District of Minnesota

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 – 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.

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.

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.

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 – 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 – 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Affidavit

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 – 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.

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– 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.

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.

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.

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 – 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.

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.

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.

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.

MINNEAPOLIS – Derrick John Thompson has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with illegal possession of fentanyl and a firearm following a deadly vehicle crash that killed five victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on June 16, 2023, a trooper with the Minnesota State Patrol observed a black Cadillac SUV speeding north on I-35W, traveling at 95 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour speed zone. The trooper began following the SUV but did not initiate the emergency lights or attempt to make a traffic stop because the trooper did not want to cause the driver, later identified as Thompson, 27, to continue to drive recklessly on city streets. The trooper observed Thompson abruptly cut across four lanes of traffic to exit the freeway at the Lake Street exit. At the intersection of 2nd Avenue South and East Lake Street, Thompson sped through a red light at the intersection without stopping or slowing. The SUV struck at full speed the driver’s side of a Honda Civic that was traveling lawfully through the intersection. All five occupants of the Honda Civic, four adult females and one juvenile female, were killed. When law enforcement responded to the scene of the crash, witnesses told officers that Thompson had fled on foot through a nearby alley. Officers found Thompson sitting on the curb outside of a nearby restaurant. Officers detained Thompson, who was later transported to Hennepin County Medical Center for evaluation.

According to court documents, an officer found at the scene a Hertz rental record for the Cadillac SUV indicating that Thompson rented the vehicle from a Hertz located at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport approximately 30 minutes before the crash. After obtaining a warrant to search the SUV, officers found a black leather bag on the front passenger side floor that contained a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine, as well as three baggies containing 2,169 blue “M-Box 30” fentanyl pills, a baggie containing an additional 14 grams of powder fentanyl, a baggie containing 13 MDMA pills, a baggie containing 35 grams of cocaine, and a digital scale.

Because Thompson has a prior felony conviction, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

The complaint charges Thompson with possession of a firearm as a felon, possession of fentanyl, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the charges, Thompson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in federal prison. Thompson, who is currently in state custody in Hennepin County, 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 FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport Police Department, in close coordination with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Calhoun-Lopez and Ruth S. Shnider 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.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a St. Paul man guilty of illegally possessing a firearm following a shootout at a St. Paul bar, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

Following a five-day trial before Judge Eric C. Tostrud, Anthony Charles Deberry, 41, was convicted on one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

According to evidence presented at trial, on the afternoon of September 18, 2021, Deberry got into a verbal altercation with a man inside Born’s Bar in St. Paul and, as a result, was kicked out of the bar and prohibited from re-entering. Deberry remained in the vicinity of the bar and at times continued to antagonize the man. Later that evening, Deberry approached the bar, followed a group of men, and brandished a 9mm handgun with an activated laser site. Shortly thereafter, gunfire broke out, including one shot fired by Deberry. Deberry suffered from multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to Regions Hospital. Surveillance video footage from Born’s Bar showed Deberry hide his firearm under a parked car after the shooting. Responding law enforcement officers recovered Deberry’s firearm as well as multiple discharged cartridge casings on the sidewalk.

Because Deberry 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Paul Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph S. Teirab and Lindsey E. Middlecamp tried the case.

WASHINGTON – Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department announced today that the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and the City of Minneapolis (City) engage in a pattern or practice of conduct in violation of the U.S. Constitution and federal law. The Department also announced that the city and MPD have agreed in principle to resolve the Department’s findings through a court enforceable consent decree with an independent monitor, rather than through contested litigation.

 Specifically, the Justice Department finds that the MPD:

• Uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and unreasonable use of tasers;
• Unlawfully discriminates against Black people and Native American people in its enforcement activities, including the use of force following stops;
• Violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech; and
• Along with the city, discriminates against people with behavioral health disabilities when responding to calls for assistance.

The Department identified and concluded that persistent deficiencies in policy, training, supervision, and accountability contribute to the unlawful conduct.

“George Floyd’s death had an irrevocable impact on his family, on the Minneapolis community, on our country, and on the world,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The patterns and practices of conduct the Justice Department observed during our investigation are deeply disturbing. They erode the community’s trust in law enforcement. And they made what happened to George Floyd possible. Today, we have completed our investigation, but this is only the first step. We will continue to work with the city and the MPD toward ensuring that MPD officers have the support and resources they need to do their jobs effectively and lawfully as we work together toward meaningful and durable reform.”

“I know this community is still hurting and that today’s announcement may also open up old wounds,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The Justice Department is committed to working with Minneapolis on a path forward, to constitutional policing, and stronger police-community trust. Together we can build a Minneapolis that protects the rights, safety, and dignity of all.”

