District of Minnesota
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Man Surrenders for Role in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Today, United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Said Abdullahi Ereg surrendered peacefully to the FBI. He was indicted on June 24, 2024, for his role in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
According to court documents, Ereg exploited the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID-19 pandemic and was involved in obtaining, misappropriating, and laundering millions of dollars in program funds that were meant to feed children in need. He ran a grocery and deli in Minneapolis and was under the sponsorship of the nonprofit, Feeding Our Future. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Ereg after he was charged, but he was not arrested as he was living overseas and his exact whereabouts were unknown.
The Federal Child Nutrition Program operates throughout the United States and administers the programs at the national and regional levels by distributing federal funds to state governments, which provide oversight over the Federal Child Nutrition Program. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) administered the program in the state. According to court documents, Ereg owned and operated Evergreen Grocery and Deli, a for-profit business that participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. From approximately April 2020 to April 2021, Ereg is alleged to have defrauded the program by submitting false reimbursement claims, for which he received more than $4.2 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. At times, Evergreen Grocery and Deli claimed to have served more than 3,000 meals, twice a day, seven days a week. Ereg’s wife, Najmo Ahmed, also worked at the business and received payroll payments directly from Feeding Our Future. Ahmed pleaded guilty on February 24, 2025, to one count of money laundering. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15, 2026, by United States District Court Judge Nancy E. Brasel.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
On June 4, 2026, the FBI announced the launch of its Most Wanted Fraudsters List, publicly identifying Ereg as a fugitive from justice. The next day, Ereg communicated through counsel his desire to return to the United States. He surrendered to FBI agents at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport earlier this afternoon.
“Today’s apprehension of Said Abdullahi Ereg, a fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters List, highlights the collective commitment of the DOJ, FBI, IRS, and USPIS, along with our USAO to bring every alleged fraudster to justice. Ereg was one of eight fugitives added to the FBI’s newly announced fraud list just six days ago and is the first to be taken into custody to face charges for his alleged actions,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson.
“We are proud to have assisted the Department of Justice in today’s surrender of a suspect accused of betraying the public’s trust and committing crimes against our community’s most vulnerable,” said HSI Minneapolis/St. Paul Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy. “This case sends a clear message: being outside the United States does not place you beyond the reach of HSI and our law enforcement partners. Our commitment is unwavering: those who exploit programs intended to support children and families will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice here in Minnesota.”
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Kline, Matthew Murphy, and Austin Bowyer are prosecuting the case.
International Falls Man Federally Indicted for Kidnapping Zimmerman Minor and Production of Child Pornography Involving a Second MinorRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen today announced the unsealing of a federal grand jury indictment charging Joseph Andrew Bragg with the January 21, 2026, alleged Kidnapping and Attempted Transportation of a minor victim. He is also charged with the alleged Production and Possession of Child Pornography involving a second minor victim.
According to state and federal court documents, on January 21, 2026, a minor child under the age of 10, Victim 1, returned home to the usual school bus drop-off at approximately 3:53 p.m. The drop-off location was a block from Victim 1’s home. Video surveillance confirmed that Victim 1 started walking toward her home, then turned around and walked back the way she had come. Victim 1 did not arrive home and Victim 1’s mother reported her missing that afternoon.
Victim 1’s mother reported having an unusual online interaction approximately two weeks earlier with a Facebook profile username “Joseph Bragg.” The individual alleged he worked in childcare and asked if she or anyone she knew was looking for babysitting services. Victim 1’s mother reported feeling uncomfortable and ultimately blocking the individual. Further investigation identified the Facebook profile as belonging to Joseph Andrew Bragg.
Law enforcement developed a phone number for Bragg and found that he had rented a vehicle with Tennessee (TN) license plates associated. Location tracking data showed that Bragg’s phone number and the rental vehicle were traveling together south on Interstate 35 moving toward Iowa.
Just after midnight on January 22, 2026, a sergeant with the Albert Lea Police Department stopped a vehicle matching the description of the rental vehicle after confirming that it bore the same TN license plate as the suspect vehicle. Bragg was identified as the driver. He told police that he was driving a rental and that he was on his way to Arkansas. Police saw a minor female in the backseat of the vehicle partially covered by a red suitcase. The minor was removed and confirmed to be Victim 1.
Further investigation revealed that the phone Bragg possessed the night of Victim 1’s kidnapping contained several video and photo files depicting child sexual abuse material of multiple minor victims. Victim 2 was positively identified in several of those files.
Bragg made his initial appearance in District Court on May 28, where the Court ordered him detained.
“The allegations set forth in this indictment are every parent’s worst nightmare,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Joseph Bragg allegedly abducted a young child, took her from the love and safety of her home and family, and tried to take her out of the state for his own purposes. Separately, the child sexual abuse material allegedly produced and possessed by Bragg are despicable evidence of a terrifying sexual interest in children. The FBI is dedicated to stopping child predators, keeping children safe, and bringing offenders to justice. In partnership with the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office and the BCA, we did just that. I hope the fact that the alleged offender will answer for these allegations in federal court helps to restore a sense of safety to victims.”
“As alleged in this indictment, Joseph Andrew Bragg is the very definition of a predator. When he allegedly abducted his young victim, we issued an AMBER Alert, and our agents worked urgently with local and federal investigators to find them, ultimately uncovering his scheme to access and target children,” Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said. “Minnesota’s children must be protected by all of us and we will use every tool at our disposal to bring them to safety, and to bring those who would harm them to justice.”
“The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office will never forget the unbelievable amount of assistance provided by law enforcement, fire departments, and volunteers that day,” said Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office Commander Ben Zawacki. “Our Criminal Investigative Division deserves tremendous credit for the tireless work they did that night and the multiple days after until the investigation was concluded.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the FBI, with assistance from the Zimmerman Fire Department, the Albert Lea Police Department, the Plymouth Police Department, and the Northstar Search and Rescue. The Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to this investigation through reports or evidence control.
Investigators believe there may be more victims relevant to this investigation. If you or your minor dependent(s) have any information regarding Joseph Andrew Bragg, please contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Albania Concepcion is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Austin Man Indicted for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Shadow Hawk Mallan, age 28, of Austin, Minnesota, was arraigned on an indictment charging him with three counts of Production of Child Pornography, one count of Interstate Communications with Intent to Extort, one count of Receipt of Child Pornography, one count of Possession of Child Pornography, and one count of Commission of a Felony Offenses Involving a Minor when Required to Register as a Sex Offender, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to state and federal court documents, Mallan owned multiple Snapchat, Discord, and other social media and email accounts that he used to solicit minor victims across the world to receive sexually explicit photographs and videos from them. Mallan also engaged in live video chats with the minor victims, which he recorded and saved. Mallan then threatened the minor victims if they refused to continue sending him sexually explicit material, including threats of physical violence and to distribute the sexually explicit material to their friends and families. To date, evidence shows that Mallan solicited hundreds of minors online over several years. Law enforcement has identified approximately thirteen minor victims. Mallan was previously convicted of Solicitation of a Child to Engage in Sexual Conduct in 2020 in Mower County, Minnesota and was required to register as predatory offender throughout the time of his charged offense.
“As alleged in this indictment, Shadow Hawk Mallan was a registered sex offender who used the worldwide reach of the Internet to continue sexually exploiting children, even after a prior conviction," said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "Not satisfied with the harm caused by the sexual exploitation of children, Mr. Mallan allegedly deepened the psychological damage caused by threatening to distribute child sexual abuse material depicting his child victims to their friends and family. The FBI and our state and local law enforcement partners work diligently every day to protect child victims and bring child predators to justice.”
Mallan made his initial appearance in District Court and was ordered detained pending trial.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Austin Police Department.
