Fort Dodge Man Faces Felony Charges in Multi-Store Bomgaars Fraud Scheme

Duke Davis, 40, allegedly walked into five Bomgaars locations stretching across central and northwest Iowa, charged roughly $7,300 in merchandise to a former employer's business account, and forged a coworker's signature on each transaction to make the purchases appear authorized. The Storm Lake Police Department announced his arrest April 2 after an investigation that traced the fraudulent charges back to the Fort Dodge resident.

Davis was booked at the Buena Vista County Jail on March 23 on three felony counts: ongoing criminal conduct, forgery and second-degree theft. He had been held at the Webster County Jail before being transferred to Buena Vista County custody and is being held on a $32,000 bond.

Investigators say the alleged scheme began in early December 2025 and was first reported to law enforcement on January 8, 2026. One of the five targeted stores was the Bomgaars location in Storm Lake. Authorities allege Davis exploited his familiarity with a former employer's business payment account, using those credentials to make repeated unauthorized purchases while signing a coworker's name to each transaction. That detail is significant: an uninvolved third party had their identity implicated on every fraudulent receipt, a wrinkle that adds a fraud dimension beyond simple theft.

Piecing the scheme together required coordination across multiple jurisdictions, with loss-prevention staff and law enforcement connecting purchases at stores spread across two regions of the state. The "ongoing criminal conduct" charge reflects that cross-jurisdictional work; it allows prosecutors to aggregate separately occurring incidents into a single, more serious felony when the conduct is continuous and related, rather than treating each store visit as an isolated offense.

The case carries a practical warning for any local business or employer that issues shared purchasing accounts: when an employee departs, account credentials and authorization privileges do not automatically terminate. Reconciling purchasing records against a current list of authorized users, and promptly removing access after a separation, can surface unauthorized activity before losses compound.

The Storm Lake Police Department says the investigation remains active. Anyone who suspects they have witnessed fraudulent activity at a Bomgaars or other area retailer can contact Storm Lake Police directly. The case will be prosecuted through the Buena Vista County Attorney's office, with Davis's arraignment and subsequent court proceedings still ahead.