District of Minnesota
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Bloomington Fugitive Arrested, Extradited on Child Pornography, Enticement, and Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Bloomington fugitive has been arrested and extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on child pornography, child enticement, and identity theft charges, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between October 2020 through September 2022, Ibrahim Ghassan Sleyman, 30, used Snapchat and other messaging apps to solicit sexually explicit material and sex acts from minors, some as young as nine-years-old. Additionally, Sleyman groomed and enticed a minor victim to produce child pornography and engage in sexual activity with Sleyman by providing the minor with drugs and gifts. Once Sleyman became aware of law enforcement’s ongoing investigation, he fled to Abu Dhabi, UAE, on September 6, 2022.
On September 15, 2023, upon his return to the United States, Sleyman was taken into federal custody by the FBI. The indictment charges Sleyman with production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, enticement of a minor, transfer of obscene material to a minor, and identity theft. He made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Jon Huseby and was ordered to remain in custody pending trial.
To date, law enforcement has identified several minor victims, and is actively attempting to confirm the identity of many others. If you believe you or your minor dependent(s) have been victimized by Ibrahim Sleyman, please contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Elk River Police Department, and the Pleasant Hill, Missouri Police Department, with assistance from the St. Paul Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the State Department, the Ministries of Justice and Interior of the United Arab Emirates, UAE Interpol, Abu Dhabi Airport Police and Abu Dhabi International Airport – Airport Security provided significant support and assistance in Sleyman’s extradition from the United Arab Emirates.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
White Earth Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
A White Earth man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in June 2022, the White Earth Police Department received information that Redfeather Sturdevant, 44, was selling drugs from his house. On June 23, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant of the defendant’s residence. At his residence, law enforcement seized approximately 167 grams of methamphetamine, 210 fentanyl pills, and a loaded handgun. Law enforcement also found approximately $1,268 in cash drug proceeds at the defendant’s residence.
On April 13, 2023, Sturdevant pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced today by Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force and the White Earth Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M Endicott prosecuted the case.
Three Twin Cities Men Arrested, Charged with Operating a Machinegun Distribution Ring on SnapchatRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Three Twin Cities men have been arrested and charged after law enforcement disrupted a social media-based machinegun distribution ring, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Rafael Carter Wesley, 19, Kyrees Darious Johnson, 22, and Avont Akira Drayton, 21, have been charged in three separate criminal complaints with one count each of unlawful possession of machineguns.
According to court documents, in March 2023, law enforcement became aware of a Snapchat group called “BLICCS&STICCS3.” Law enforcement suspected the group was used to facilitate the trafficking of machineguns, firearms, and controlled substances in the Twin Cities and outlying areas. Law enforcement obtained screenshots and videos of several individuals in the group selling, promoting, and operating machinegun conversion devices (MCD) that convert a semi-automatic firearm—either a pistol or a rifle—into a fully automatic machinegun. These devices are classified as machineguns and are regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA).
According to court documents, on March 20, 2023, an undercover law enforcement officer began monitoring the group. The undercover officer posted a picture of prop firearm to the BLICCS&STICCS3 group. Shortly thereafter, a user of the group, later identified as Wesley, reached out to the undercover officer and asked if he wanted to trade the firearm for what is commonly referred to as a Glock “switch” or a “button.” On or about March 26, 2023, the undercover officer continued conversations with Wesley on Snapchat about potentially purchasing Glock “switches.” Wesley indicated “switches” would cost $700 for two or $900 for three. The undercover officer agreed to purchase three switches for $900 and indicated he would pay an extra $100 if Wesley drove up to St. Cloud to deliver the switches. On March 27, 2023, Wesley met the undercover officer in St. Cloud and sold him three switches for $1,000.
On April 4, 2023, a second transaction was arranged through Wesley with a St. Paul meeting location. Wesley and another member of the BLICCS&STICCS3 Snapchat group—later confirmed to be Johnson—sold an additional three switches to the undercover officer for $900.
On April 13, 2023, undercover officers met with Wesley in Minneapolis to purchase an unserialized Glock 17 for $700. Following the transaction, the undercover officers asked Wesley to install the switch previously purchased from Wesley onto the Glock 17. Wesley agreed and installed the switch.
That same day, Wesley separately coordinated a meeting during which undercover officers met with Drayton, another member of the BLICCS&STICCS3 Snapchat group, to purchase a 3D-printed drop-in MCD for an AR-style rifle for $550. During the transaction, Drayton showed the undercover officers a video on his phone of Drayton shooting a firearm with a drop-in MCD inserted. Drayton commented to the undercover officers that the drop-in made the firearm shoot “way too [expletive] fast.” On May 11, 2023, an undercover officer directly arranged to meet with Drayton at a location in Eagan to purchase two drop-in MCDs for $800. However, when Drayton arrived at the meeting location, he stated that he had only had one MCD and sold it to the undercover officer for $400. On June 9, 2023, undercover officers again met with Drayton and purchased a Glock pistol and a “switch” for $1,300.
According to court documents, between March and June 2023, undercover law enforcement officers conducted approximately six controlled buys with multiple members of the BLICCS&STICCS3 group.
According to court documents, Johnson is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time because he has prior felony convictions and both Wesley and Drayton are subject to court-imposed restrictions that prohibit them from possessing firearms.
Johnson and Drayton made their initial appearances in today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty. Wesley made his initial appearance on September 14, 2023.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force, the St. Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Dakota County Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bayport Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting a Mail CarrierRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Bayport man has been sentenced to 68 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting a mail carrier, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on October 26, 2018, a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier was delivering mail in St. Paul. As the mail carrier was crossing the street, Kevin Demetri Blocker, 27, driving a Nissan Altima, approached the intersection at speed and had to brake quickly to allow the mail carrier to continue crossing the street. The mail carrier shouted to Blocker that he was required to yield. Blocker parked his vehicle and confronted the mail carrier. Blocker forcibly assaulted the mail carrier by striking him in the face. The mail carrier fell to the ground and hit his head on the concrete. The mail carrier was taken to the hospital and required 12 stitches to close a wound on the back of his head. Blocker attempted to hide his involvement in the offense by reporting the Nissan Altima stolen and selling it to another individual.
On May 15, 2023, Blocker pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a federal employee. He was sentenced on September 11, 2023, by Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Polachek prosecuted the case.
St. Paul Woman Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Role in Child Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul woman has been sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release and restitution to the victims for her role in a sex trafficking conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, from May 2020 through December 2020, Gisela Castro Medina, 21, conspired with co-defendant Anton Joseph Lazzaro, 32, to recruit and solicit six minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts.
The prosecution team, led by Assistant United States Attorneys Melinda Williams, Laura Provinzino and Emily Polachek, said, “Anton Lazzaro and Gisela Castro Medina have been held accountable for their crimes. This case has shown the reality of modern-day sex trafficking: wealth, privilege, and social media used as weapons to target and manipulate vulnerable youth. It’s been a long road and we are grateful to the victims for their strength and resilience throughout.”
According to court documents, in May 2020, Castro Medina met Lazzaro through the Seeking Arrangement website, which is known as a “sugar daddy” website. Lazzaro began communicating with Castro Medina and a minor victim and invited them to his condo at the Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis. Before arriving at the Hotel Ivy, Castro Medina told Lazzaro that the minor victim was only 16 years old. Lazzaro provided Castro Medina and the minor victim with alcohol and paid them $600 for commercial sex acts with him. Lazzaro continued to engage in commercial sexual acts with the minor victim and, on each occasion, Lazzaro paid her in the form of an envelope of cash. Half of each cash payment was for Castro Medina.
According to court documents, Castro Medina and Lazzaro continued to communicate via Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Signal. Lazzaro directed Castro Medina to use WhatsApp and eventually Signal because of the applications’ encryption and deletion features. Castro Medina used social media and her school, friend, and community networks to identify other minor girls for Lazzaro. Castro Medina would show Lazzaro photographs of minor girls and if Lazzaro “approved” Castro Medina would reach out to the minor and provide the minor’s contact information to Lazzaro. Castro Medina told the minors that Lazzaro was an older guy with a lot of money, and that he wanted to be a sugar daddy to younger girls.
Castro Medina admitted that, at the time of recruitment, she knew that the victims were minors and that Lazzaro paid the minor victims money in exchange for sex acts. Castro Medina also admitted that Lazzaro provided the minor victims with alcohol, vapes, food, smartphones, high-end purses, rooms in the Hotel Ivy, and transportation. For her role of identifying, recruiting, and introducing minors, Lazzaro compensated Castro Medina with cash and Venmo payments, as well as rent and utility payments for her apartment, tuition payments to the University of St. Thomas, car payments, travel expenses, and other items.