Investigators believe there may be other victims relevant to this investigation. As alleged in the indictment and elsewhere, the defendant used Snapchat ID “ps4programer420,” Discord ID “kushklouds420,” and several other online accounts to commit the alleged offenses. If you or your child believe you have been a victim of Shadow Hawk Mallan, we encourage you to contact 800-CALL-FBI or report to tips.fbi.gov.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrie J. Schneider 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.
Feeding Our Future Ringleader Sentenced to 500 MonthsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Aimee Bock has been sentenced to 500 months in prison for her lead role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
As proven at trial, Aimee Bock, 44, was the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Salim Said, 36, former co-owner of Safari Restaurant, was jointly tried with Bock. Together, they oversaw a massive fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship.
“Over forty-one years in prison is the cost this fraudster will pay for stealing from children,” said Colin M. McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Rather than using taxpayer funds intended to feed vulnerable children, the defendant instead pocketed the money to buy luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota, and finance international travel. As this prison sentence makes clear, Minnesota fraudsters should be on high alert—justice is on the move.”
"Aimee Bock and her co-conspirators orchestrated one of the largest frauds against a social service program ever in Minnesota," said FBI Minneapolis Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "The hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars stolen through Bock's scheme were meant to help children and families in need. Defrauding programs designed to feed hungry children is despicable and the sentence handed down today underscores that fact. Complex fraud investigations are at the heart of the FBI's work. Our Special Agents, Forensic Accountants, Analysts, and professional staff will continue to work tenaciously with our law enforcement partners to protect the American taxpayer and families in need from frauds like these."
As proven at trial, Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota. These sites, created and operated by Bock, Said, and others, fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed. Bock and Said created and submitted false documentation, including fraudulent meal counts consisting of fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names and ages of the children receiving meals at the sites each day. Feeding Our Future submitted these fraudulent claims to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and then disbursed the fraudulently obtained Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to their co-conspirators involved in the scheme.
To accomplish their scheme, Bock and her co-conspirators created dozens of shell companies to enroll in the program as food program sites, and to receive and launder the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme. In exchange for sponsoring these sites’ fraudulent participation in the program, Feeding Our Future received more than $18 million in administrative fees to which it was not entitled. In addition to the administrative fees, Feeding Our Future employees solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies sponsored by Feeding Our Future. Many of these kickbacks were paid in cash or disguised as “consulting fees” paid to shell companies created by Feeding Our Future employees to make them appear legitimate.
In total, Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota, and in doing so, went from receiving and disbursing approximately $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021. Throughout the course of their scheme, Feeding Our Future fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. The defendants used the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme to purchase luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota, and to fund international travel.
In pronouncing sentence, Judge Nancy Brasel told Bock, “This was a fraud vortex and you were at the epicenter of it.” Judge Brasel stated that “A sentence of less than 500 months would not do justice to the people of Minnesota, who were in a very real sense the victims of this fraud.”
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Matthew D. Evans are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Feeding Our Future Ringleader Sentenced to 500 MonthsRead the Press Release
Aimee Bock has been sentenced to 500 months in prison for her lead role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
As proven at trial, Aimee Bock, 44, was the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Salim Said, 36, former co-owner of Safari Restaurant, was jointly tried with Bock. Together, they oversaw a massive fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship.
“Over 41 years in prison is the cost this fraudster will pay for stealing from children, said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald for the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Rather than using taxpayer funds intended to feed vulnerable children, the defendant instead pocketed the money to buy luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota, and finance international travel. As this prison sentence makes clear, Minnesota fraudsters should be on high alert — justice is on the move.”
“Aimee Bock and her co-conspirators orchestrated one of the largest frauds against a social service program ever in Minnesota,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “The hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars stolen through Bock's scheme were meant to help children and families in need. Defrauding programs designed to feed hungry children is despicable and the sentence handed down today underscores that fact. Complex fraud investigations are at the heart of the FBI's work. Our Special Agents, Forensic Accountants, Analysts, and professional staff will continue to work tenaciously with our law enforcement partners to protect the American taxpayer and families in need from frauds like these.”
As proven at trial, Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota. These sites, created and operated by Bock, Said, and others, fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed. Bock and Said created and submitted false documentation, including fraudulent meal counts consisting of fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names and ages of the children receiving meals at the sites each day. Feeding Our Future submitted these fraudulent claims to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and then disbursed the fraudulently obtained Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to their co-conspirators involved in the scheme.
To accomplish their scheme, Bock and her co-conspirators created dozens of shell companies to enroll in the program as food program sites, and to receive and launder the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme. In exchange for sponsoring these sites’ fraudulent participation in the program, Feeding Our Future received more than $18 million in administrative fees to which it was not entitled. In addition to the administrative fees, Feeding Our Future employees solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies sponsored by Feeding Our Future. Many of these kickbacks were paid in cash or disguised as “consulting fees” paid to shell companies created by Feeding Our Future employees to make them appear legitimate.
In total, Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota, and in doing so, went from receiving and disbursing approximately $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021. Throughout the course of their scheme, Feeding Our Future fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. The defendants used the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme to purchase luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota, and to fund international travel.
In pronouncing sentence, Judge Nancy Brasel told Bock, “This was a fraud vortex and you were at the epicenter of it.” Judge Brasel stated that “A sentence of less than 500 months would not do justice to the people of Minnesota, who were in a very real sense the victims of this fraud.”
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Matthew D. Evans are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Defendant Convicted in Methamphetamine and Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – Jumoke Ace Maceo Cryer, 38, was found guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and one count of possession of body armor by a prohibited person, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Cryer is the second defendant convicted as part of this conspiracy.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, the defendant conspired with other co-defendants to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine. The defendant, who was previously convicted of distributing methamphetamine in 2016, was observed on video entering a St. Paul drug stash house and leaving with 140 pounds of illegal narcotics. A subsequent search of his home resulted in the seizure of body armor, which the defendant was prohibited from possessing due to his violent criminal history.
Cryer was found guilty after a 3-day jury trial before Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the St. Paul Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and Garrett S. Fields.
Eden Prairie Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Setting Fire to a Townhome with Children InsideRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS –An Eden Prairie man has been sentenced to 180 months in prison for setting fire to a townhome while five people, including an infant, were inside, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to court documents, on May 31, 2024, at 11:27 a.m., the Eden Prairie Fire Department responded to a fire in a townhome. When the fire started, there were five people in the house, including one adult man and four children. When emergency responders arrived, they met the adult male occupant and three children outside, but the fourth child, a nine-month-old baby (Minor A), was still in the burning house. Eden Prairie firefighters entered the residence and found Minor A, who survived the fire but needed to be transported by ambulance to the hospital.According to court documents and the record at sentencing, Abdirahman Abdi Abdullahi, 23, was on probation for violating a restraining order that prohibited him from contacting Minor A’s mother, who lived in the burned home. Two days before the fire, Abdullahi sent a threatening
message to Minor A’s mother stating, “when I see u I’m smoke u.” On that same day, Abdullahi arrived at the door of the house and threatened to kill Minor A’s mother. The day of the fire, Abdullahi used rental car rented by a third party. He traveled to a nearby gas station with a red gas can, which he filled with gasoline. He then parked the car in a parking lot down the street from the burned home where it was hidden by a row of hedges. Wearing plastic gloves, he carried the gas can and a large plastic bag, later found to be full of clothes, through the hedges to the victim’s home. A fire investigation showed that Abdullahi used that gas can to douse the bag of clothes, which he set fire to at the entrance of the home. The flames collapsed the garage roof, melted the front doorknob, and ultimately destroyed the home. The fire damaged neighboring townhomes, as well.