“Every American deserves policing that is fair, equitable, and non-discriminatory,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The protests that unfolded across Minneapolis, and the country, underscore the urgency behind our efforts to ensure that police departments respect constitutional rights, while garnering public trust. We will stand by the people of Minneapolis as we work to institute reforms that are lasting and enduring.”

“These findings present a sobering picture of a flawed system – but today we turn towards change through justice,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Bildtsen for the District of Minnesota. “This thorough investigation is the foundation to make fair and lawful policing a reality for our entire community.”

The city and MPD cooperated fully with the Justice Department’s investigation. The Department provided a comprehensive written report of its investigative findings to the city and MPD. The report acknowledges the changes already made by the city and MPD, and it identifies additional remedial measures that the Department believes are necessary to fully address its findings.

The Department opened this investigation on April 21, 2021. The investigation was conducted by career attorneys and staff in the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota. The team conducted numerous onsite tours of MPD facilities; interviewed MPD officers, supervisors, and command staff; spoke with city officials and employees; accompanied behavioral crisis responders and officers on ride-alongs; reviewed thousands of documents; and watched thousands of hours of body-worn camera footage. Department attorneys and staff also met with community members, advocates, service providers, and other stakeholders in the Minneapolis area.

The Department conducted this investigation pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12601 (Section 12601), which prohibits law enforcement officers from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law, the Safe Streets Act of 1968, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The findings announced today are the result of the Department’s civil pattern or practice investigation and are separate from the Department’s criminal cases against former MPD officers for federal crimes related to the death of George Floyd.

The Department will reach out to members of the Minneapolis community for input on remedies to address the Department’s findings. Individuals may also submit recommendations by email at [email protected] or by phone at 1-866-432-0268.

This is one of eight investigations into law enforcement agencies opened during this Administration by the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department under Section 12601. The Department has ongoing investigations into the Phoenix Police Department; the Mount Vernon Police Department; the Louisiana State Police; the New York City Police Department’s Special Victims Division; the Worcester Police Department; and the Oklahoma City Police Department. The Department has issued Section 12601 findings reports in the past year regarding the Louisville Metro Police Department, as well as the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Department.

Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota is available at www.justice.gov/usao-mn.

Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s Police Reform Work can be found here: www.justice.gov/crt/file/922421/download.

The Justice Department will hold a virtual presentation on the findings at 5:00 p.m. CT. Members of the public are encouraged to attend to learn more about the findings. Please join the meeting here.

View the findings report here and the settlement in principle here.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Coon Rapids man has pleaded guilty to mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, from at least in or about June 2020 through in or about March 2021, Solomon Eghosa Wilfred, 42, and other scheme participants knowingly and intentionally participated in and facilitated an online romance fraud scheme that targeted primarily elderly victims and lured them into sending money under false pretenses. The scheme relied on impersonating a real or plausible but fictitious person, such as a senior U.S. diplomat or military official, that contacted the victims through online social media applications.  The scheme participants then sought to forge a romantic connection with the victims. If successful, the scheme participants would then ask the victims for money purportedly to assist the false persona with some problem or need. Occasionally, the scheme participants would even introduce the victims to a purported third-party intermediary who would corroborate the false persona’s story and assist in defrauding the victims. The victims eventually were directed to send large sums of money by mail or other commercial means to a specified name and address.

Wilfred also assisted with the collection and transfer of the fraudulently obtained funds. Wilfred opened at least six Post Office boxes in Minnesota to receive victims’ packages and to send funds from victims to other scheme participants. Wilfred also communicated with some victims to facilitate the fraud scheme. For example, Wilfred admitted to sending victims cards and rings using the name of the false persona. In total, Wilfred received over 400 victim packages containing approximately $1,294,995 in fraud proceeds during the scheme. Wilfred kept some of the proceeds for his personal benefit and disbursed the remainder of the proceeds to other scheme participants.

Wilfred pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M. Menendez to mail fraud. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan L. Sing and Robert M. Lewis are prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Hutchinson woman has been charged with mail fraud for embezzling over $2 million from her employer, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Jennifer Lee Rath, 52, worked as the financial controller at R&R Excavating, Inc., a heavy civil construction company located in Hutchinson, Minnesota. As the financial controller, Rath was responsible for managing R&R’s payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, company credit cards, and corporate bank accounts. Rath used her position to embezzle funds and convert them to her own use and benefit. Rath routinely drafted manipulated checks that appeared to cover R&R’s liabilities, but instead she used the funds to pay her own credit card debts, tax liabilities, or cover other personal expenses. Rath also processed electronic fund transfers from R&R’s bank accounts to pay personal expenses and improperly charged personal expenses to R&R’s company credit cards. Rath manipulated R&R’s accounting software to conceal the money she stole, avoid detection, and prolong her fraud scheme.