According to court documents, Castro Medina and Lazzaro discussed which of the minor victims spoke to law enforcement following the execution of federal search warrants in December 2020. Castro Medina admitted that in March 2021, she and Lazzaro aided and abetted one another to obstruct law enforcement by agreeing to pay off a 15-year-old victim to prevent her from talking to law enforcement about engaging in commercial sex with Lazzaro. Castro Medina picked up the minor victim at her place of employment, drove the minor victim around in her Mini Cooper, and provided her with hundreds of dollars in cash, gift cards, vapes, and alcohol from Lazzaro. Castro Medina also told the minor victim not to text Lazzaro anymore.
On December 19, 2022, Castro Medina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and one count of obstruction. She was sentenced today by Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz who stated that Castro Medina helped Lazzaro at “every step of the way.”
This case is the result of a joint investigation by the FBI and the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force – led by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Minneapolis Police Department, the West Hennepin Public Safety Department, and the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda A. Williams, Laura M. Provinzino, and Emily A. Polachek are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Marshall County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – A Marshall County man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Keith Allen Barsness, 64, of Grygla, possessed multiple images and videos depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Acting on a tip, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Barsness’s residence and found the pornographic images of minors on cell phones, tablets, and computers. Barsness voluntarily admitted to investigators that he had been searching the internet for and viewing child pornography “for years.”
On January 5, 2023, Barness pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography and was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Esther Soria Mignanelli prosecuted the case.
Maple Grove Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Violent Carjacking at Blaine Grocery Store Parking LotRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Maple Grove man has been sentenced to 121 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for an armed carjacking at a Blaine grocery store, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on September 24, 2022, Justin Michael Kittleson, 21, targeted two victims as they left the Cub Foods grocery store in Blaine and loaded groceries into their car. Kittleson approached one of the victims at the trunk of the car and pointed a gun at them. The second victim attempted to intervene, and a struggle ensued. The gun discharged, and the shot is believed to have grazed the second victim’s ear. Kittleson took control of the car and drove away. A 9MM shell casing was recovered at the scene by officers with the Blaine Police Department. After reviewing surveillance video footage and with the assistance from other members of the public, officers were able to identify and locate Kittleson. On September 29, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence associated with Kittleson and recovered two 9MM firearms (the same caliber as the casing found at the scene of the carjacking) and a hooded sweatshirt that matched the sweatshirt Kittleson was seen wearing in the surveillance footage.
On April 26, 2023, Kittleson pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was sentenced on August 30, 2023, by Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Blaine Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp prosecuted the case.
Dow Chemical Co. to Pay $456,000 for Former Subsidiary’s Alleged Violations of the Federal False Claims Act and Minnesota False Claims Act for Falsifying Test Results for Road Construction MaterialsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced that DOW CHEMICAL CO. has agreed to pay $456,665.42 for alleged violations by its former subsidiary, POLY CARB, INC., of the federal False Claims Act and the Minnesota False Claims Act, by falsifying testing results in connection with several road construction projects administered by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, many of which were federally funded.
According to the allegations, between 2012 and 2015, POLY CARB, INC. provided enamel paint products for several road construction projects, many of which were federally funded, throughout the State of Minnesota. All such projects are required, by law and contract, to be performed in accordance with detailed terms and specifications using only approved materials subject to a rigorous testing and certification process. The government contends POLY CARB, INC. failed to follow contract specifications and applicable rules by fabricating test results and forging signatures and documentation for its enamel products, thus making materially false claims and statements in connection with its purported testing. The proceeds of the settlement will be divided by the federal and state governments according to the original funding of the projects.
“Submitting forged and fabricated documents to the government is never acceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. “In coordination with our State partners, we will continue using the False Claims Act to address fraudulent conduct by government contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers.”
“Resolving this civil case advances our efforts to keep federally funded transportation projects free from fraud, waste, and abuse,” said Andrea M. Kropf, Special Agent-in-Charge, Midwestern Region, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. “When improper activities like this come to our attention we will work with our federal, state, and prosecutorial partners to investigate and hold those involved accountable.”
This case was jointly investigated by the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and handled by the Affirmative Civil Enforcement unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, as well as the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Federal Jury Finds St. Cloud Man Guilty of Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a St. Cloud man guilty of illegally possessing multiple firearms as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Following a six-day trial before Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright in U.S. District Court, Roberto Antwan Williams, 38, was found guilty of two counts of possession of firearms as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Williams attempted to rob a man at gunpoint outside an apartment in St. Cloud on July 31, 2020. Williams was apprehended by law enforcement in a vehicle that the victim identified. Law enforcement subsequently discovered a firearm in the glovebox with Williams’ DNA on it.
According to the evidence presented at trial, in a separate incident on November 13, 2020, law enforcement was notified that a five-year-old child had been shot in the head and declared dead at a St. Cloud hospital. Williams and his fiancé, the child’s mother, were at the hospital and stated they were shopping when they got a phone call that the child had been injured. Williams claimed that they immediately returned home and took the child to the hospital together. However, law enforcement obtained surveillance video from a neighboring residence that showed the fiancé taking the child to the hospital alone while Williams placed two backpacks in a garbage bin outside of the house.
According to the evidence presented at trial, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Williams’ residence and garbage bins. Inside the bins, they discovered the two backpacks which contained a Kel-Tec model Sub .40 caliber semiautomatic rifle and a purple Taurus model G2C 9mm semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine. The Taurus had the deceased child’s blood on it. Law enforcement also searched Williams’ cell phone and found a picture of the purple Taurus 9mm semiautomatic pistol with the text “my new toy.”
Because Williams has multiple prior felony convictions of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of weapon, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the St. Cloud Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Calhoun-Lopez and Mary S. Riverso tried the case.
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Pakistani Doctor Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Rochester man has been sentenced to 216 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Muhammad Masood, 31, a licensed medical doctor in Pakistan, was formerly employed as a Research Coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, under an H-1B Visa. Between January 2020 and March 2020, Masood used an encrypted messaging application to facilitate his travel overseas to join a terrorist organization. Masood made multiple statements about his desire to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (“ISIS”), and he pledged his allegiance to the designated terrorist organization and its leader. Masood also expressed his desire to conduct “lone wolf” terrorist attacks in the United States. On Feb. 21, 2020, Masood purchased a plane ticket from Chicago, Illinois to Amman, Jordan, and from there planned to travel to Syria. On March 16, 2020, Masood’s travel plans changed because Jordan closed its borders to incoming travel due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Masood then agreed to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet up with an individual who he believed would assist him with travel via cargo ship to deliver him to ISIS territory.
On March 19, 2020, Masood traveled from Rochester to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California. Upon arrival at MSP, Masood checked in for his flight and was subsequently arrested by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Masood pleaded guilty on August 16, 2022, to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Masood was sentenced today before Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter, and Dmitriy Slavin and Stephanie Sweeten of the National Security Division.
Pakistani Doctor Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
A Rochester man was sentenced today to 216 months in prison, equivalent to 18 years, followed by five years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents, Muhammad Masood, 31, a licensed medical doctor in Pakistan, was formerly employed as a research coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, under an H-1B visa. Between January 2020 and March 2020, Masood used an encrypted messaging application to facilitate his travel overseas to join a terrorist organization. Masood made multiple statements about his desire to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS), and he pledged his allegiance to the designated terrorist organization and its leader. Masood also expressed his desire to conduct “lone wolf” terrorist attacks in the United States. On Feb. 21, 2020, Masood purchased a plane ticket from Chicago, Illinois, to Amman, Jordan, and from there planned to travel to Syria. On March 16, 2020, Masood’s travel plans changed because Jordan closed its borders to incoming travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. Masood then agreed to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet up with an individual who he believed would assist him with travel via cargo ship to deliver him to ISIS territory.
On March 19, 2020, Masood traveled from Rochester to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California. Upon arrival at MSP, Masood checked in for his flight and was subsequently arrested by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Masood pleaded guilty on Aug. 16, 2022, to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Masood was sentenced today before Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Kandiyohi County Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Kandiyohi County man has pleaded guilty to producing sexually explicit images of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and court documents, in November 2022, Andrew John Groen, 35, contacted a minor victim using the messaging application TextMe. Groen, who knew the victim was a minor, identified himself in messages as a 19-year-old man named “Tyler.” On multiple occasions, Groen coerced the minor to send sexually explicit images. Groen also sent the minor victim obscene images and links to pornography, and encouraged the minor victim to have sex with an adult man identified in messages.
Groen pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell to one count of production and attempted production of child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Willmar Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Violent Carjackings and Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Two men have pleaded guilty to multiple carjacking and firearms violations, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on January 3, 2022, Jordan James Smith, 26, of Ramsey, approached an individual who was sitting in a parked vehicle. Smith opened the driver’s door of the victim’s Nissan Juke and pushed a gun into the victim’s torso. Smith then stated, “I’ve got a [expletive] gun,” and directed the victim to “give me everything you have and get out of the car.” Smith pulled the victim from the car, got into the driver’s seat, and drove off. The victim’s phone and wallet were still in the car as Smith fled. On January 10, 2022, Smith and an associate used the victim’s Nissan Juke as collateral to test drive a black Maserati. Smith and his associate abandoned the Nissan Juke and stole the black Maserati before being apprehended by law enforcement.