Abdullahi pleaded guilty to Arson Resulting in Personal Injury as charged in the Indictment. At sentencing, the Court found that Abdullahi’s intended to cause the death of Minor A’s mother when he set the fire. The Court noted Abdullahi’s level of planning and his “calculated, cold” preparation. As a result, the sentence for Arson followed the sentencing guidelines for Attempted Murder.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minnesota State Fire Marshal, the Eden Prairie Police Department, and the Eden Prairie Fire Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William C. Mattessich and Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case.Minnesota Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar During Minneapolis Town Hall in January 2026Read the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, pleaded guilty today to one count of Assaulting a United States Officer in U.S. District Court. According to court documents, on January 27, 2026, Kazmierczak sat in the front row at an official Minneapolis town hall meeting hosted by U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, when he stood up, and rapidly approached Rep. Omar as she was speaking. Kazmierczak sprayed Rep. Omar with apple cider vinegar from a syringe, which landed on Rep. Omar’s clothing and skin. Lab analysis confirmed the liquid contained acetic acid. Kazmierczak gestured and shouted at Rep. Omar before security guards subdued him. The town hall meeting was temporarily disrupted, but Rep. Omar later continued her remarks.photo of syringe with liquid used by Kazmierczak recovered by Minneapolis Police
During his arrest by Minneapolis Police officers, Kazmierczak spontaneously stated, “I squirted vinegar.” During today’s change-of-plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen, Kazmierczak admitted that he planned the assault and that he did not agree with Rep. Omar’s political views.
“This assault is yet another example of a dangerous national trend: people channeling political hatred into criminal acts,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “The Department of Justice and this U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate such behavior.”
“Political violence is a scourge on our democracy,” said FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “The FBI will not tolerate attacks on elected officials or anyone who serves our nation. Anyone who thinks they can attack an elected official or seek to insert violence into our democratic discourse without consequence will find the FBI and our law enforcement partners in their way. Mr. Kazmierczak’s conviction today is a testament to a quick and thorough investigation and underlines the importance of interagency collaboration with Minneapolis Police and other state and local agencies.”
A sentencing date for Kazmierczak has not yet been set by the U.S. District Court.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department, led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
Former School District Employee Pleads Guilty to Using AI Technology to Produce Sexual Abuse Images of Children in his CareRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Defendant William Michael Haslach, 30, a former employee of Independent School District #622 (North St. Paul—Maplewood—Oakdale) and ISD #834 (Stillwater), has pleaded guilty to attempted production of child pornography and production of an obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to court documents, defendant Haslach, of Maplewood, Minnesota, occupied several positions of trust with children. From August 2021 until January 2025, Haslach served as a lunch monitor and traffic guard for ISD #622. From 2021 through 2024, Haslach also served as a paraprofessional and later as a youth summer programs assistant for ISD #834. Haslach used his access to children to take non-explicit photos of children in his care. Haslach then used those images to produce morphed/AI photos of those minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Haslach admitted to creating obscene visual representations of at least 91 minor victims in more than 690 morphed images through AI morphing. He also admitted to surreptitiously photographing a pre-pubescent minor’s genital area when she was wearing a swimsuit.
To date, there is no evidence that Mr. Haslach distributed or shared the images he created.
If you are a parent of a child that has at any point been under the care of Haslach, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has set up a website to provide you with resources and further information about this case: www.justice.gov/usao-mn/haslach-child-exploitation-case-school-district-employee-0
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 United States Secret Service, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Maplewood Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Mattessich is prosecuting the case.
Minneapolis Men Sentenced for RICO and Fentanyl Trafficking ConvictionsRead the Press Release
In the last week, Tyreese Giles, 25, and Ernest Ketter, 30, both of Minneapolis, were sentenced after each was found guilty by a jury at trial. On April 23, Giles was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy, which included a gang-related murder. On April 29, Ketter was sentenced to 95 months in prison and three years of supervised release after a separate jury convicted him of a drug trafficking conspiracy.
“These defendants terrorized their communities,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Members of this gang armed themselves and hunted down suspected rivals on the streets of Minneapolis and openly sold fentanyl, an extremely deadly drug. These sentences exemplify the Criminal Division’s unwavering commitment to holding gang members and their associates accountable and to restoring safety to communities plagued by violence.”
“These sentences reflect the sustained, coordinated effort required to dismantle a violent gang that brought fear and deadly drugs into the Minneapolis community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Joseph Persails of ATF’s St. Paul Field Division. “ATF and our partners leveraged crime gun intelligence and complex investigative tools over several years to hold these individuals accountable. This outcome sends a clear message that those who drive violence and traffic fentanyl will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice. We are grateful for the continued partnership and dedication of all agencies involved in this investigation.”
“The Highs and their associates caused untold damage to our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “These defendants were part of a racketeering organization engaged in murder, gun crimes, assaults, robberies, and fentanyl trafficking. The sentences handed down in this case cannot repair the death and destruction these defendants created, but they should send a message to others seeking to glorify crime and violence at the expense of our neighborhoods. The FBI and our partners will use every available resource to stop those who seek to prey on our communities.”
“Tyreese Giles and Ernest Ketter treated entire neighborhoods like territory to control — through violence, fear, and profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Chicago Field Office. “These sentences send a clear message: if you build a criminal enterprise on bloodshed, you will be held to account. IRS-CI special agents followed the money — tracking illicit proceeds and exposing the financial lifelines behind this violence — to help our federal, state, and local partners dismantle this organization and protect the people of Minneapolis. Cases like this show how IRS-CI plays a critical role in all types of investigations. When we expose the financial engine driving violent crime, we don’t just disrupt these groups — we help take them off the streets and make our communities safer.”
“Yesterday’s sentencing is an example of the resolve of U.S. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners to uncover and bring to justice drug traffickers who, through their network of criminal enterprise, prey on our communities” said Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Denver Division. “We will not tolerate these criminals distributing lethal substances such as fentanyl while participating in other criminal activities and destroying the lives of many who fall victim to addiction and despair. Let this be a warning that no matter where you are, you will be held accountable for your illegal activity, restoring safety to the communities we serve.”
Giles was convicted in May 2025 for his involvement in the Highs — a violent Minneapolis street gang that controlled territory north of West Broadway Avenue, including a gang-related 2021 murder. Highs members and associates committed murders, narcotics trafficking, weapons violations, burglaries, assaults, and robberies on behalf of the enterprise. Ketter was an associate of the Highs convicted of conspiring to distribute fentanyl in June 2025.
On Sept. 9, 2021, a prominent Highs member was shot and killed at a barbershop in Minneapolis. About two hours later, suspecting that members of a rival gang ─ the Lows ─ were responsible for the killing, Giles and others traveled to Low’s territory looking for rivals to retaliate against. Surveillance footage showed Giles outside the open Pennwood Market in Minneapolis, where he found the victim and opened fire. As the victim tried to flee, Giles killed him outside of the store, shooting him in the back as he tried to hide.
At Ketter’s trial, evidence showed that he was a high-level supplier of fentanyl pills to the Highs. In October 2022, a search of Ketter’s residence turned up illegal firearms, including a machine gun, drug distribution materials, and approximately 30 grams of fentanyl pills and powder. Text messages showed that Highs members owed Ketter money for 20 kilograms of drugs he had previously supplied.
The case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Department of Corrections, and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Trial Attorneys Brian W. Lynch and Alyssa Levey-Weinstein of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Albania Concepcion and Rebecca Kline for the District of Minnesota prosecuted this case.
Three Individuals Federally Charged with Assault and Intimidating Turning Point USA Journalist by ForceRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen today announced the unsealing of a federal grand jury indictment charging Christopher Ostroushko, Deyanna Ostroushko, and Paige Ostroushko with assaulting a journalist while she was reporting on an anti-ICE protest on federal property in St. Paul Minnesota on April 11, 2026. Christopher Ostroushko and Paige Ostroushko are also charged with willfully and forcefully injuring and intimidating that journalist.
“These three individuals were indicted by a grand jury for allegedly assaulting journalist and Turning Point USA contributor Savannah Hernandez, while she was lawfully reporting on anti-ICE protests outside a federal building in St. Paul,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“Hernandez was allegedly surrounded, physically assaulted, and shoved to the ground — simply because she was identified by the defendants as a conservative journalist. That is NOT ‘peaceful protest.’ These deplorable actions as charged in the indictment will not be tolerated in America, and this Department of Justice will always punish unhinged acts of political violence.”