In total, between August 2013 and December 2019, Rath knowingly and willfully embezzled $2,061,328.67 from her employer.

Rath will make her initial appearance in U.S. District Court at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Hutchinson Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case.

The charges contained in the information are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Bloomington man has pleaded guilty to his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and court documents, Abdulkadir Awale, 50, admitted that from April 2020 through 2022, he knowingly participated in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misappropriate millions of dollars in federal child nutrition program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to underprivileged children.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and court documents, Awale enrolled his businesses, Karmel Coffee, LLC, Sambusa King, Inc., and Nawal Restaurant, Inc., in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as vendors under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Sponsor A. Awale falsely claimed that through his businesses, he provided food for more than 3.6 million meals to various sites in Minnesota, totaling approximately $11.8 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Awale also paid at least $83,000 in kickbacks to a Feeding Our Future employee in exchange for Awale’s participation in the program. Awale used some of funds to pay off his home mortgage, make cash withdrawals, and purchase vehicles, including two Freightliner Cascadia trucks.

Awale pleaded guilty today before Judge Nancy E. Brasel to one count of wire fraud and agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $2,126,200. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, and Chelsea A. Walcker are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Blaine man has been indicted on wire fraud charges after devising an employment opportunity scheme to defraud hundreds of jobseekers out of approximately $600,000, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Charles Edward Fields, 43, was the owner and operator of a series of companies through which he pitched employment opportunities to prospective workers throughout the United States. The employment opportunities that Fields purported to provide were through his businesses, some of which included HOMESoft Systems Incorporated, WaterTek Marketing Corporation, Water Innovations Group, Inc., W I G Holdings Corporation, Mile High H20 Corporation, and the NEW H20. Fields, claimed that, after job applicants paid him an upfront deposit of approximately $3,000 to $5,000, he would hire them as sales contractors to sell products nationwide to the public, primarily home security or water filtration systems. As part of the scheme, Fields also misrepresented his affiliation with, and his authority to act on behalf of, Company A, a long-standing international company that designs and distributes various models of water machines and filtration systems.

According to court documents, Fields routinely posted nationwide online employment advertisements promising job seekers training, sales leads, and $6,000 in guaranteed monthly profit. In reality, the employment opportunities never materialized as promised by Fields. In order to conceal his fraud and to stave off scrutiny, Fields lulled his victims with bogus excuses as to why he was unable to fulfill his promises or to return their funds.  In total, Fields defrauded at least 250 victims of at least $600,000.

The indictment charges Fields with five counts of wire fraud. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on June 30, 2023.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Ebert 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.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Brooklyn Center man was sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release and ordered to pay $3,850 in restitution and an $18,381 fine for filing fraudulent insurance claims for a staged arson, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on September 23, 2020, Denis Vladmirovich Molla, 30, falsely reported to law enforcement that someone had lit his camper on fire and that three unknown males were near his home when he heard an explosion. Molla also reported that his garage door was vandalized with spray painted graffiti stating, “Biden 2020,” “BLM,” and an Antifa symbol, and that his camper was targeted because it had a Trump 2020 flag displayed on it. In reality, Molla started his own property on fire and spray painted the graffiti on his own garage.

According to court documents, Molla submitted multiple insurance claims seeking coverage for the damage to his garage, camper, vehicles, and residence caused by the fire. When Molla’s insurance company denied some of those claims, Molla submitted a written complaint to the insurance company claiming that it was defrauding him and threatened to report the company to the Department of Commerce and to the Attorney General. Molla also created and allowed others to create two GoFundMe accounts to benefit Molla and his family. In total, Molla submitted more than $300,000 in fraudulent insurance claims, and he received approximately $61,000 from his insurance company. Molla also received more than $17,000 from individual donors via GoFundMe.

Molla pleaded guilty on October 11, 2022, to one count of wire fraud. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Senior Judge David S. Doty.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Brooklyn Center Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Svendsen and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela M. Munoz prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis felon has been sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a firearm as an armed career criminal, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, on October 30, 2022, the Brooklyn Center Police Department located a vehicle that had previously been used to flee from law enforcement. Three people were inside the vehicle, including Kevin Ronnell Lynch, 55, who was seated alone in the backseat.  During a pat down search of the driver, the officers observed Lynch moving around inside the vehicle. The officers removed Lynch from the vehicle and recovered a loaded firearm from his jacket.  The recovered firearm was a Ruger model EC9 semiautomatic pistol.  At the time of his arrest, Lynch was on pretrial release for two other firearm-related offenses.  Since 1986, Lynch has at least 14 felony convictions, including for aggravated robbery, assault, domestic violence, and terroristic threats.

