Charges stem from construction project

Blake Andrew Sundvor, 41, of Frazee has been charged with multiple counts of felony theft by swindle in Becker County District Court.

A man identified in the complaint by the initials BL stated he met Sundvor in 2021 and the duo verbally agreed Sundvor would complete a construction project at the man’s property, according to court records.

According to the theft report, the man gave a check in the amount of $20,000 to Sundvor to begin the project and provided another check worth $30,000, which included a list of work to be completed by Sundvor and necessary materials.

Allegedly, Sundvor worked at the property three times in shifts of three to four hours each, with his last visit coming in May of 2023.

The following month, Sundvor was served with a stop work letter by the man’s attorney, asking Sundvor to return all materials and the money. Since June 2023, nothing has been returned.

Sundvor and the same man are involved in a second felony count of theft by swindle incident.

During the construction project, Sundvor claimed he could repair a vehicle owned by the man, whose identity was still made by the initials BL.

The man gave Sundvor a check for $3,600 after he claimed he could repair the man’s 1975 Chevrolet Impala. The man was under the assumption that Sundvor owned Lakes Country Towing and had the vehicle towed there. Sundvor claimed he would work on the car over the winter and return it repaired in the spring.

According to the complaint, no work was completed on the car and Sundvor did not return the $3,600.

The Becker County Attorney’s Office filed a notice with the court in February about offering evidence of nine swindle-type offenses perpetrated by Sundvor from 2001 to 2012.

The evidence allegedly provides details on each of the prior offenses.

Sundvor was released without bond on Thursday, Feb. 8, under regular release conditions with his next court appearance scheduled for Monday, March 25.

Sundvor, also known as Blake Mastin, has a lengthy criminal history including convictions for disorderly conduct, domestic abuse – violate order for protection, multiple thefts, including a felony conviction in 2005 and the nationally publicized incident from KSTP-TV and KARE 11 where he claimed to have designed a unique cap to stop the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which was quickly refuted by experts.