“Political violence is a national scourge,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen, “and federal law enforcement will not tolerate it.”
FBI, HSI and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
dkt_1_-_indictment_-_26-cr-86_neb-jfd_0_0.pdfThree Individuals Federally Charged with Assault and Intimidating Turning Point USA Journalist by ForceRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced the unsealing of a federal grand jury indictment charging Christopher Ostroushko, Deyanna Ostroushko, and Paige Ostroushko with assaulting a journalist while she was reporting on an anti-ICE protest on federal property in St. Paul Minnesota on April 11, 2026. Christopher Ostroushko and Paige Ostroushko are also charged with willfully and forcefully injuring and intimidating that journalist.
“These three individuals were indicted by a grand jury for allegedly assaulting journalist and Turning Point USA contributor Savannah Hernandez, while she was lawfully reporting on anti-ICE protests outside a federal building in St. Paul,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Hernandez was allegedly surrounded, physically assaulted, and shoved to the ground — simply because she was identified by the defendants as a conservative journalist. That is NOT ‘peaceful protest.’ These deplorable actions as charged in the indictment will not be tolerated in America, and this Department of Justice will always punish unhinged acts of political violence.”
“Political violence is a national scourge,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota, “and federal law enforcement will not tolerate it.”
FBI, HSI and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Leader of Fentanyl Trafficking Organization in Duluth Sentenced to 174 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Defendant Ezell “Cash” Lucas, 34, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to 174 months in prison for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking operation responsible for transporting mass quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine from Chicago to Minnesota for sale to drug users in Duluth, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Lucas was the last of seven defendants in the case convicted of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances to be sentenced.
From December 2021 to February 2024, Lucas managed a large-scale drug distribution operation (the “Lucas DTO”) based in Chicago that targeted drug customers in the Twin Ports region. Lucas worked with local drug distributors in Duluth to traffic fentanyl from Chicago and establish a customer base in Duluth. Lucas then directed criminal associates from Chicago to travel to Duluth and conduct the organization’s operations on the ground. Lucas, sitting in Chicago, fielded calls from drug customers and directed those customers to pre-determined locations in Duluth to meet Lucas’s drug dealers and complete the sales. During a two-year period, law enforcement seized more than 890 grams of fentanyl and 262 grams of methamphetamine from the Lucas DTO over the course of 19 seizure events, including controlled buys, traffic stops, residence search warrants, and a seizure incident to an overdose death.
In February 2024, a federal grand jury indicted multiple defendants, including Lucas, with engaging in a Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine. This week, U.S. District Court Judge Eric C. Tostrud sentenced Lucas to 174 months in prison for his role in the offense.
In August 2025, Lucas’s co-defendant Carl Brown, 32, of Chicago, proceeded to trial on the charged offense. Brown was convicted by a federal jury following a three-day trial. He was later sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment for his role in the offense.
Lucas’s remaining six co-defendants pled guilty and were sentenced to the following terms of imprisonment:
- Anthony Green, 36, of Chicago, Illinois: 120 months
- Matthew Erickson, a/k/a “EZ,” 37, of Duluth, Minnesota: 60 months
- Robert Chism, 37, of Chicago, Illinois: 48 months
- Deandre Westmoreland, 37, of Chicago, Illinois: 32 months
- Pharoo Withersoon, 37, of Chicago, Illinois: 18 months
“This case sends a clear message: individuals who profit from distributing illegal substances in our community will be identified and prosecuted,” said Lt. Jason Tanski of the Duluth Police Department and Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force (“LSVOTF”). “For over a year, during a critical period of the opioid crisis, LSVOTF conducted a comprehensive investigation into the Lucas Drug Trafficking Organization. This investigation included extensive undercover operations by LSVOTF Investigators to identify those individuals involved in the organization. Numerous residences throughout Duluth were used by Lucas and his organization to distribute fentanyl to the community, preying on our community and advancing their illegal operation.
“The sentencing of this prolific drug dealer has a direct and positive impact on public safety by removing a significant source of supply and helping protect lives. The LSVOTF would like to credit the cooperation and assistance of our state and federal partners that helped bring this case to a successful resolution.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Duluth Police Department, LSVOTF, the Saint Louis County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and Syngen Kanassatega prosecuted the case.
Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 8.5 Years for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal district court yesterday sentenced Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23, of
Minneapolis, MN, to 102 months’ (or 8.5 years’) imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised
release, for his attempts to Provide Material Support and Resources to a Designated Foreign
Terrorist Organization, namely the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, known as “ISIS,”
announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. ISIS has been duly designated as a foreign terrorist
organization by the U.S. Secretary of State since 2014.
According to court documents, Hassan began consuming information from and about ISIS and
other State Department designated foreign terrorist organizations in at least 2024. For example,
Hassan obtained and reposted ISIS propaganda articles and videos (some of them extremely
violent) on his various social media accounts. He downloaded multiple files from a known media
wing of ISIS, with names like, “The life of a Mujahideen,” “The month of Jihad,” “The return of
the Caliphate,” and “The path of jihad.” He obtained online manuals written in Arabic on how to
make highly explosive materials such as C4, urea nitrate, HMTD, and hexamine. He openly
posted his desire for jihad and an Islamic caliphate on his various social media accounts. He also
obtained manuals on ammunition-making and sniper-training skills, contacted an online school
specializing in gunsmithing and drone technology, and conducted online research on topics such
as gun ranges, ISIS supporter, Somalia weapons, and various articles related to ISIS-inspired
attacks and terroristic acts on an interactive map.
According to court documents, Hassan had frequent and extensive social media communications
with ISIS media wings and recruiters operating in Somalia. In November 2024, Hassan reached
out to one such account that was spreading ISIS propaganda in Somalia and expressly calling
for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate and the overthrow of the Somali government, and
Hassan requested help contacting someone in ISIS-controlled areas in Somalia. He also referred
to persons he communicated with as “commander” and “uncle” and referenced the “battlefield”
in Somalia.
After several weeks of regular communication with accounts operated by ISIS members, Hassan
prepared to leave behind his life in the United States in December 2024 and posted “I will become
ISIS straight away.” Hassan quit his job, liquidated his savings, and bought a one-way plane
ticket for travel from Minneapolis to Somalia, to join and fight on behalf of ISIS. On December
13, 2024, FBI agents surveilled Hassan attempt to fly to Somalia from Minneapolis-St. Paul
International Airport (MSP). Lacking proper travel documents, however, he was turned away.
After acquiring additional travel documents, Hassan rebooked the same one-way itinerary to
Somalia, and on December 29, 2024, he flew from MSP to Chicago, enroute to Somalia.
Prior to boarding his international flight in Chicago, Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP)
Tactical Terrorism Response Team interviewed Hassan about his intentions, which prevented
his onward travel. Inside Hassan’s only carry-on bag, CBP agents found his birth certificate,
naturalization certificate, and high school diploma. During the interview, Hassan initially denied
any nefarious intent but later professed his belief in ISIS, his consumption of ISIS propaganda,
and his hopes for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate, telling the CBP agents that he did
not believe in democracy and that America’s justice was in fact terrorism.
Upon returning to Minnesota, Hassan continued researching ISIS attacks and activities and
making social media posts espousing ISIS, including his praising the perpetrator of the January
1, 2025, ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, who killed 14 people and
injured dozens more, referring to the perpetrator as a “Muhaajid” and “the legend that killed the
Americans.” In late February 2025, Hassan created and posted his own ISIS-inspired videos,
including of him driving his vehicle at night, while holding a homemade black ISIS flag in his
hand, and displaying an open, long-bladed buck-style knife on his lap.
The FBI arrested Hassan on February 27, 2025 on a Complaint-Warrant filed with the U.S.
