Authorities investigating criminal history of Closs suspect's brother

(FOX 9) - The suspect in the Jayme Closs case, Jake Patterson, has no criminal record to speak of - not even a parking ticket. However, Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald says detectives are looking at the criminal history of his brother.    

"We did get a tip on a sibling that has some criminal record,” said Sheriff Fitzgerald. “Our DCI and FBI teams are looking into that. I didn't look into his record. That just came in on our tipline.”

It's important to point out that investigators believe Jake Patterson acted alone in the abduction of Jayme and the murder of her parents. There are no other suspects in the case at this point.  

The suspect’s brother, 24-year-old Erik Patterson, is a convicted sex offender and at one time lived in the same home in Gordon, Wisconsin, where Jayme was held captive.  

According to court records, six years ago, when Erik Patterson was 18, he drove from Gordon to Buffalo City, nearly three hours away, to meet a 15-year-old girl and have sex with her. The girl told police she met Erik three weeks earlier on "an online chat site." Erik told police he "thought she was 17." In Erik's car, police found several maps, clothes and a police scanner.  

Erik Patterson was charged with criminal sexual assault in the second degree, but the charge was reduced to fourth degree. He pled no contest and got a year probation. He moved to Leadville, Colorado a few years ago, where he worked at a Subway sandwich shop. A manager told FOX 9 he did a "s----- job and smoked a lot of pot."

In fact, Erik Patterson he has two felony convictions in Wisconsin for manufacturing and dealing marijuana. He has several convictions for marijuana possession.

FOX 9 reached out to Erik Patterson, but his phone has been turned off and he has taken down his Facebook page.