Turner Hall burglary, man accused of stealing $18K in equipment, alcohol

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Benjamin Friedl

MILWAUKEE - An East Troy man has been charged with burglary, accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of alcohol and audio equipment from Turner Hall in Milwaukee.

Prosecutors charged 22-year-old Benjamin Friedl with one count of felony burglary.

If convicted, he faces a $25,000 fine and/or 12 years and six months in prison.

Turner Hall robbery

What we know:

According to the criminal complaint, on Dec. 17, 2025, surveillance video at Turner Hall captured two people entering the building via an emergency exit door.

One of those people, later identified as the defendant, Benjamin Friedl, was seen on surveillance video taking several items, including audio equipment and alcoholic beverages, totaling about $18,300.

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Surveillance video also showed Friedl arriving at Turner Hall in a lighter colored truck with a custom Wisconsin license plate. Police looked up the owner of the truck, who said Benjamin Friedl is his grandson and had been using the truck. He identified Friedl as the one on surveillance video loading stuff from Turner Hall into the truck.

Police searched the truck, and found a black jacket with a unique emblem on the left upper arm of the sleeve, which matches the jacket Friedl was wearing.

Interview with Friedl

What we know:

The complaint goes on to say police interviewed Friedl, who admitted to using the truck on the date of the incident. He said that he "blacked out" for a 12-hour period and that he did not recall anything that had happened.

He did admit to having the items that he did not remember stealing, such as various music equipment that was reported stolen by Turner Hall. He confirmed his identity in the surveillance video from inside Turner Hall during the incident.

Court proceedings

What's next:

A $5,000 signature bond was set for Friedl. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 21, 2026.

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Community Connect Milwaukee initiative

Big picture view:

The Milwaukee Police Department stresses the importance of video technology, as Turner Hall's surveillance system greatly helped police with the investigation.

MPD wants to remind the public about its public safety initiative, Community Connect Milwaukee, which allows businesses and residents to register their security cameras to help solve neighborhood crimes.