District Court. At the time of his arrest, Hassan had the same knife described above on his
person and the homemade ISIS flag in his vehicle. On April 29, 2025, a grand jury returned an
Indictment charging Hassan with one count of attempting to provide material support and
resources to ISIS, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B, a qualifying “Federal crime of terrorism.”
On September 29, 2025, Hassan pleaded guilty to that charge before Judge Donovan W. Frank
in U.S. District Court.
On April 22, 2026, following a hearing in U.S. District Court, Judge Frank sentenced Hassan to
102 months’ imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release with special conditions.
“Abdisatar Hassan took active steps in an attempt to join and support ISIS—a brutal foreign
terrorist organization responsible for the violent deaths of thousands of innocent people,” said
FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Hassan celebrated
the 2025 murder of 14 innocent Americans in New Orleans—a senseless attack on American soil,
attempted to travel in order to take up arms on behalf of ISIS, and when unable to get to his
destination, promoted ISIS and al-Shabaab propaganda encouraging others to fight against the
United States. The sentence handed down today takes a would-be terrorist off the streets and
sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will unremittingly pursue anyone seeking
to join or support a foreign terrorist organization.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force,
Customs and Border Protection, and the New York Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case with assistance from National
Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Eric Hanson.Minnesota Man Found Guilty of Criminal Vehicular HomicideRead the Press Release
DULUTH – Defendant Eric Peterson, 51, of Virginia, Minnesota, has been found guilty of one count of criminal vehicular homicide following a four-day trial, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N.Rosen.
On December 17, 2024, Peterson struck and killed 38-year-old Amanda Boshey when driving along Lake Vermilion Reservation Road near the Fortune Bay Casino on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation. Peterson hit Ms. Boshey, who was walking on foot, shortly after he left the casino. In convicting Peterson, the federal jury concluded that he was driving his vehicle negligently while under the influence of alcohol.
FollowingFollowing a four-day trial in Duluth, Minnesota, before the Honorable Judge Laura M. Provinzino, the jury returned a guilty verdict on count one, which charged Peterson with criminal vehicular homicide-in a negligent manner while under the influence of alcohol. Peterson was acquitted on count two, which charged Peterson with criminal vehicular homicide-while having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more as measured within two hours of the time of driving for the same fatality.
"We would like to extend our condolences to Ms. Boshey’s family and the Bois Forte community." said FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "Justice for Ms. Boshey's tragic death would not have been possible without substantial assistance from our tribal, local, and state law enforcement partners. We hope that holding the defendant accountable for their recklessness will provide some sense of justice for those who are forever impacted by this loss.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, aided by the BCA, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Nett Lake Tribal Police Department, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia Police Department. The coordination of resources between these law enforcement agencies was imperative to the swift identification and apprehension of Peterson and the ultimate resolution of this case.
Ms. Boshey was an enrolled member of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. She is survived by five children as well as her siblings, parents, and other family and loved ones.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and David M. Classen prosecuted the case.
Jury Convicts Minnesota Man of Illegally Possessing Machine GunRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – A federal jury in the District of Minnesota convicted a Minnesota man today of possessing a machine gun created by attaching an illegal machine gun conversion device to a semi-automatic firearm.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Amiir Mawlid Ali, 19, of Minneapolis, was arrested after officers found a machine gun in his possession during a routine traffic stop as he was on the way to a high school graduation. Mr. Ali tried to flee the scene during the traffic stop but officers apprehended him before he could get away. The firearm was equipped with a machine gun conversion device and an extended magazine, which was loaded with over 30 rounds of ammunition. A firearm expert testified at trial that the machine gun possessed by Ali test fired 15 bullets in 2 seconds.
“This defendant possessed an extremely dangerous weapon – a machine gun created by the application of a device known as a switch that converts a legal firearm to an illegal one,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Illegal weapons like this are unduly dangerous and offer nothing legitimate in a law-abiding society. The Criminal Division will continue to prosecute illegal firearms offenses like this one to keep communities safe.”
“The verdict announced today makes clear that possession of a firearm modified to function as a machine gun will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “The FBI is proud of our work on this case, and we thank our Local, State and Federal law enforcement partners for their assistance. Together we will work to stop those who put innocent lives in our community at risk.”
The jury convicted Ali on one count of possession of a machine gun. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Alexandra Swain of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Albania Concepción for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.
Jury Convicts Minnesota Man of Illegally Possessing Machine GunRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the District of Minnesota convicted a Minnesota man today of possessing a machine gun created by attaching an illegal machine gun conversion device to a semi-automatic firearm.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Amiir Mawlid Ali, 19, of Minneapolis, was arrested after officers found a machine gun in his possession during a routine traffic stop as he was on the way to a high school graduation. Mr. Ali tried to flee the scene during the traffic stop but officers apprehended him before he could get away. The firearm was equipped with a machine gun conversion device and an extended magazine, which was loaded with over 30 rounds of ammunition. A firearm expert testified at trial that the machine gun possessed by Ali test fired 15 bullets in 2 seconds.
“This defendant possessed an extremely dangerous weapon – a machine gun created by the application of a device known as a switch that converts a legal firearm to an illegal one,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Illegal weapons like this are unduly dangerous and offer nothing legitimate in a law abiding society. The Criminal Division will continue to prosecute illegal firearms offenses like this one to keep communities safe.”
“The verdict announced today makes clear that possession of a firearm modified to function as a machine gun will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “The FBI is proud of our work on this case, and we thank our Local, State and Federal law enforcement partners for their assistance. Together we will work to stop those who put innocent lives in our community at risk.”
The jury convicted Ali on one count of possession of a machine gun. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Alexandra Swain of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Albania Concepción for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.
Two More Defendants Plead Guilty in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Two more defendants—Suleman Yusuf Mohamed and his brother Gandi Yusuf Mohamed—have pleaded guilty for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced Colin McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division, and U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota.
The number of defendants convicted scheme-wide is now at 65. The brothers were charged in United States v. Mohamed et al., along with five other defendants who pleaded guilty in March. The number of defendants convicted in the Feeding Our Future scheme has now reached 65.
Suleman Yusuf Mohamed, who pleaded guilty on April 2, 2026, participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as a vendor under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. As a vendor, Star Distribution was supposed to provide food to meal distribution sites participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program, including multiple sites operated by his co-defendants. While Star Distribution ultimately received approximately $10.1 million of Federal Child Nutrition Program funds—purportedly for providing food for more than 4.8 million meals—it spent relatively minimal amounts of that money on food. Instead, Mohamed used the money for his own personal expenses and transferred millions of dollars back to others participating in the scheme, including his sister Ikram Mohamed and brother Gandi. Suleman Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and has agreed to pay $8,662,287 in restitution.
Gandi Yusuf Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering today, April 9, 2016. Through his companies GAK Properties LLC and GIF Properties LLC, Gandi Mohamed owned three different buildings that purportedly housed Federal Child Nutrition Program meal distribution sites, including multiple sites operated by his co-defendants. Gandi Mohamed used those companies to receive and launder approximately $1.3 million of his co-defendant’s fraud proceeds, which he has agreed to pay back to the government as restitution.
Sentencing hearings for both defendants will be scheduled at a later date.
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and HSI.
Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 43 Months for Role in Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme
Earlier today in Minneapolis, Abdullahe Nur Jesow of Minneapolis was sentenced to 43 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for his role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jesow was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $866,458.
According to court documents, from December 2020 through September 2021, Abdullahe Nur Jesow, 65, purported to operate a Federal Child Nutrition Program meal distribution site from his event space, Benadir Hall, located on Lake Street in Minneapolis. The site was ostensibly operated by a non-profit entity called Academy for Youth Excellence, for which Jesow served as Secretary.