On February 3, 2022, Smith and his co-defendant Carson Thomas McCoy, 22, of Blaine, broke into a local car dealership. They stole several vehicles, including an unlicensed GMC Acadia. Later that morning, at 8:30 a.m., the Minneapolis Police Department responded to a hit-and-run accident. Smith was driving a blue Honda Accord while McCoy—who was driving the stolen GMA Acadia and following Smith’s blue Honda Accord—ran a stop sign and struck another vehicle. McCoy abandoned the GMC Acadia and got into the blue Honda Accord driven by Smith. However, before leaving the area, Smith approached the vehicle McCoy hit, pointed a gun at the driver, and said “give me your purse or I’ll [expletive] kill you.” Smith returned to the blue Honda Accord and fled the scene with the victim’s iPhone, housekeys, and a child’s backpack.
Shortly thereafter, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Smith and McCoy noticed the driver of a silver Honda Accord parked in a nearby residential area. Smith and McCoy exited the blue Honda Accord and approached the silver Honda Accord. Smith tapped on the driver’s side window with a black gun that had a red camouflage slide while McCoy used his hand to gesture that he also possessed a gun. The driver of the silver Honda Accord exited the vehicle and, as the driver attempted to retrieve his wallet, Smith threatened the driver with his gun. Smith and McCoy then drove off in the silver Honda Accord. Because Smith has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
According to court documents, on August 10, 2022, after stealing a black BMW sedan, McCoy broke into a residence in Ham Lake, Minnesota, stealing various items—including a firearm. Less than 30 minutes later, law enforcement responded to a road-rage incident involving a black BMW sedan. A group of motorcyclists reported nearly colliding with a black BMW sedan after which the driver—later identified as McCoy—fired a handgun into the air from the sunroof of the black BMW. Shortly thereafter, law enforcement officers located the black BMW sedan and attempted a traffic stop. McCoy fled, collided with a marked patrol car, and ultimately crashed into a tree. A search of the black BMW sedan revealed, among other things, the Springfield Armory semi-automatic pistol the defendant had stolen from the Ham Lake residence, another handgun, baggies of controlled substances, and the false identification card the defendant used to test drive the black BMW sedan before he stole it.
Smith pleaded guilty yesterday before Judge John R. Tunheim to two counts of carjacking. McCoy pleaded guilty on April 11, 2023, before Judge John R. Tunheim to one count of aiding and abetting carjacking and one count of possessing a firearm as a felon.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Blaine Police Department, the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force (VOTF), and the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case.
Final Defendant in Red Lake Arson Case Sentenced to Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS– A Red Lake woman has been sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for her role in an arson conspiracy on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Dalene Roberta Fajardo, 35, Corey Leigh Stately, 40, and Lori Anna Sayers, 33, conspired and knowingly agreed to commit arson to maliciously damage and destroy personal and real property by means of fire or explosive materials. On April 30, 2021, Fajardo and her co-defendants made Molotov cocktail devices, traveled to a location on the Red Lake Reservation, and threw the Molotov cocktails at a 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe. As a result, the vehicle was destroyed and a nearby residence partially burned. The residence’s occupants, including children, were all forced to evacuate.
Fajardo pleaded guilty on March 7, 2023, to one count of aiding and abetting arson. She was sentenced on August 14, 2023, in U.S. District Court before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schlitz. Stately and Sayers were previously sentenced to five and three months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the arson.
This case is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Red Lake Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Gilead and Laura M. Provinzino.
Highs Gang Member Charged in Federal Complaint After Livestreaming a Violent Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A member of the Highs gang has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with armed carjacking and illegal possession of a firearm after livestreaming the incident on social media, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on August 15, 2023, at approximately 10:30 a.m., the Minneapolis Police Department received a message from an unidentified individual who stated that a video had been posted to Facebook that showed a man, later identified as Leneal Frazier, Jr., 22, holding a gun to the driver of a vehicle as the driver bled from his head. The video showed the victim in the driver’s seat of the vehicle with a wound on his head and blood dripping down his forehead and the right side of his face. Frazier, a known member of the Minneapolis-based Highs gang, was behind the victim in the backseat of the vehicle and was wearing a sweatshirt and a scarf that covered most of his face except his forehead and eyes.
According to court documents, during the six-minute video, Frazier ordered the victim to call out certain known gang members in an insulting manner. While pointing the gun at the victim’s head, Frazier ordered the victim to say, “[expletive] all my dead homies.” Officers were able to identify the victim as an associate of the Lows gang. Frazier slapped the victim, mocked, and berated him, and stated, “You a Clown... you ain't even worth killin.” Frazier questioned the victim about how much money he had and told the victim he would use the victim’s money to buy the victim a gun in a mocking manner.
According to court documents, law enforcement later obtained a search warrant for Frazier’s residence. Inside the apartment, officers recovered a loaded Glock 19 pistol with an obliterated serial number and an extended magazine. Officers also recovered the scarf Frazier was wearing in the video as well as the victim’s identification and car keys. Frazier was inside the apartment and was placed under arrest.
Because Frazier has a prior felony conviction, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
The complaint charges Frazier with one count of carjacking, one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. Frazier will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IRS Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Minnesota Department of Corrections, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha H. Bates and Justin A. Wesley for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Brian W. Lynch of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
frazier_complaint_affidavit.pdf14 Minneapolis Gang Members Charged with Possession of Machine Guns, Fentanyl Trafficking, and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Fourteen members of Minneapolis-based street gangs have been charged in federal court for various crimes including illegal possession of firearms, possession of machine guns, and fentanyl trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
“These charges present a chilling picture of the violence inflicted by the Highs, the Lows, the Bloods and other gangs on our city’s streets,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “Violent crime levels in Minneapolis have begun to come down and I believe our strategy is playing a role in the reduction, but we still have more work to do, and we will continue to charge violent offenders.”
Fourteen members of the Minneapolis-based street gangs are charged in federal criminal complaints with firearms violations, possession of machine guns, and fentanyl trafficking.
The following defendants are alleged members of the Lows gang:
- Michael Marshawn Dalton, 29, is charged with possessing a firearm as a felon.
- Marquez Demar Hill-Turnipseed, 21, is charged with possession a firearm as a felon and possession of a machine gun.
- Shannon Aaron Kapriece Jackson, 31, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Cartrell Ismail Smith, 27, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Kaprice Richards, 22, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
- Ohagi Charles Walker, 27, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
- Clenest Demon Wells, Jr., 26, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
The following defendants are alleged members of the Highs gang:
- Jermaine William Jackson, Jr., 26, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Adrion Kelley, 19, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
- Joe Lee Rudolph-Meeks, 28, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
- James Edward Hollman, Jr., 32, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
The following defendants are alleged members of the 10z/20z gang:
- Devon Lamont Holt, 33, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
- Marvin Miller, Jr., 35, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon and possession of a machine gun.
The following defendant is an alleged member of the Bloods gang:
- Dante Joseph Tyus, 29, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
These cases are the result of investigations conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigations, Minnesota Department of Corrections, and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Bejar, Tom Calhoun-Lopez, David Green, Harry Jacobs, Rachel Kraker, Will Mattessich, Esther Mignanelli, Mary Riverso, Jordan Sing, Ruth Shnider, Joseph Teirab, and Melinda Williams.
These charges are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bloomington Woman Sentenced to 7.5 Years in Prison for $7.1 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Bloomington woman was sentenced to 90 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4.7 million in restitution for defrauding federal pandemic programs, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, from June 2020 through January 2022, Tequisha Solomon, 40, executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic assistance money from various states, including Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and California’s Employment Development Department (EDD).
As part of the fraud scheme, Solomon sought Unemployment benefits (UI) from states where she had no lawful basis to receive them. For example, while Solomon resided in Minnesota and Nevada, she falsely claimed to California’s EDD that she worked and resided in Los Angeles, California. As a result, California’s EDD paid Solomon at least $37,000 in periodic UI payments between approximately in 2020 and 2021, during which time she actually resided in Minnesota or Nevada.
Solomon also unlawfully sought to obtain UI benefits from multiple states simultaneously. For instance, in October 2020, Solomon fraudulently claimed UI benefits from the Illinois Department of Employment Security when she was actually residing in Minnesota and was already fraudulently receiving UI benefits from California’s EDD. In March 2021, Solomon fraudulently applied for UI from Minnesota’s DEED, and concealed her fraudulent receipt of UI benefits from California and Illinois.
In addition to fraudulently obtaining pandemic-related benefits for herself, Solomon also assisted others to obtain pandemic-related funds in exchange for a fee, often as much as $2,000. Solomon submitted over 200 false and fraudulent applications for UI benefits on behalf of others.
In total, Solomon fraudulently applied for $7,149,032 in pandemic-related funds and caused the United States and multiple state agencies to pay out at least $4,708,191 in the form of fraudulent UI benefits and small business loan proceeds.
On December 13, 2022, Solomon pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. She was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the St. Paul Police Department and the California Employment Development Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert prosecuted the case.
