Daniel Lindgren, 29, of West Fargo has been charged with felony theft after allegedly embezzling over $2.7 million from Shorestone Development, a Fargo-based construction company. Court documents state that Fargo police were called to the company on October 26th to investigate the fraud report filed by Mark Payne, the company’s owner.
As Chief Operating Officer, Lindgren reportedly had access to five business bank accounts, including Payne’s personal accounts. Payne became suspicious after Bell Bank alerted him to possible fraudulent activity on one of the accounts. During an October 18th meeting with a Bell Bank representative, suspicions were raised about Lindgren’s potential involvement in embezzling funds. Bremer Bank also flagged Lindgren for similar fraudulent activities.
A detailed review of transactions at Bremer Bank from May 2022 to September 2024 revealed that 262 out of 345 business checks issued from Shorestone Development accounts were payable to Lindgren, totaling $2,716,180.50. The Payne family is now reviewing additional accounts with other banks to identify any further fraudulent activities.
Authorities believe the total amount of Lindgren’s alleged embezzlement may increase as the investigation progresses.