Between December 2020 and September 2021, Academy for Youth Excellence claimed to have served over 1.7 million meals to children at Benadir Hall. In reality, Academy for Youth Excellence only provided a fraction of those meals. Based on these fraudulent claims, Academy for Youth Excellence and its alleged food vendor, S&S Catering, received $4,286,088 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Rather than feed children during the pandemic, Jesow misappropriated the funds for his own personal benefit, including for the purchase of a home in Columbia Heights, Minnesota.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Two More Defendants Plead Guilty in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS –Two more defendants—Suleman Yusuf Mohamed and his brother Gandi Yusuf Mohamed—have pleaded guilty for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. The number of defendants convicted scheme-wide is now at 65. The brothers were charged in United States v. Mohamed et al., 24-cr-15 (NEB/DTS), along with five other defendants who pleaded guilty in March. The number of defendants convicted in the Feeding Our Future scheme has now reached 65.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Suleman Yusuf Mohamed, who pleaded guilty on April 2, 2026, participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as a vendor under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. As a vendor, Star Distribution was supposed to provide food to meal distribution sites participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program, including multiple sites operated by his co-defendants. While Star Distribution ultimately received approximately $10.1 million of Federal Child Nutrition Program funds—purportedly for providing food for more than 4.8 million meals—it spent relatively minimal amounts of that money on food. Instead, Mohamed used the money for his own personal expenses and transferred millions of dollars back to others participating in the scheme, including his sister Ikram Mohamed and brother Gandi. Suleman Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and has agreed to pay $8,662,287 in restitution.
Gandi Yusuf Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering today, April 9, 2016. Through his companies GAK Properties LLC and GIF Properties LLC, Gandi Mohamed owned three different buildings that purportedly housed Federal Child Nutrition Program meal distribution sites, including multiple sites operated by his co-defendants. Gandi Mohamed used those companies to receive and launder approximately $1.3 million of his co-defendant’s fraud proceeds, which he has agreed to pay back to the government as restitution.
Sentencing hearings for both defendants will be scheduled at a later date.
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and HSI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Matthew D. Evans are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 43 Months for Role in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Abdullahe Nur Jesow of Minneapolis has been sentenced to 43 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release for his role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Jesow was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $866,458.
According to court documents, from December 2020 through September 2021, Abdullahe Nur Jesow, 65, purported to operate a Federal Child Nutrition Program meal distribution site from his event space, Benadir Hall, located on Lake Street in Minneapolis. The site was ostensibly operated by a non-profit entity called Academy for Youth Excellence, for which Jesow served as Secretary.
Between December 2020 and September 2021, Academy for Youth Excellence claimed to have served over 1.7 million meals to children at Benadir Hall. In reality, Academy for Youth Excellence only provided a fraction of those meals. Based on these fraudulent claims, Academy for Youth Excellence and its alleged food vendor, S&S Catering, received $4,286,088 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Rather than feed children during the pandemic, Jesow misappropriated the funds for his own personal benefit, including for the purchase of a home in Columbia Heights, Minnesota.
Jesow was one of eight defendants charged in a 23-count indictment in September 2022. On September 18, 2025, Jesow pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy E. Brasel. In imposing sentence, Judge Brasel stated that the defendant’s brazen fraud “severely undermined public trust in government programs and in the government itself.”
"The sentence handed down today should be a clear message to those who would seek to enrich themselves by defrauding critical child nutrition programs," said FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "The FBI and our investigative partners have and will continue to direct significant investigative resources to rooting out fraud in the programs that support and sustain our children and our communities."
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Rebecca E. Kline and Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Jury Convicts Arsonist Who Threw Molotov Cocktails at a Minneapolis CaféRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury convicted Firomsa Ahmed Umar, age 31, of one count of arson and attempted arson on October 19, 2025; possession of an unregistered destructive device on October 19, 2025; attempted arson on October 20, 2025; and possession of an unregistered destructive device on October 20, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. The jury also found that the defendant selected Fletcher’s, which displayed a prominent Pride flag at the time, as the object of the offenses because of actual or perceived gender identity or sexual orientation.
According to court documents and evidence at trial, the defendant twice threw homemade destructive devices at Fletcher’s Ice Cream & Café in Minneapolis: once on October 19, 2025 and again on October 20, 2025. In each incident, the defendant threw glass bottles filled with gasoline. One contained a mixture known as “improvised napalm.”
October 19 attack
October 20 attack
In the first attack on the night of October 19, the defendant lobbed his first Molotov Cocktail at Fletcher’s large front windows, which broke both panes of glass and ignited in a large blast of flame. Fortunately, employees of a nearby business responded quickly and put out the remaining flames.
result of October 19 attack
The defendant returned the next day, attempted to open the door, found it locked, and again threw a similar Molotov Cocktail at the façade. Because the cloth wick inserted into the mixture fell from the bottle, the device failed to ignite, but did cause further damage to the window.
When arrested on October 20, the defendant had a gas can, a lighter, and a third bottle stuffed with a third bottle stuffed with an ingredient for improvised napalm, with other Molotov Cocktail components nearby
The jury heard additional evidence that the defendant chose Fletcher’s due to the prominent display of a Pride flag above the façade, and had painted homophobic graffiti outside a local apartment complex four weeks earlier.
This case is the result of a joint investigation by ATF, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minneapolis Fire Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William C. Mattessich and Jeanne D. Semivan tried the case.
Registered Sex Offender from Minnesota Sentenced to 27 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Robert James Levi, a registered sex offender from Minneapolis, Minnesota, was sentenced to 324 months’ imprisonment for production of child pornography after exploiting a minor victim for years, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to court documents and court proceedings, for a three-year period starting in February 2022, defendant Robert Levi coerced and enticed a then-12-year-old girl in another state into producing child sexual abuse material and sending it to him over the internet. Levi “catfished” the victim, posing as a 16-year-old boy, exchanging over 112,000 messages with the victim, and convincing the victim she was in a “relationship” with Levi. In fact, Levi was an adult man and, later, a convicted sex offender. In February 2024, Levi was convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the Second Degree in Stearns County, Minnesota, and was required to register as a sex offender. The state conviction did not stop Levi—he continued to exploit the victim during the pendency of that case and after he was placed on probation.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian Weir prosecuted the case.
Minnesota Man Indicted for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – An indictment was unsealed on Tuesday charging a Minnesota man with filing false tax returns and filing false claims for refunds collectively seeking more than $500,000 he was not entitled to receive.
According to the indictment, Philip Nelson Green, of Crookston, Minnesota, filed false individual income tax returns with the IRS for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021. Each of these tax returns reported one or more false items such as wage information, tax withholdings, and child and dependent care expenses. The indictment also alleges that Green filed a false second amended 2021 income tax return and a false 2022 income tax return, both of which sought more than $250,000 in tax refunds he was not entitled to receive.
Green made his initial court appearance Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. If convicted, Green faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return and five years in prison for each count of filing false claims. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Daniel R. Glenn and Charles A. O’Reilly of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Five More Plead Guilty in Minnesota Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – This week, Ikram Yusuf Mohamed, Aisha Hassan Hussein, Sahra Sharif Osman, Shakur Abdinur Abdisalam, and Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf all pleaded guilty to wire fraud for their respective roles in the sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Prosecutors have now obtained 63 convictions scheme-wide, representing the largest number of convictions in a single fraud investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in recent memory.
The Trump Administration has made fighting fraud a top priority, just this week establishing the President’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a multiagency effort dedicated to protecting benefits meant for American citizens in need. The Justice Department is committed to rooting out fraud in federal programs for the benefit of the American people.
“I am proud of our team of prosecutors, federal agents, and law enforcement partners who continue to expose the rampant fraud in Minnesota,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
All five defendants were charged in United States v. Mohamed et al., 24-cr-15 (NEB/DTS). This group, which included multiple family members and friends of defendant Ikram Mohamed, purported to run food program sites in Minneapolis and its suburbs, as well as food distribution entity. The group worked together to steal and then launder $14.6 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program money that was meant to feed hungry children during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mohamed and Abdisalam pled guilty on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, and Hussein, Osman, and Yusuf pled guilty today, March 20, 2026, all in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. The defendants had been set to proceed to trial before Judge Brasel on April 20, 2026. One defendant now remains in that trial, with the other remaining defendant set for a change of plea hearing next week.