Federal Jury Finds Bloods Gang Member Guilty of Drug Distribution and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Prior Lake man guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm as a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Following a three-day trial before Senior Judge Susan Richard Nelson, Nathan John Walz, 35, a member of the Minneapolis Bloods street gang, was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm as a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
According to evidence presented at trial, on November 1, 2022, at approximately 7:50 a.m., officers with the Minneapolis Police Department were dispatched to the Lowry Hill neighborhood after receiving a report of a “slumper” in a car. Officers approached the car and identified the individual slumped over in the driver’s seat as Walz. Officers observed a handgun in plain view on the center console of the car and took Walz into custody. The handgun was a stolen Kimber, model Super Custom Carry, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. Officers also recovered from the vehicle 28 grams of methamphetamine and a variety of other drugs, as well as a digital scale and plastic baggies.
Because Walz has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Minnesota Department of Corrections, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Esther S. Mignanelli and Joseph S. Teirab tried the case.
Albert Lea Woman Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling over $200,000 in Public Housing Rent PaymentsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – An Albert Lea woman has been sentenced to a year and one day in prison, three years of supervised release, and is required to pay $213,217 in restitution for stealing public housing rent payments, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between January 2010 and July 18, 2018, Marcie Marie Thumann, 45, worked as a bookkeeper for the Albert Lea Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA), a government program that received both federal and state funding to remedy the shortage of available low-incoming housing units. Thumann, who was responsible for recording and reconciling payments to the HRA, received tenants’ rent payments via cash, check, or money order. During her tenure as the HRA’s bookkeeper, Thumann routinely embezzled HRA rent payments for her own personal use and benefit. She did so by pocketing cash payments and altering the payee information on payments made by check and money order. Thumann then manipulated the HRA’s computer system to conceal the money she stole, avoid detection, and prolong her fraud scheme. In total, Thumann stole at least $213,217 from the Albert Lea HRA.
Thumann pleaded guilty on October 12, 2022, to one count of theft from a program receiving federal funds. She was sentenced on August 9, 2023, before Senior Judge David S. Doty in U.S. District Court.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of the Inspector General and the Albert Lea Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Secord and Paralegal Specialist Jessica Scott handled the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Minneapolis Felon Sentenced to 15.5 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 186 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm after engaging in a shootout in north Minneapolis, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on December 20, 2021, Dominique Marquise McCaskel, 26, was in possession of a loaded Sig Sauer, model P365, 9mm semiautomatic pistol. According to the defendant’s plea agreement and other court documents, surveillance footage from a nearby business showed a vehicle drive slowly past McCaskel, stopping momentarily in an alleyway several feet ahead of McCaskel. Upon seeing the vehicle, McCaskel pulled his Sig Sauer firearm from his pocket, ran towards the vehicle as it was pulling away, and exchanged gunfire with individuals in the vehicle. McCaskel was shot, suffering two non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, and fell to the sidewalk, while the vehicle fled the area. Officers with the Minneapolis Police Department responded to the scene and recovered two 9mm discharged cartridge casings near McCaskel on the ground, and later recovered McCaskel’s firearm. Police also found that McCaskel had several suspected fentanyl pills and cash on his person. The Minneapolis Police Forensics Division determined that the two recovered discharged cartridge casings were shot from McCaskel’s Sig Sauer firearm. The Forensics Division also found McCaskel’s thumbprint on the loaded magazine that was inserted into the firearm.
Because McCaskel has several prior felony convictions, including crimes of violence, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing any firearms or ammunition.
McCaskel pleaded guilty on March 14, 2023, to one count of possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal felon. McCaskel was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Bejar and Hillary A. Taylor prosecuted the case.
Anton “Tony” Lazzaro Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 252 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for orchestrating a sex trafficking conspiracy in which he trafficked multiple minor girls, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
The prosecution team, led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda Williams, Laura Provinzino and Emily Polachek, stated, “Anton Lazzaro was a predator who hid in plain sight. He was a sex trafficker who camouflaged his true nature with his wealth and privilege. Today, his crimes were laid bare, and justice was served.”
“Mr. Lazzaro targeted, manipulated, and sexually exploited young and vulnerable girls for his own gain without regard for their age or safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. “Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that those who commit such heinous crimes will be held accountable. The FBI prioritizes crimes of victimization and will leave no stone unturned to protect the vulnerable and bring every perpetrator to justice.”
“While it cannot erase the harm Mr. Lazzaro has done, today’s sentence holds him accountable and sends a clear message that we do not tolerate this type of criminal behavior from anyone, regardless of their wealth or privilege,” said Superintendent Drew Evans of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
As proven at trial, Anton Joseph Lazzaro, a/k/a “Tony” Lazzaro, 32, conspired with Gisela Castro Medina, 21, to recruit young girls – 15-year-olds and 16-year-olds – to have sex with him in exchange for cash and other items of value. Lazzaro met Castro Medina in May of 2020 through the Seeking Arrangements website, which is known as a “sugar daddy” website. Lazzaro directed Castro Medina to identify girls she knew and others on social media who would have sex with him for money. Lazzaro specified that he was looking for young girls of a certain skin color, petite body type, and those who were considered vulnerable, referring to them as “broken girls.” Castro Medina would show Lazzaro photographs of minor girls and if Lazzaro “approved” Castro Medina would provide the minor’s contact information to Lazzaro. Castro Medina told the minors that Lazzaro was an older guy with a lot of money, and that he wanted to be a sugar daddy to younger girls. For her role in recruiting multiple minor girls, Lazzaro paid Castro Medina more than $50,000.
As proven at trial, Lazzaro often sent cars, typically Ubers, to transport the minor girls to his luxury condo in the Hotel Ivy in downtown Minneapolis. At one point, Lazzaro sent a driver to pick up a group of 14-and 15-year-old girls from a slumber party in St. Michael, Minnesota. When minor girls came to his condo, Lazzaro would give them alcohol, flash stacks of cash, and offer the girls precise sums of money to perform various sex acts. Lazzaro would send the minor girls home with cash, vapes, alcohol, Plan B, cell phones, and other items of value. Lazzaro carried out this trafficking scheme from May 2020 through December 2020.
Following the execution of federal search warrants at Lazzaro’s condo on December 15, 2020, Lazzaro and Castro Medina discussed which of the minor victims spoke to law enforcement. As part of her guilty plea, Castro Medina admitted that in March 2021, she and Lazzaro agreed to pay off a 15-year-old victim to prevent her from talking to law enforcement about engaging in commercial sex with Lazzaro.
On March 31, 2023, following a 10-day trial before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, Lazzaro was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and five counts of sex trafficking of minors. Castro Medina pleaded guilty on December 19, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and one count of obstruction. She is scheduled to be sentenced on September 5, 2023.
In handing down the sentence, Chief Judge Schiltz commented on the “soulless, mechanical nature of Mr. Lazzaro’s crimes, like a sex trafficking assembly line,” adding that the only two people Mr. Lazzaro showed any remorse for were “himself and Jeffrey Epstein, who Mr. Lazzaro called ‘his brother.’”
This case is the result of a joint investigation by the FBI and the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force – led by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Minneapolis Police Department, the West Hennepin Public Safety Department, and the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda A. Williams, Laura M. Provinzino, and Emily A. Polachek are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Sixth and Final Defendant Sentenced to Prison for String of Violent Armed Carjackings and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Saint Paul man has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for his role in a string of violent armed carjackings and various firearms violations, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
“Mr. Ballard and his five co-conspirators took part in a widespread and violent crime spree, including carjackings, shootings, and robberies, while touting their criminal activity on social media. With this sentence, all six men are now serving significant federal prison sentences,” said United States Attorney Andrew Luger.
Saint Paul Police Chief Axel Henry added the following: “We will not tolerate violence in our city and will leverage our partnerships with the ATF and U.S. Attorney’s Office, when possible, to hold violent offenders accountable when they prey on our community. This case is a good example of how these partnerships worked to make our city safer.”
According to court documents, between May and December 2020, Eric Troy Ballard, Jr., 21, along with co-conspirators Isaiah Stacy Alstad, 24, James Brock Williams, Jr., 22, Clifton Germaine Walker, Jr., 25, Jordan Sydney Shamah Rhodes, 24, and Joshoamei Deangelo Richardson, 22, maintained active membership in the street gang known as the “Top 5.” The purpose of the gang was to make money for its members through criminal acts, including thefts, robberies, and distribution and sale of controlled substances. Proceeds of the money obtained through the commission of criminal acts were distributed among the Top 5 members. Top 5 members would use, carry, and possess firearms to commit these criminal acts as well as carry out acts of violence against others, including shootings and assaults. Top 5 members used social media to discuss criminal activity, recruit new members, and display cash, firearms, controlled substances, and some carjacked vehicles. As part of the investigation, police seized ten firearms from the group, various narcotics, and cash.
