Minnesota's largest Hindu temple was burglarized in June 2024 by thieves linked to a national ring targeting Hindu and Buddhist temples. Approximately $70,000 in personal items, jewelry, cash and sacred religious items were stolen from the priest quarters.
Temple Incident Details
- Temple / sacred site
- Not recorded
- Tradition / sampradaya
- Not recorded
- Incident type
- Burglary / Theft
- Damage type
- Break-in / forced entry
- Was anyone inside?
- No
- Investigation status
- Charges Filed
- Law-enforcement agency
- Maple Grove Police Department (multi-jurisdictional investigation)
- Last updated
- 2026-10-03
Property damage
Back door broken; priest quarters entered; approx. $70,000 in items stolen.
Murtis / sacred objects affected
Sacred religious items among property stolen (per temple president and police reports).
What Happened
The Hindu Society of Minnesota in Maple Grove, the state's largest Hindu temple, was burglarized in June 2024 — the same day as the Wat Promwachirayan Buddhist temple in St. Louis Park. Thieves broke in through a back door and stole roughly $70,000 worth of items from the priest's quarters, including jewelry, cash and sacred religious items. The burglary was part of a wider series May–July 2024 in which at least 16 temples and homes were hit; temple president Shajive Jeganathan estimated total losses across affected temples at well over $100,000. Police described the case as connected to a national theft ring targeting religious temples.
Evidence Concerning Targeting or Motive
No specific evidence of motive has been recorded. A perpetrator's religion is never treated as evidence of motive.
Casualties / Displacement
- Fatalities
- Unknown
- Injuries
- Unknown
- Displaced
- Unknown
Where credible sources differ, the archive shows confirmed figures and reported estimates separately rather than a single exact number.
Investigation / Accountability
Responsible actor (as documented)
Two men charged: Stefan Buzoianu (37) and Artur Crudu (27), believed by police to be part of a national ring targeting religious temples across the U.S.
Investigation
Multi-jurisdictional investigation led by Maple Grove police and other Twin Cities agencies into a string of temple and home burglaries May–July 2024.
Arrests
Buzoianu was captured during a burglary in progress in Blaine and later arrested by immigration officials; Crudu was in custody in California on other burglary charges.
Prosecution / court outcome
Both men charged with multiple counts of burglary (October 2024). Buzoianu was deported to Romania in October 2024 after failing to appear for immigration proceedings.
Sources
Primary sources
- Two charged in connection to Twin Cities temple thefts, police say — Jason Rantala, CBS Minnesota (WCCO), 2024-10-14Contemporaneous News Reportnews
- Man charged in burglaries of Twin Cities Hindu, Buddhist temples is deported — Nicole Ki, MPR News, 2024-10-24Contemporaneous News Reportnews
- 2 charged after Twin Cities Buddhist, Hindu temples hit by national theft ring — Nicole Ki, MPR News, 2024-10-15Contemporaneous News Reportnews
- Authorities investigating string of Buddhist, Hindu temple thefts — Jason Rantala, CBS Minnesota (WCCO), 2024-08-16Contemporaneous News Reportnews
Methodology
This record distinguishes documented facts from allegations, estimates and disputed interpretations, and may be revised as reliable evidence emerges. Read our research methodology.