Ikram Yusuf Mohamed, 42, was a leader in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme through her role as a consultant to Feeding Our Future. Mohamed opened several food sites that were enrolled in and received over $6.9 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. To conceal her involvement, she put the sites and entities in the name of family members, including her husband, mother, and siblings. Mohamed also created a food distribution company with her brother called Star Distribution LLC, which went on to create fraudulent invoices for the family-controlled sites that indicated it had sold inflated volumes of food to the sites that had in fact been purchased or delivered. At Mohamed’s advice, other program sites sponsored by Feeding Our Future used Star Distribution, causing it to receive $1.4 million for fraudulent invoices. Star Distribution also received $4.9 million directly from Feeding Our Future for the meals allegedly served at the family-controlled sites. Additionally, Mohamed solicited and received over $1.3 million in kickbacks from individuals and companies involved in the food program through her company, IM Consultation. Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Shakur Abdinur Abdisalam, 46, Ikram Mohamed’s husband, participated in the scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program with his wife and other family conspirators through a company called Inspiring Youth & Outreach LLC (Inspiring Youth). Inspiring Youth purported to run a food site in Minneapolis. Between February and November 2021, the company fraudulently claimed to have served more than 1 million meals. He and his conspirators also supported their program reimbursement claims with phony attendance rosters purporting to document the children they fed. Those rosters listed made-up children with fake ages. Based on these fraudulent claims, Inspiring Youth received more than $1.5 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Abdisalam also paid a $21,000 kickback to his wife’s entity, IM Consultation. Abdisalam pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Aisha Hassan Hussein, 29, Ikram Mohamed’s sister, participated in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme as the principal of United Youth of MPLS LLC (United Youth). Hussein enrolled her company in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and purported to operate two sites in Minneapolis. From December 2020 through November 2021, Hussein and her co-conspirators falsely claimed to have served more than 1.3 million meals to children at the United Youth sites, totaling approximately $2.2 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Hussein also paid a $166,000 kickback to her sister’s company IM Consultation. Hussein pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Sahra Sharif Osman, 43, participated in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme as the principal of a non-profit called Youth International Club LLC (Youth International). Youth International operated two Federal Child Nutrition Program sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. The Youth International food sites were in Hopkins and Edina and purported to serve meals out of community rooms in townhome complexes. Between March and November 2021, Youth International fraudulently claimed to have served nearly 700,000 meals and received more than $1.4 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Osman also paid a $7,500 kickback to Ikram Mohamed’s IM Consultation. Osman pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf, 59, Ikram Mohamed’s mother, participated in the scheme through Active Mind’s Youth LLC (Active Minds), another company that enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Active Minds purported to operate a food site located on East Lake Street in Minneapolis. Between February and June 2021, Active Minds fraudulently claimed to have served more than 500,000 meals and received more than $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Yusuf also paid a $38,500 kickback to her daughter’s company, IM Consultation. Yusuf pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Sentencing hearings for all five defendants will be scheduled at a later date.
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Matthew D. Evans are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Five More Plead Guilty in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – This week, Ikram Yusuf Mohamed, Aisha Hassan Hussein, Sahra Sharif Osman, Shakur Abdinur Abdisalam, and Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf all pleaded guilty to wire fraud for their respective roles in the sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Prosecutors have now obtained 63 convictions scheme-wide, representing the largest number of convictions in a single fraud investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in recent memory.
“I am proud of our team of prosecutors, federal agents, and law enforcement partners who continue to expose the rampant fraud in Minnesota,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
All five defendants were charged in United States v. Mohamed et al., 24-cr-15 (NEB/DTS). This group, which included multiple family members and friends of defendant Ikram Mohamed, purported to run food program sites in Minneapolis and its suburbs, as well as food distribution entity. The group worked together to steal and then launder $14.6 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program money that was meant to feed hungry children during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mohamed and Abdisalam pled guilty on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, and Hussein, Osman, and Yusuf pled guilty today, March 20, 2026, all in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. The defendants had been set to proceed to trial before Judge Brasel on April 20, 2026. One defendant now remains in that trial, with the other remaining defendant set for a change of plea hearing next week.
Ikram Yusuf Mohamed, 42, was a leader in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme through her role as a consultant to Feeding Our Future. Mohamed opened several food sites that were enrolled in and received over $6.9 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. To conceal her involvement, she put the sites and entities in the name of family members, including her husband, mother, and siblings. Mohamed also created a food distribution company with her brother called Star Distribution LLC, which went on to create fraudulent invoices for the family-controlled sites that indicated it had sold inflated volumes of food to the sites that had in fact been purchased or delivered. At Mohamed’s advice, other program sites sponsored by Feeding Our Future used Star Distribution, causing it to receive $1.4 million for fraudulent invoices. Star Distribution also received $4.9 million directly from Feeding Our Future for the meals allegedly served at the family-controlled sites. Additionally, Mohamed solicited and received over $1.3 million in kickbacks from individuals and companies involved in the food program through her company, IM Consultation. Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Shakur Abdinur Abdisalam, 46, Ikram Mohamed’s husband, participated in the scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program with his wife and other family conspirators through a company called Inspiring Youth & Outreach LLC (“Inspiring Youth”). Inspiring Youth purported to run a food site in Minneapolis. Between February and November 2021, the company fraudulently claimed to have served more than 1 million meals. He and his conspirators also supported their program reimbursement claims with phony attendance rosters purporting to document the children they fed. Those rosters listed made-up children with fake ages. Based on these fraudulent claims, Inspiring Youth received more than $1.5 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Abdisalam also paid a $21,000 kickback to his wife’s entity, IM Consultation. Abdisalam pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Aisha Hassan Hussein, 29, Ikram Mohamed’s sister, participated in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme as the principal of United Youth of MPLS LLC (“United Youth”). Hussein enrolled her company in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and purported to operate two sites in Minneapolis. From December 2020 through November 2021, Hussein and her co-conspirators falsely claimed to have served more than 1.3 million meals to children at the United Youth sites, totaling approximately $2.2 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Hussein also paid a $166,000 kickback to her sister’s company IM Consultation. Hussein pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Sahra Sharif Osman, 43, participated in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme as the principal of a non-profit called Youth International Club LLC (“Youth International”). Youth International operated two Federal Child Nutrition Program sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. The Youth International food sites were in Hopkins and Edina and purported to serve meals out of community rooms in townhome complexes. Between March and November 2021, Youth International fraudulently claimed to have served nearly 700,000 meals and received more than $1.4 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Osman also paid a $7,500 kickback to Ikram Mohamed’s IM Consultation. Osman pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf, 59, Ikram Mohamed’s mother, participated in the scheme through Active Mind’s Youth LLC (“Active Minds”), another company that enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Active Minds purported to operate a food site located on East Lake Street in Minneapolis. Between February and June 2021, Active Minds fraudulently claimed to have served more than 500,000 meals and received more than $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Yusuf also paid a $38,500 kickback to her daughter’s company, IM Consultation. Yusuf pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Sentencing hearings for all five defendants will be scheduled at a later date.