According to court documents, on August 25, 2020, at approximately 2:30 a.m., a victim was carjacked by members of the group at gunpoint and pistol-whipped near the 1200 block of Jackson Street, in St. Paul. That same morning, at approximately 6:50 a.m., Top 5 members, including Ballard, carjacked a second victim at gunpoint in the parking lot of a restaurant near White Bear Avenue in St. Paul. At approximately 9:00 a.m. that same day, a third victim was carjacked by the group at gunpoint on Maria Avenue near Metropolitan State University in St. Paul. All six defendants were charged for their roles in these carjackings and related illegal possession and use of firearms during these violent crimes.
Ballard pleaded guilty on April 7, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to use, carry, and brandish firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely aiding and abetting carjacking. Ballard was sentenced yesterday, August 7,2023, before Judge John R. Tunheim.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Saint Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Columbia Heights Police Department, and the South Saint Paul Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Bejar and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez.
Minneapolis Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 129 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in August 2021, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department received information that Deandre Lashawn Robinson, 31, was dealing narcotics and was in possession of a firearm. Officers conducted surveillance and saw Robinson engage in numerous hand-to-hand transactions from his vehicle. On August 11, 2021, officers arrested Robinson on an outstanding warrant. Inside Robinson’s vehicle, officers found a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, cocaine, and MDMA pills. During the incident, Robinson was able to conceal a handful of M30 fentanyl pills. While in the backseat of the squad vehicle, Robinson swallowed the pills. Officers administered Narcan and brought him to the hospital. Robinson was treated and ultimately released.
According to court documents, officers later located Robinson as well as a vehicle he had rented. Officer obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and found plastic baggies containing powder cocaine and approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills. Officers also found a privately made firearm, or “ghost gun,” between the passenger seat cushion and the seat cover.
On April 19, 2023, Robinson pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Robinson was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David P. Steinkamp and Justin A. Wesley prosecuted the case.
Minneapolis Felon Sentenced to 57 Months for Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on November 28, 2022, Minneapolis Police officers responded to a call that a person at 19 Bar, located near downtown Minneapolis, had pulled out a gun after being asked to leave. When officers arrived, several people pointed at a man, who was later identified as Conell Walter Harris, 29. Harris resisted arrest and tried to reach into the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt. Officers recovered a stolen .45 caliber Glock model 30 pistol from Harris’ pocket. Officers spoke to bar employees and customers and learned that Harris had become upset after an employee asked to see his identification, which Harris refused to show. The employee then asked Harris to leave the bar. Harris became combative and pulled out a pistol. An employee attempted to deescalate the situation but Harris became more aggressive and made multiple threatening statements. Harris then left for a short time but returned to the bar before law enforcement arrived.
On April 26, 2023, Harris pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced earlier today by Senior Judge David S. Doty.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha H. Bates prosecuted the case.
Two St. Paul Men Plead Guilty to Assaulting a Federal AgentRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Two St. Paul men have pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal law enforcement officer, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on March 30, 2023, law enforcement arranged to conduct a controlled narcotics purchase using an undercover officer (UC), a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force Officer. The UC planned to purchase approximately 1,600 M30 fentanyl pills from Dion Darnell Miller, 27, and Aaron Maurice Admir Harris, 29. Instead, Miller and Harris planned to rob the UC. Later that day, Miller and Harris met the UC at a pre-determined location in St. Paul in a silver Volkswagen. They invited the UC to their vehicle. During the transaction, Miller drew a semi‐automatic handgun with an extended magazine and a laser and pointed it at the UC’s face and torso. Miller and Harris repeatedly told the UC to give up the money. The UC threw cash down inside the silver Volkswagen and got out of the vehicle. Miller and Harris fled the scene in the silver Volkswagen.
Other law enforcement officers followed Miller and Harris to a St. Paul residence where they both ultimately surrendered. Inside the residence, law enforcement recovered the loaded semi-automatic handgun as well as the $2,400 in cash taken from the UC during the robbery.
On August 1, 2023, Miller pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to assault a federal law enforcement officer. On August 2, 2023, Harris pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting assault upon a federal law enforcement officer. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ramsey County Violent Crimes Enforcement Team, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter is prosecuting the case.
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Three Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to committing three violent carjackings, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in Minneapolis on March 16, 2023, at approximately 8:00 p.m., Javon Thomas Wilson-Branch, 19, along with another individual approached two people who had just parked and exited a black Mercedes Benz SUV. Wilson-Branch pointed a Springfield Armory rifle at the victims and demanded they hand over everything they had. At gunpoint, the victims provided Wilson-Branch with the keys to the vehicle. Wilson-Branch got into the carjacked SUV and drove away.
The next day, at approximately 4:00 a.m., Wilson-Branch and another individual carjacked a blue Toyota Highlander at gunpoint in Minneapolis. Wilson-Branch and others pulled the carjacked SUV up next to the Highlander, and demanded the victim’s car keys at gunpoint. An AirTag inside the carjacked vehicle tracked the vehicle to Saint Paul, where it was left and abandoned at approximately 4:30 a.m., and Saint Paul police later recovered the carjacked vehicle.
About thirty-minutes later, at approximately 5:00 a.m., Wilson-Branch and another individual drove the carjacked SUV to Saint Paul and parked behind a black Audi A6. Shortly thereafter, when the owner approached the Audi A6, Wilson-Branch and the other individual exited the carjacked SUV armed with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Springfield Armory rifle. Both men pointed the firearms at the victim and forced him to give up his keys, wallet, and phone. The victim was also forced to unlock his cell phone, which was later used to make unauthorized money transfers from the victim’s bank account to Wilson-Branch and others. Wilson-Branch drove away in the carjacked Audi and the other individual drove away in the carjacked Mercedes Benz SUV. About 30 minutes later, officers with the St. Paul Police Department spotted the two carjacked vehicles in the area of Maryland Avenue and Western Avenue. Officers attempted a traffic stop but both vehicles fled police at a high rate of speed. Officers with the Woodbury Police Department later located the Audi A6 in a mall parking lot and apprehended Wilson-Branch in another building after a short chase. Two of the firearms used in the carjackings were located inside the Audi A6 along with the keys to the Toyota Highlander.
Wilson-Branch pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge David S. Doty to two counts of aiding and abetting carjacking, and admitted to aiding and abetting a third carjacking. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Saint Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Woodbury Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case.
Olmsted County Man Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – An Olmsted County man was sentenced to 220 months in prison followed by eight years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute controlled substances and for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in early 2021, law enforcement received information that Christopher Allen Edwards, 41, was dealing drugs in the Rochester area. Law enforcement determined that Edwards and his co-conspirator, Chloe Michelle Johnson, 25, were dealing a variety of drugs throughout Rochester and Southeastern Minnesota, from May 2021 through October 16, 2021, the date of their arrest.
According to court documents, in October 2021, law enforcement tracked Edwards’ rental vehicle as he traveled to Austin, Texas, and back to Minnesota in a quick turnaround road trip. On October 16, 2021, law enforcement stopped Edwards and Johnson in Edwards’ rental car once they drove back into Olmsted County. Edwards was caught with four kilograms of cocaine in his backpack in his rental car. That same day, law enforcement executed search warrants on Edwards’ and Johnson’s residences and found various amounts of cocaine packaged for distribution, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.
Edwards was found guilty at trial on November 17, 2022, of one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Edwards was sentenced yesterday before Judge Nancy E. Brasel.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Rochester Police Department, the Lake City Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan H. Nelson and Hillary A. Taylor.
Final Defendant in Duluth Area Methamphetamine Distribution Ring Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Duluth man was sentenced to 170 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Evan Andrew Lautigar, 33, and his co-conspirators Matthew James Cuypers, 41, John Arvid Sundquist, 34, and Jacob Lee Kivela-Sandnas, 34, arranged to drive to California to buy methamphetamine from a supplier and transport it back to Minnesota for distribution in and around the Duluth area.
According to court documents, in early 2022, the DEA began investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in the Duluth area. The investigation revealed that in February 2022, Cuypers was en route from California to Minnesota after picking up a load of methamphetamine. A South Dakota Highway Patrol officer conducted a traffic stop of a 2011 Kia Sorrento for a speeding violation. Cuypers was the driver and Sundquist was the passenger. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 27 pounds of methamphetamine.
On April 7, 2022, deputies with the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of a 2009 Mercedes Benz driven by Lautigar. Officers executed a previously obtained search warrant on the vehicle and recovered approximately 15 pounds of methamphetamine.
All four defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and were sentenced by Judge Joan N. Ericksen. Lautigar was sentenced on July 25, 2023, to 170 months in prison; Cuypers was sentenced on June 13, 2023, to 150 months in prison; Sundquist was sentenced on January 11, 2023, to 60 months in prison; and Kivela-Sandnas was sentenced on May 11, 2023, to 155 months in prison.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Duluth Police Department, and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew S. Dunne and David P. Steinkamp.
Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Firearms Violations and Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has been sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for fentanyl trafficking and illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in 2021 and 2022, Keonee Nasier Shaffer-Frazier, 23, and his co-conspirators were part of a drug trafficking ring that obtained “M30” or “MBox” fentanyl pills from a source of supply outside of Minnesota and transported and distributed the pills across the Twin Cities region. Shaffer-Frazier regularly distributed the fentanyl pills in quantities ranging from 100 to 1,000 or more at a time.
According to court documents, during the course of the investigation, law enforcement conducted seizure operations in March 2022 and obtained approximately 57,000 M30 fentanyl pills, more than $83,000 in U.S. currency, body armor, and firearms from Shaffer-Frazier and his conspirators. Law enforcement also recovered two loaded semi-automatic pistols from Shaffer-Frazier’s white Audi. He was arrested in March 2022, charged in Hennepin County, and obtained release on bail.
Afterward, in September 2022, law enforcement arrested Shaffer-Frazier after a short foot chase and recovered approximately $7,050 in U.S. currency from his person. Law enforcement searched Shaffer-Frazier’s new vehicle, a black Audi Q7, and recovered a Glock model 22 .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol from the driver’s side door pocket. The weapon was loaded with an extended magazine.
Because Shaffer-Frazier has a prior felony conviction, he was prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
On February 1, 2023, Shaffer-Frazier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and a separate count of possession of a firearm as a felon. He was sentenced yesterday before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Hennepin Drug Task Force, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Fridley Police Department, and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter Jr. prosecuted the case.
Anoka Man Sentenced to Prison for Possession of a Machine Gun and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – An Anoka man was sentenced to 77 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release for illegal possession of a machine gun and distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in the spring of 2022, the FBI began investigating Darrian Mitchell Nguyen, 50, based on a tip from a Confidential Human Source (CHS) that Nguyen was in possession of explosive devices, firearms, and methamphetamine, and had expressed a desire to join the Three Percenter militia group, a loosely organized anti-government extremist movement. According to the CHS, Nguyen kept weapons, including rifles, shotguns, handguns, and pipe bombs, in “secret” rooms built within the walls of his residence. Nguyen was also manufacturing and trafficking methamphetamine from his residence. On August 23, 2022, during a meeting at the defendant’s residence, Nguyen sold the CHS 7.1 grams of methamphetamine for $300.
According to court documents, to correct a debt owed to the defendant, Nguyen asked the CHS to provide him with firearms, specifically a short-barreled rifle equipped with an auto sear. Through text messages, Nguyen arranged to meet with the CHS to receive four auto sears and a short-barreled rifle equipped with an auto sear. At the arranged meeting on October 4, 2022, after Nguyen took possession of the machine gun and the auto sears, law enforcement arrested Nguyen and executed a search warrant at his residence. Law enforcement recovered the auto sears and machine gun, as well as an additional 22 firearms from a hidden room inside the residence, including an unregistered short-barreled shotgun.
Nguyen pleaded guilty on March 20, 2023, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a machine gun. Nguyen was sentenced yesterday before Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Manda M. Sertich.
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking a PreacherRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to the armed carjacking of a preacher who was handing out bottled water to the homeless, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on August 1, 2021, Dwight Keith Eaglehawk, 34, approached the victim in a parking lot near Lake Street in south Minneapolis. The victim, a preacher, was handing out water bottles to homeless individuals. Eaglehawk approached the victim and requested two bottles of water before brandishing a Marlin .22 rifle and demanding the victim’s Dodge Dart. After taking the keys from the victim, Eaglehawk fled in the Dodge Dart.
Eaglehawk pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery to one count of carjacking. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan B. Gilead and David P. Steinkamp are prosecuting the case.
California Woman Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling More Than $1 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A California woman was sentenced to 66 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,791,334.81 in restitution for embezzling more than $1 million from her employer, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Mai Houa Xiong, 47, of Fresno, California, was employed as a financial manager for a Minneapolis-based property management company that provided financial services to homeowners’ associations (HOAs) throughout the Twin Cities metro area. Xiong’s duties included bookkeeping, and as manager she had nearly unfettered access to the victim homeowner’s associations’ financials, bank accounts, vendor and contractor payments, and bookkeeping systems. Between February 2015 and February 2022, Xiong devised and executed a fraud scheme to embezzle funds directly from the accounts to which she had access. These funds were HOA fees collected from residents intended to pay for maintenance, construction, and other costs incurred by the victim associations.
As part of the scheme, Xiong repeatedly accessed the HOAs’ bank accounts and conducted electronic transfers of funds directly into her personal bank accounts. Xiong disguised these transfers by mis-labeling them to make it appear as if they were legitimate HOA expenses. Xiong also used her authority as a signatory to make cash withdrawals directly from the HOAs’ accounts, including making withdrawals after she was fired from her position in July 2021. After her termination, Xiong began collecting Unemployment Insurance (UI) funds. However, even after Xiong found new employment, she continued to wrongfully obtain public UI benefits.
Xiong pleaded guilty on March 9, 2023, to one count of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return. Xiong was sentenced today before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the IRS – Criminal Investigations, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison K. Ethen.
St. Paul Felon Sentenced to 9.5 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 115 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing multiple firearms while on federal supervised release, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on September 27, 2022, a 911 caller reported seeing two males in a Ford Fusion on I-94 brandishing and pointing firearms. The caller also reported hearing a gunshot. Two Minnesota State Patrol squads located the Ford Fusion and conducted a traffic stop. The driver and the passenger, later identified as Antonio Maurice Hughes, 29, fled on foot into a nearby wooded area. After the St. Paul Police responded with a K9 unit, Hughes exited the wooded area and was taken into custody. When the K9 retraced Hughes’s flight path, officers found the defendant’s driver’s license, other personal papers and effects, and two loaded semiautomatic pistols. On November 15, 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at Hughes’s apartment and recovered two additional firearms, both with attached high-capacity magazines. One of those firearms was determined to have been stolen.
This conduct occurred while Hughes was on supervised release following two 2016 federal convictions for firearms violations. Because of Hughes’s prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
On January 24, 2023, Hughes pleaded guilty to one count of possession of firearms as a felon and admitted to possessing the other two firearms. He was sentenced earlier today by Senior Judge David S. Doty.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
Red Lake Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for AssaultRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Red Lake man has been sentenced to 33 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for assault resulting in serious bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Devin Anthony Sumner, 20, and the victim had been involved in a relationship. Early in the morning of March 10, 2022, Sumner became angry at the victim and began to physically assault the victim by slapping and punching her while in the car. During the assault, Sumner grabbed a 12-gauge G-Force Arms shotgun and repeatedly hit the victim on the hands and body with the shotgun. As a result of being hit with the shotgun, the victim sustained serious bodily injuries including a broken and fractured hand, multiple lacerations, and bruises, all of which necessitated emergency hospital treatment and eventual surgery.
On February 9, 2023, Sumner pleaded guilty to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. He was sentenced on July 19, 2023. In handing down the sentence, Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz emphasized the need to deter the “epidemic of violence against Native American women, both on and off the reservation.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Red Lake Police Department and the FBI’s Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily A. Polachek and Evan B. Gilead.
Pine City Man Arrested, Charged in Federal Complaint for Using Social Media to Sexually Exploit MinorsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Pine City man has been arrested and charged with soliciting, producing, receiving, and distributing images of child pornography, and enticing a child to engage in illegal sexual activity, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, since at least January 2019, Caleb Vincent McLaughlin, 26, created and used multiple social media accounts and communications applications to solicit and direct minor girls in Minnesota, approximately 11 to 16 years old, to create sexually explicit images and videos to send to him. McLaughlin used a variety of aliases and Snapchat IDs including “Jake Benson,” “Lift11” or “Tech4cm,” in his scheme, and sometimes purported to be 17 years old to prey on minor girls he met online in order to entice and coerce them to create sexually explicit images and videos. In addition to producing child sexual abuse material, McLaughlin would offer minor girls drugs, alcohol, cash, or gift cards in exchange for sex acts.
McLaughlin, who was arrested yesterday, was charged in a federal criminal complaint with soliciting, producing, receiving, and distributing images of child pornography, and enticing a child to engage in illegal sexual activity. McLaughlin made his initial appearance earlier today before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster. He was ordered preliminarily detained pending a detention hearing. A preliminary and detention hearing is scheduled for July 25, at 9:30 a.m., before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster, in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis.
To date, law enforcement has identified several minor victims, and is actively attempting to confirm the identity of many others. If you believe you or your minor dependent(s) have been victimized by Caleb McLaughlin, please contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, with substantial assistance from the St. Paul Police Department, Pine County Sheriff's Office, and Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
McLaughlin Complaint and AffidavitFinal Defendant Pleads Guilty in Violent Carjacking Conspiracy Targeting Uber and Lyft DriversRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to his role in a violent carjacking ring that targeted Uber and Lyft drivers, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between September and October 2021, Eric Harrell Knight, 20, along with others, engaged in a series of violent carjackings and armed robberies, targeting Uber and Lyft drivers. As part of the scheme, members of the conspiracy lured victim-drivers to particular locations under the guise of picking up or dropping off passengers. When the victim-drivers arrived, members of the conspiracy brandished firearms and demanded the cell phones and wallets of the victim-drivers. Members of the conspiracy forced the victim-drivers at gunpoint to unlock their cell phones and provide passcodes. The conspiracy members then transferred money, via Cash App or other applications, from the accounts of the victim-drivers to the accounts of members of the conspiracy. Members of the conspiracy then carjacked the victim-drivers at gunpoint. To intimidate and force compliance, members of the conspiracy struck, pistol whipped, and threatened to kill the victim-drivers.