On February 2, 2023, Lynch pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal. Lynch was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Brooklyn Center Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing prosecuted the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on convictions for illegal possession of a machinegun and illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

As proven at trial, on October 12, 2021, Marques Dwell Armstrong, Jr., 28, possessed a machinegun, namely, a loaded 9mm-caliber Glock pistol, with a high-capacity magazine, equipped with an attached machinegun conversion device, or “switch,” enabling it to be fired as a fully automatic weapon.

A jury found Armstrong guilty on February 16, 2023, of one count of illegal possession of a machinegun and one count of illegal possession of a firearm. Armstrong was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank to two concurrent terms of 120 months imprisonment. Armstrong also received a consecutive term of seven months imprisonment for a prior supervised-release violation.

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 Albania Concepcion prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Maple Grove felon has been sentenced to 360 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl while possessing a machinegun, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, on June 4, 2022, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department received a complaint that an individual, later identified as Derrick Maurice Scott, 35, had threatened a man at a convenience store while brandishing a firearm. Two days later, officers located Scott and conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Scott was a passenger. Following a search of the vehicle, officers recovered 355 fentanyl pills and a Glock 41, .45 caliber pistol equipped with an auto-sear or “switch” (a device that makes a firearm function as a fully automatic machinegun) and a high-capacity magazine. Because Scott has multiple prior felony convictions, including aggravated robbery, domestic assault, and terroristic threats, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

On February 7, 2023, Scott was convicted by a federal jury of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, carrying a machinegun during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, possession of a machinegun, and possession of a firearm as a felon. Scott was sentenced today to the mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison, before Senior U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen.

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 Thomas M. Hollenhorst and Chelsea A. Walcker prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – Mohamed Ali Hussein and Lul Bashir Ali have pleaded guilty to their roles in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to the defendants’ guilty pleas and court documents, Hussein, 53, and Ali, 57, both of Faribault, admitted that between June 2020 and January 2022, they knowingly and willfully conspired with others to participate in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misappropriate millions of dollars in federal child nutrition program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to underprivileged children.

According to the defendants’ guilty pleas and court documents, in April and September 2020, Ali and Hussein enrolled their companies, Lido Restaurant and Somali American Faribault Education (SAFE), respectively, in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. After enrolling, Hussein and Ali began submitting fraudulently inflated invoices for reimbursement in which they claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day. In support of these fraudulent claims, they prepared and submitted fake paperwork, including falsely inflated meal counts.

According to the defendants’ guilty pleas and court documents, Lido Restaurant also participated in the program as a vendor. Lido Restaurant had a contract to prepare meals to be served by Hussein’s SAFE site. Ali and Hussein submitted fraudulent claims that sought reimbursement for far more meals and food than Ali’s company actually prepared. As part of the scheme, Hussein also paid more than $100,000 in kickbacks to Feeding Our Future personnel in exchange for the nonprofit’s sponsorship of Lido Restaurant and SAFE.

In total, Hussein’s company claimed to have served more than 1.2 million meals to children between February and November 2021 and obtained approximately $2.1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Ali’s company claimed to have served more than 700,000 meals to children between June 2020 and April 2021 and obtained approximately $2.9 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Hussein and Ali pleaded guilty today before Judge Nancy E. Brasel to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $5,037,649 and to forfeit to the United States real property and a vehicle.  Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs, and Chelsea A. Walcker are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury found a Richfield man guilty of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

Following a two-day trial before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, Marquice Shaquan Morris, 26, was convicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

According to evidence presented at trial, from spring 2022 to October 2022, Morris and his coconspirator Brandon Pierre Johnson, 34, of Chicago, conspired to distribute approximately 83,000 fentanyl pills, weighing about 18 pounds, or 8.3 kilograms. In late September 2022, Morris and Johnson agreed to fly from Minnesota to Arizona to pick up the fentanyl, then Johnson would bring the drugs back to Minnesota on a bus, to give them back to Morris. In return, Morris agreed to pay Johnson $1,500. On September 30, 2022, Morris and Johnson flew from Minnesota to Arizona and obtained the fentanyl pills from Morris’s source. Morris then flew home, while Johnson boarded a Greyhound bus to St. Paul. Johnson carried the pills along with a loaded 9 mm handgun onto the bus, in a duffle bag. When Johnson’s bus stopped in Amarillo, Texas, law enforcement officers found and seized the fentanyl pills and the gun. Officers arrested Johnson.

