Sheriff's Office: Minnesota Sex Offender Located in Burr Oak, Arrested on Iowa Charges

Become a part of the exclusive circle! Subscribe to the newsletter for free and gain access to special offers, bonus content and insider perks. The following arrests were reported by the Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office on Monday, August 26. On August 21, 2025, at 3:24 p.m., BLAKE JOHNSON, 30, of Decorah, Iowa, was arrested at 2374 Legacy Road in Burr Oak, Iowa. Following the execution of a search warrant, Johnson was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail for aggravated misdemeanor sex offender registration violation under Iowa Code 692A.111. The Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Winneshiek County Attorney's Office. This case remains under investigation. According to the official criminal complaint obtained by DecorahNews.com, earlier in the month, Minnesota authorities notified the Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office that Johnson, a registered sex offender in Minnesota, was non-compliant and had active warrants, including a full extradition warrant out of Mower County, Minnesota. An investigation by deputies confirmed that Johnson had been living in Winneshiek County for about two months without registering as required in Iowa. Johnson admitted his residency and knowledge of the outstanding warrants. On August 21, 2025, at 6:19 p.m., MARK VILARDO, 53, of Decorah, Iowa, turned himself in at the Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office. Vilardo was arrested and booked into the Winneshiek County Jail on an arrest warrant for failure to appear under Iowa Code 811.2. On August 18, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., BRADEN WHITTLE, 20, of Farmersburg, Iowa, turned himself in at the Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office. Whittle was arrested and booked into the Winneshiek County Jail on an arrest warrant for violation of probation under Iowa Code 908.11. On August 22, 2025, at 1:55 p.m., ERIC MOEN, 39, of Cresco, Iowa, was arrested on 170th Avenue by Arbor Road near Freeport, Decorah, Iowa. Deputies located Moen after receiving a report of a suspicious male. He was found intoxicated and booked into the Winneshiek County Jail for simple misdemeanor public intoxication under Iowa Code 123.46. Knowledge is power! Stay empowered by subscribing to the free newsletter, packed with valuable insights, stories of local newsmakers and ideas to get your weekend started.