Knight pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M. Menendez to one count of conspiracy to use, carry, and brandish firearms during and in relation to crimes of violence. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez are prosecuting the case.
Fentanyl Trafficking Ring Operator Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Firearms Violations and Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for fentanyl trafficking and illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
“Fentanyl is a uniquely dangerous drug, making it the leading cause of death for Americans between 18 and 45,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “Fentanyl traffickers who carry firearms to protect their deadly trade can expect to face lengthy federal prison sentences.”
According to court documents, in 2021 and 2022, Jimmie Bivins Jr., 22, and his co-conspirators were part of a drug trafficking ring that obtained “M30” or “MBox” fentanyl pills from a source of supply outside of Minnesota and transported and distributed the pills across the Twin Cities region. Bivins regularly distributed the fentanyl pills in quantities ranging from 100 to 1,000 or more at a time. On one occasion, Bivins sold 2,030 pills to an undercover informant during a transaction that occurred in Bivins’ Uptown apartment.
According to court documents, during the course of the investigation, law enforcement conducted a seizure operation in March 2022 and obtained approximately 57,000 M30 fentanyl pills, more than $83,000 in U.S. currency, and multiple firearms from Bivins, including a Seekings Precision Model SP223 semi-automatic rifle from Bivins’s vehicle. He was arrested, charged in Hennepin County Court, and obtained release on bail.
Afterward, in July 2022, law enforcement encountered Bivins during a traffic stop and ultimately recovered a Glock model 45 9mm semiautomatic pistol from under Bivins’ driver’s seat. The firearm was loaded with an extended magazine which contained 28 rounds of ammunition. The Grand Jury indicted Bivins in July 2022.
Because Bivins has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
On December 19, 2022, Bivins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. He was sentenced on July 18, 2023, before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Hennepin Drug Task Force, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Fridley Police Department, and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter Jr. prosecuted the case.
Rochester Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The owner of a Rochester jewelry business has been sentenced to six months in prison followed by one year of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Bernard James Benavidez, 62, is the sole owner and operator of Master Jewelers, Inc., located in Rochester, Minnesota. Because of its corporate structure, Master Jewelers was responsible for paying its own corporate taxes while Benavidez was independently responsible for reporting any salary, wages, or other compensation that Master Jewelers paid to him personally. But Benavidez regularly and intentionally diverted significant portions of Master Jewelers’ gross sales into his personal bank accounts for the purpose of lowering tax liabilities. Benavidez occasionally directed customers to pay him personally for work he completed on behalf of the business. Master Jewelers also sold significant amounts of scrap metal as part of its business and Benavidez deposited the proceeds into his personal bank account instead of the corporate account to avoid the funds from being captured on tax returns.
In total, between 2013 and 2017, Benavidez successfully concealed $432,373.42 in Master Jewelers’ sales, which resulted in unpaid tax liabilities of $147,006.96.
“Financial crimes involving the concealment, diversion and manipulation of business funds can be quite difficult to detect,” said Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “The sentencing of this individual underscores the fact that IRS-CI special agents are as meticulous as they are dedicated to bringing to justice business owners who attempt to evade their tax obligations.”
Benavidez pleaded guilty on February 3, 2023, to one count of making and subscribing a false tax return. Benavidez was sentenced yesterday before Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright.
This case was jointly investigated by IRS – Criminal Investigations.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing.
Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Manitowoc, Wisconsin man has pleaded guilty to producing a video depicting his sexual abuse of a minor in Minnesota, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on or about June 7, 2019, Jason Lee, 28, used and coerced a prepubescent minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Lee pleaded guilty on July 17, 2023, in U.S. District Court before Judge Donovan W. Frank to one count of attempted production and production of child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Saint Paul Police Department, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
St. Paul Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on March 7, 2023, officers with the St. Paul Police Department were conducting surveillance at an apartment looking for De’Voncea Lashoun Griffo, 24, a suspect in an ongoing homicide investigation. Officers observed Griffo leave his apartment building wearing a cross-body bag across his chest and get into the driver’s seat of a Chevrolet Equinox. After Griffo pulled into a thrift store parking lot, officers activated emergency lights and conducted a felony stop. Griffo removed his cross-body bag and set it behind the center console of the car, and was placed under arrest. Officers later obtained a warrant to search Griffo’s vehicle and recovered the cross-body bag, which contained a .45 caliber Glock pistol with an extended magazine containing 23 rounds of ammunition.
Because Griffo has a prior felony conviction, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Griffo pleaded guilty earlier today in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
Minneapolis Felon Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on June 22, 2022, law enforcement officers observed a firearm in plain view during a routine traffic stop on Lyndale Avenue North at Lowry Avenue. Law enforcement subsequently recovered another firearm, cocaine, and fentanyl pills from the vehicle. John Lee Jones, 39, a passenger in the vehicle, admitted to officers that the drugs and weapons were his and that he acquired them during a “lick” a few days prior.
Jones was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Joan N. Ericksen.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Violent
Offender Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha H. Bates prosecuted the case.
White Earth Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking and Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Ponsford man has been sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for possessing a firearm as a felon and distributing fentanyl on the White Earth Indian Reservation, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in January 2022, law enforcement received information that Francis Edward Durant, 52, was selling controlled substances from his residence on the White Earth Reservation. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Durant’s residence and recovered quantities of fentanyl, a loaded Smith & Wesson .45 caliber handgun, $9,612 in cash, and other drug trafficking paraphernalia. Because Durant has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition at any time.
Durant pleaded guilty on December 5, 2022, to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. Durant was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Joan N. Ericksen.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the White Earth Police Department and the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott.
Minneapolis Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS– A Minneapolis tax preparer has been sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison followed by one year of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Sue Yang, 48, of Circle Pines, operated a tax preparation business in Minneapolis. Yang participated in the IRS’s e-file program, a specialized program the IRS offers to qualified tax preparers, and was assigned a unique “Electronic Filing Identification Number” (known as an “EFIN”). In 2010, the IRS conducted a periodic suitability review of Yang and found that he failed to file a 2009 personal income tax return and that he owed substantial federal income taxes from tax years 2005 through 2008. The IRS notified Yang repeatedly that his failure to resolve his tax obligations would result in sanctions, including suspension of his EFIN or his expulsion from the IRS e-file program. In August 2012 Yang was suspended from the IRS e-file program and was no longer authorized to electronically file tax returns.
From August 2012 through April 2022, despite his suspension from the e-file program, Yang operated surreptitiously as an e-filing tax preparer. Yang disguised his unauthorized participation in the e-file program by enlisting others to obtain unique EFINs, which Yang then used to file thousands of tax returns electronically on behalf of his customers. These tax returns were electronically transmitted to the IRS purporting to have been prepared by other individuals. From 2012 through 2020, Yang impeded the IRS’s suitability review and circumvented his e-file suspension by electronically filing more than 26,000 tax returns using misappropriated EFINs.
From 2018 through 2021, Yang received approximately $765,000 in compensation from working as a tax preparer but, in order to further obscure his unauthorized conduct, he did not report any income related to his tax preparation business. Yang’s tax crimes resulted in a combined federal tax loss of approximately $214,297, an amount which Yang is ordered to pay in restitution.
Yang pleaded guilty on November 29, 2022, to one count of filing a false federal income tax return and one count of corruptly impeding and obstructing the administration of the internal revenue laws. Yang was sentenced today before Judge Eric C. Tostrud.
This case was jointly investigated by IRS – Criminal Investigations and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert.
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Violent Carjacking Conspiracy Targeting Uber and Lyft DriversRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to his role in a violent carjacking ring that targeted Uber and Lyft drivers, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between September and October 2021, Shevirio Kavirion Childs-Young, 20, along with others, engaged in a series of violent carjackings and armed robberies, targeting Uber and Lyft drivers. As part of the scheme, members of the conspiracy lured victim-drivers to particular locations under the guise of picking up or dropping off passengers. When the victim-drivers arrived, members of the conspiracy brandished firearms and demanded the cell phones and wallets of the victim-drivers. Members of the conspiracy forced the victim-drivers at gunpoint to unlock their cell phones and provide passcodes. The conspiracy members then transferred money, via Cash App or other applications, from the accounts of the victim-drivers to the accounts of members of the conspiracy. Members of the conspiracy then carjacked the victim-drivers at gunpoint. To intimidate and force compliance, members of the conspiracy struck, pistol whipped, and threatened to kill the victim-drivers.
Childs-Young pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M. Menendez to one count of conspiracy to use, carry, and brandish firearms during and in relation to crimes of violence.
