A Bayport man who was charged earlier this year with inappropriately touching a 16-year-old girl has now been charged with also improperly touching an 18-year-old woman.

Washington County prosecutors charged Michael Bergum, 35, with one count each of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct, stemming from an incident in August when Bergum allegedly slapped an 18-year-old friend of his daughter on her rear end several times. The woman said he also pulled her pants down and touched her rear end.

Bergum's attorney Craig Cascarano did not return calls seeking comment this morning, but in October told the Gazette his client was innocent of the charges against him.

"We adamantly deny the charges and we're anxious to get the case in front of a jury because we are confident Mike will be vindicated," Cascarano said then.

The attorney also said at that time he was aware that Bergum was under investigation for other allegations, but was confident that his client would not be charged.

According to the criminal complaint, Bergum's daughter on Aug. 18 had four female friends over at the Bayport home. The girls told police that the suspect appeared drunk and was acting "really creepy."

Bergum several times entered a room where the girls were hanging out, and he asked them to follow him to another room, to watch his TV commercials. Bergum appears on TV advertisements for his Stillwater-based mortgage company.

Each time Bergum entered the room, the victim said he became more aggressive and eventually chased her around the bedroom. Then, he picked her up over his shoulder and slapped her behind, which he continued to do, even though the woman asked him to stop, she told police. After one of the times he lifted her up, she punched him and Bergum let her down.

The complaint states that Bergum called her two offensive names after she hit him and that he sprayed her with liquid soap, smearing it on her hair.

The woman told police that she was "very frightened" of Bergum and when he entered the room a final time about 10 minutes later, she moved toward a walk-in closet with another one of the girls, thinking he wouldn't be able to reach them.

But Bergum followed them and picked the girl up again and inappropriately touched the woman's buttocks, according to police. The woman said she screamed at the suspect to put her down and then locked herself in the bathroom. She left the home soon after.

If convicted on both counts, Bergum faces up to 15 years in prison and $30,000 in fines.

He also faces felony sexual assault charges from the July incident, when he allegedly provided alcohol to a 16-year-old girl and inappropriately touched her in a sexual manner. Those sexual assault charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail and a fine of $30,000.

In July, Bergum was convicted of fifth-degree possession of cocaine.

Burglar takes briefcase, leaves wallet

Washington County Sheriff's deputies say they know who ransacked a garage on the 12600 block of 50th Street South in Afton earlier this month.

How are they so sure? Police said the suspect left his wallet at the scene.

County prosecutors have since charged a 21-year-old Afton man with third-degree burglary, stemming from an incident on Dec. 7 when a homeowner reported that several items valued more than $850 were stolen from her garage.

The homeowner at about 6 a.m. noticed the garage was in a "complete state of disarray." Several items were missing, including a black leather briefcase that contained a passport and US Bank checkbook, a mid-sized hockey bag, a leather bag, change from one of the parked cars, a global positioning system, space heater, subwoofer speakers and a hockey stick.

But she also found a wallet with identification and handed it over to authorities.

When county investigators questioned the man about the incident, he said, "Well, yes. Maybe I stopped on the way home and looked through their garage," and that he committed the theft for extra Christmas money.

The suspect faces maximum penalties of 5 years in prison and a fine of $10,000.