On March 17, 2023, Johnson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2023.

Morris is scheduled to be sentenced on October 12, 2023.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Amarillo Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Forbes, Harry M. Jacobs, and Thomas M. Hollenhorst tried the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Richfield man has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm with an attached “switch,” making it a fully automatic weapon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on October 14, 2022, law enforcement attempted to arrest Vatthana Andy Sengsouriya, 28, on an outstanding warrant. When officers tried to take Sengsouriya into custody in the parking lot of the Eden Prairie Home Depot, he fled in his vehicle. Officers pursued Sengsouriya and were able to stop his vehicle with a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver, but Sengsouriya fled his vehicle on foot and ran into the woods. After a brief foot chase, law enforcement apprehended Sengsouriya and took him into custody. Officers searched a cross-body bag Sengsouriya was wearing and found 115 grams of cocaine, some of which was packaged into smaller bags meant for distribution, and a Glock Model 21 .45 caliber pistol with a switch attached to it, which transformed the handgun into a fully automatic weapon.

Sengsouriya pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Kate M. Menendez to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the DEA, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Eden Prairie Police Department, and the Southwest Hennepin Drug Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Albania Concepcion and Lauren O. Roso are prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Red Lake man has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter resulting from a drunk driving crash, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on the morning of November 6, 2021, Gerald Wayne Johnson, 27, was driving a vehicle while intoxicated with a passenger in the front seat. Johnson was driving above 90 miles per hour on a public road which had a posted speed limit of 20 miles per hour. While speeding and driving recklessly, Johnson lost control and crashed the vehicle into a nearby tree. Johnson’s passenger died from her injuries caused by the crash. Johnson’s blood was drawn, and his blood alcohol content was determined to be .224.

Johnson pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis to one count of involuntary manslaughter. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time. 

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Red Lake Police Department, and the Minnesota State Patrol.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph S. Teirab is prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Manitowoc, Wisconsin man has been indicted for producing images depicting his sexual abuse of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on or about June 7, 2019, Jason Lee, 27, used and coerced a prepubescent minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.

Lee was arrested on May 11, 2023, and made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Wisconsin before Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries, during which Lee was ordered to be transported to the District of Minnesota. Lee made his initial appearance yesterday before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. Lee was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings.

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, Saint Paul Police Department, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin Police Department.

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.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 92 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on August 29, 2022, Lamonte Edjuan Brown, 39, pointed a loaded gun at two victims outside of a Minneapolis apartment complex. Officers with the Minneapolis Police Department were dispatched to the apartment, and when they approached Brown, he fled on foot. Officers chased Brown and apprehended him. In Brown’s sweatshirt pocket, officers found the loaded gun—a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol that had been reported stolen by the Eagan Police Department.

Brown pleaded guilty on January 11, 2022, to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Senior Judge Susan Richard Nelson. In handing down the sentence, Judge Nelson remarked that that “the trauma in this case is palpable,” and emphasized that “our community is experiencing an epidemic of gun violence.”

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 Hillary A. Taylor prosecuted the case.

ST PAUL, Minn. – Two Minneapolis men have pleaded guilty to carjacking, kidnapping, and holding a victim at gunpoint for several hours, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on the evening of February 14, 2023, Jamal Timothy Funchess, 18, T’Shawn Teon Palton, 21, and a juvenile posted an advertisement on Facebook Marketplace to purportedly sell an iPhone. The victim responded and made arrangements to buy the phone. The victim and the purported seller agreed to meet at a location in Columbia Heights. When the victim arrived at the location and was still in the car, Palton and the juvenile approached. The juvenile had a gun and hit the victim in the face with the firearm. The men ordered the victim to the backseat of the car. The men then got into the victim’s car, drove a few blocks, and picked up Funchess.

For several hours, the three men drove the victim’s car around the Twin Cities, holding the victim at gunpoint in the backseat. Each of the three men at some point held the firearm and pointed it at the victim. During this time, they demanded that the victim surrender his cell phone, wallet, credit cards, and banking information. They drove to several gas stations around the Twin Cities in an attempt to use the victim’s cards to withdraw money. Toward the end of the ordeal, the three men discussed what to do with the victim and openly talked about murdering him. Eventually, they dropped the victim on a road in St. Paul and drove away in the victim’s car. The victim ran to a nearby gas station and borrowed an employee’s cell phone to call 911.

Officers were able to use the location of the victim’s stolen cell phone to find Palton, Funchess, and the juvenile, along with the victim’s stolen car and possessions.

Funchess and Palton pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Susan Richard Nelson to one count each of carjacking. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bloomington Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Forbes is prosecuting the case.