On June 15, 2023, co-defendant Javeyon Demario Tate, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to use, carry, and brandish firearms during and in relation to crimes of violence.
On October 21, 2022, co-defendant William Charles Saffold, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to use, carry, and brandish firearms during and in relation to crimes of violence and one count of assault on a federal officer.
Sentencing dates will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez are prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Launches Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach ProgramRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – The Department of Justice announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people.
“This new program mobilizes the Justice Department’s resources to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities.” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with Tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families.”
“These new positions represent the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis with urgency and all of the tools at our disposal,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “MMIP prosecutors and coordinators will work with partners across jurisdictions and alongside the Tribal communities who have been most devastated by this epidemic.”
“These additional resources are a significant step toward strengthening our work with our Tribal communities,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. “One of these new MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) will be placed in Minnesota. This position is in addition to four new AUSAs in our office that will focus on advancing public safety and engagement with our Tribal communities across Minnesota. For the first time, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota will have a dedicated section to support the needs of our Tribal communities.”
The MMIP regional program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to United States Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022.
The national program will dedicate five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to United States Attorneys’ offices across the country to address and combat the issues of MMIP. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions, and MMIP personnel will be located within host United States Attorneys’ offices in the Districts of Alaska, Arizona, Eastern Washington, Minnesota, New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, and Western Michigan. Programmatic support will be provided by the MMIP Regional Outreach Program Coordinator at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys.
“The Executive Office for United States Attorneys and the United States Attorney community are committed to preventing and responding to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. To that end, we will work together with all relevant federal, Tribal, state and local law enforcement partners to locate missing persons and solve crimes where they have occurred,” said Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson. “This new program will allow the Department to build upon the work done by individual United States Attorneys’ offices and ensure continued support to those offices by coordinating outreach regionally on MMIP matters.
More broadly, this MMIP Program will complement the work of the Justice Department’s National Native American Outreach Services Liaison, who is helping amplify the voice of crime victims in Indian country and their families as they navigate the federal criminal justice system. Further, the MMIP Program will liaise with and enhance the work of the Department’s Tribal Liaisons and Indian Country Assistant United States Attorneys throughout Indian Country, the Native American Issues Coordinator, and the National Indian Country Training Initiative Coordinator to ensure a comprehensive response to MMIP.
Former CFO Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $3 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – An Arizona man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after embezzling more than $3 million from his employer, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, David Efrem Katz, 56, was the former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Durand and Associates (“D&A”), a property management company that specialized in servicing homeowner associations (“HOAs”). Between 2012 and 2017, Katz embezzled over $3 million from D&A and its client HOAs.
Katz worked for D&A from approximately 1998 to 2017, starting as an accountant and eventually becoming CFO. As CFO, Katz had authorization to open credit cards in D&A’s name and use those credit cards for business expenses. However, Katz was not authorized to charge personal expenses to the cards, take out loans on D&A’s behalf without the owner’s approval, or use funds belonging to D&A or its HOA clients to pay his personal expenses.
Beginning in at least 2012 and continuing into 2017, Katz embezzled over $3 million from D&A and its HOA clients. Katz, who as CFO of D&A was responsible for payroll, paid himself significantly more than his agreed upon salary. Between 2011 and 2017, Katz paid himself $6,500 every two weeks as a salary despite his base salary never being more than $47,500 annually.
Katz also reimbursed himself for personal expenses and business expenses he never actually incurred. Katz paid himself between approximately $6,000 and $10,000 in reimbursements every two weeks. He labeled these payments as miscellaneous earnings and reimbursements, “recovery loans,” bonuses, and commissions. Katz never loaned or invested money in D&A that he was entitled to “recover.” To the extent he earned bonuses and commissions, they were in amounts significantly less than what he paid himself. And although Katz incurred some legitimate business-related expenses, they were in amounts significantly less than what he reimbursed himself.
Katz pleaded guilty on June 26, 2023, in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M Menendez to one count of wire fraud. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and Matthew S. Ebert are prosecuting the case.
Minneapolis Felon Pleads Guilty to Two Violent CarjackingsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis felon has pleaded guilty to two counts of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the defendant’s plea agreement and court documents, on January 30, 2023, in Little Canada, a Ramsey County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a Ford truck, which was later revealed to be stolen. The driver, Donovan Alan Goodman, 33, fled the deputy, driving in the wrong lanes of traffic, above posted speed limits, and evading stop sticks. Law enforcement officers ultimately disabled the vehicle. Goodman fled the vehicle and jumped over a barrier separating the east and west lanes on Interstate 694. He approached an uninvolved vehicle, which had stopped in the westbound lanes of Interstate 694, pointed a firearm at the vehicle and yelled, “Get the [expletive] out of the car.” Goodman then fled in the vehicle. The carjacked vehicle―which was subsequently recovered―had an installed dash camera that captured the entire incident.
On February 25, 2023, at approximately 4:23 a.m., officers with the Minneapolis Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a stolen vehicle parked in a parking lot. Goodman and another male, who were standing near the vehicle, immediately fled on foot and officers pursued. One officer deployed a taser to subdue Goodman, who initially fell to the ground, rolled over and then pointed a handgun with a red laser sight in the direction of the officer. The officer immediately took cover and Goodman escaped on foot.
Shortly thereafter, a carjacking victim flagged down responding law enforcement officers. He reported that he was an Uber driver who had just picked up two passengers in downtown Minneapolis when a man—later identified as Goodman—approached the vehicle and offered the occupants $100 to let him join the Uber ride. One of the occupants agreed and opened the door. Once inside the vehicle, Goodman pulled out the firearm with a red laser, pointed it at the back of the driver’s head, and ordered everyone out of the vehicle. The driver and the two occupants complied, and Goodman fled in the vehicle.
Later that day, after obtaining a search warrant for Goodman’s cell phone, law enforcement tracked Goodman to a residence in St. Paul. The St. Paul Police Department’s SWAT team executed a search warrant at the residence and, after law enforcement provided numerous loud commands for over an hour, Goodman exited the residence and was taken into custody.
Goodman pleaded guilty today, in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery to two counts of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis Police Department, the St. Paul Police Department, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case.
Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking on the Red Lake ReservationRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Detroit man has been sentenced to five years in prison followed by four years of supervised release for his role in a fentanyl trafficking operation targeting the Red Lake Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in March 2021, Scot Lamonte Watkins, Jr., 34, conspired with others to distribute fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, and cocaine to individuals from the Red Lake Reservation. Watkins, along with co-defendants Douglas Edward McClendon, 32, and Christopher Douglas Richard, 41, obtained fentanyl and other drugs from suppliers in Detroit and then traveled to Bemidji, Minnesota, to sell the drugs. In a text message between the co-defendants, Watkins was told, “Oh yeah we do got something for ya cum down in get yo dope and sell it playa.”
According to court documents, the defendants conducted their drug distribution operation out of various Bemidji-area hotels. On March 12, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a hotel where the defendants were selling drugs. As a result of the search, law enforcement agents recovered more than 174 grams of fentanyl, 37 grams of methamphetamine, and other controlled substances. As law enforcement entered the hotel room, Watkins and McClendon fled while Richard flushed a significant amount of fentanyl down the toilet.
On March 13, 2023, Watkins plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and other controlled substances. Watkins was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel. Restitution was also ordered as part of Watkins’ sentence.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force, the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino.
South St. Paul Felon Pleads Guilty in Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A South St. Paul felon has pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the defendant’s plea agreement and court documents, on December 4, 2022, Nicholas Neil Nikiforakis, 34, posted a photo on Facebook that showed him in possession of a black firearm with a tan-colored extended magazine. Law enforcement officers were able to determine Nikiforakis’s location and conducted physical surveillance. When the defendant was spotted getting behind the wheel of a black Ford Explorer, officers attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, but Nikiforakis rammed into a responding squad car and fled the area at a high rate of speed. He eventually crashed as he attempted a high-speed turn, hit a fire hydrant, and collided with a nearby building. The defendant fled on foot but was ultimately apprehended at the scene. A subsequent search of the black Ford Explorer revealed a black and dark green privately made firearm or “ghost gun” – with a tan-colored extended magazine in the center console with a large black bag that contained fentanyl pills, marijuana, and a digital scale.
Nikiforakis pleaded guilty on June 23, 2023, in U.S. District Court before Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case.
Two Individuals Charged with Neglect Following the Death of a Child on the Red Lake ReservationRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Two individuals from the Red Lake Indian Reservation have been indicted for child neglect following the death of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between January 1, 2022, and December 25, 2022, Julius Fineday, 41, and Sharon Rosebear, 63, willfully deprived Minor A of necessary food, clothing, shelter, health care, and supervision, despite being reasonably able to make the necessary provisions. As alleged, the neglect caused the death of Minor A.
The indictment charges Fineday with one count of felony child neglect causing the death of a child and Rosebear with one count of felony child neglect. The defendants will make their initial appearances in U.S. District Court at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.