross misdemeanor of a public official having a personal interest in a contract and or personally benefiting from one. As part of the plea agreement, felony charges for embezzlement and theft would be dropped. 

The guilty plea stems from a 2020 incident where Anderson’s shipping company received $1,723 from the city of Good Thunder to haul gravel. The city council had not approved the contracted work.

The Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office followed up on an investigative referral from the Office of the State Auditor on Oct. 19, 2022 for possible financial conflicts of interest regarding Anderson. Investigators executed multiple search warrants and recovered relevant documents and arrested Anderson at his home. 

Anderson could face a maximum of one year in jail and or a $3,000 fine. Sentencing is set for Jan. 14. The mayor is running for re-election and is the only mayoral candidate on the ballot for Nov. 5.