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Matthew D. Evans are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Brooklyn Park Felon Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Possession of Fentanyl and Firearm Following Deadly Vehicle CrashRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, Derrick John Thompson, 30, was sentenced to 204 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession of fentanyl and a firearm following a deadly vehicle crash that claimed the lives of five young women, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to evidence presented at trial, on June 16, 2023, a trooper with the Minnesota State Patrol observed a black Cadillac Escalade speeding north on I-35W, traveling at 95 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour speed zone. The trooper observed the driver, later identified as Thompson, abruptly cut across four lanes of traffic to exit the freeway at the Lake Street exit. The trooper began following the SUV but did not activate the emergency lights or sirens because the trooper did not want to attempt a traffic stop on city streets given the Escalade’s dangerous driving. 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 young adult females and one juvenile female, ages 17 to 20, were killed. When law enforcement responded to the scene of the crash, witnesses told officers where Thompson fled. Officers found Thompson, wearing clothing that matched the description given by witnesses, 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 evidence presented at trial, an officer found at the scene a Hertz rental record for the Cadillac Escalade 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 vehicle, 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 more than 2,000 blue “M-Box 30” fentanyl pills, a baggie containing an additional 14 grams of fentanyl powder, a baggie containing 35 grams of cocaine, and a digital scale. Subsequent testing determined that Thompson’s DNA was present on the firearm, the fentanyl powder, and the cocaine. A search of Thompson’s phone found dozens of texts indicating fentanyl deals, as well as recorded voice messages from a few days before the deadly crash in which Thompson requested to purchase 30,000 fentanyl pills.
The deadly crash occurred just five months after Thompson was released from prison in California for a similar incident that occurred in 2018. In that incident, Thompson fled from police in a vehicle containing eight kilograms of marijuana and struck a pedestrian causing severe injuries that required the pedestrian to be put in a medically induced coma for twenty days.
Thompson was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan on one count of possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Judge Bryan ordered that 60 months of Thompson’s sentence will run consecutively to the 704-month sentence that Thompson received for 3rd Degree Murder and Criminal Vehicular Homicide in July 2025 in Hennepin County District Court, Case No. 27-CR-23-12910, arising out of the same deadly crash.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport Police Department, in coordination with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney LeeAnn K. Bell. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Calhoun-Lopez and Ruth S. Shnider tried the case.
Minnesota Man Sentenced for Threatening to Murder A Member of CongressRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Michael Lewis of Minneapolis has been sentenced to 5 months imprisonment followed by a year of supervised release for threatening to murder a Member of Congress, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to court documents, on March 26, 2025, Michael Paul Lewis, 53, called the office of a United States Congressperson and left a voicemail threatening murder. When law enforcement went to Lewis’ apartment to speak with him, he admitted to making the call.
Lewis was sentenced on one count of threatening to murder a United States official.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney LeeAnn Bell prosecuted the case.
Michigan Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Michigan man has been sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release with special conditions for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after purchasing nearly 2,500 stolen login credentials from a malicious dark web marketplace and using them to make fraudulent financial transactions and offering some for sale on other cybercriminal internet sites, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to court documents, from approximately February 2020 to November 2020, Andrew Shenkosky, 30, devised and executed a scheme while residing in Minnesota to defraud and obtain money through false pretenses. Shenkosky accomplished his scheme by purchasing and accessing stolen account information from the Genesis Market, an illicit online marketplace that was ultimately taken down by the FBI in or about April 2023. Genesis Market compiled hundreds of thousands of stolen login credentials, including cell phone numbers, account numbers, email addresses, usernames, and passwords from malware-infected computers of victims across the world, and offered that stolen information for sale on the dark web.
According to court documents, Shenkosky purchased an account on Genesis Market using a cryptocurrency Coinbase account he fraudulently created in the name of one of his victims, using the victim’s driver’s license. In furtherance of his scheme, Shenkosky purchased 2,468 stolen credentials of various victims on Genesis Market. Shenkosky then used the stolen data to, among other things, make an unauthorized withdrawal from one victim’s bank account without their knowledge or authorization and transferred the funds to a PayPal account under his control. He also attempted to withdraw money from other victims’ accounts, but the transfers were reversed. Shenkosky also offered and attempted to sell one victim’s stolen account data and personal information on a now-defunct cybercriminal forum named Raid Forums.
When imposing the sentence, Judge Joan N. Ericksen noted that financial fraud crimes “go[] beyond actual financial loss” and impact victims’ “core insecurity that affects the way people live their lives.”
“Darknet marketplaces are a borderless powerhouse of criminal activity, allowing criminals like Shenkosky to steal money from unsuspecting victims and laundering the proceeds of their illegal activity,” said Chris Dotson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “Make no mistake, this significant sentence reflects the commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to dismantle networks operating with criminal intent, and sends a clear and unambiguous message that we will continue to evolve in the ways we ‘follow the money’ of illegal enterprise, employing all the tools and techniques at our disposal and drawing on our strong partnerships at home and around the globe.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Cybercrime Unit and the FBI Minneapolis and Detroit Field Offices.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
Man Pleads Guilty for Conspiracy to Distribute 900 Pounds of Methamphetamine and Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Mexican national who was in the country illegally has pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to court documents, Mercado-Chaparro sold a pound of methamphetamine to an undercover police officer. Police followed Mercado-Chaparro after the buy and saw him conduct other drug deals. Several days later, police saw Mercado-Chaparro retrieve two large garbage bags from his pickup truck and place them in a nearby Jeep. Police stopped the Jeep a short time later, and a drug-sniffing dog alerted the odor of drugs in the Jeep. When police searched the Jeep, they found roughly 250 pounds of methamphetamine in the garbage bags and a cooler.
Police then obtained a search warrant for Mercado-Chapparo’s truck, searched it, and seized roughly 630 more pounds of methamphetamine from the truck bed.
Altogether, Mercado-Chaparro possessed almost 900 pounds of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Minnesota Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Ramsey County Crime Enforcement Team, the St. Paul Police Department, the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.
First Defendant Sentenced for Scheme to Bribe Feeding Our Future JurorRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Abdulkarim Farah, a Minneapolis man, was sentenced in United States District Court to 57-months imprisonment followed by one year of supervised release for his role in providing a cash bribe to a juror in the first Feeding Our Future trial, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
On April 22, 2024, seven defendants went to trial before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. Two of the defendants on trial were brothers of Abdulkarim Shafii Farah, 25. During the trial, Abdulkarim Farah conspired with his brothers and others to provide a cash bribe to one of the jurors—Juror 52—in exchange for returning a not guilty verdict in the trial.
According to Mr. Farah’s plea agreement, after his co-defendants identified and decided to target Juror 52, Mr. Farah conducted surveillance of Juror 52 and Juror 52’s house. Mr. Farah also sent a map of where Juror 52 parked during jury service. Co-defendant Ladan Ali was recruited to deliver the bribe money to Juror 52, and Mr. Farah was instructed to drive Ali to Juror 52’s house and record a video of Ali delivering the bribe. After meeting Ali in the vicinity of Juror 52’s house, Mr. Farah drove to a Target store to purchase a screwdriver. Mr. Farah used the screwdriver to remove the license plate from Ali’s rental car in order to avoid detection by law enforcement.
On June 2, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., Mr. Farah drove Ali to Juror 52’s house and recorded her delivering a gift bag containing the bribe money. As Ali handed the money to a relative of Juror 52, she explained that there would be more money if Juror 52 voted to acquit the defendants. After the bribe money was delivered, Mr. Farah sent the video he had taken to his brother, Abdiaziz Farah. After the bribe had been disclosed in court, on June 3, 2024, Mr. Farah uninstalled and deleted the encrypted messaging app Signal from his iPhone in order to destroy the messages he and his co-defendants exchange concerning the bribery attempt.
Abdulkarim Farah was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Eric C. Tostrud to 57 months imprisonment—the high end of Mr. Farah’s federal sentencing guidelines range and the sentence advocated for by the government. While handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud said that “properly functioning juries are the core of our criminal justice system” and that it is the role of the federal judiciary to safeguard citizens’ rights to fair and impartial juries. Judge Tostrud also expressed gratitude to Juror 52 for resisting the temptation to accept the very substantial bribe.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI with assistance from IRS – Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Rebecca E. Kline and Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case.
Minneapolis Man Sentenced for Scheme to Bribe Feeding Our Future JurorRead the Press Release
Abdulkarim Farah, a Minneapolis man, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 57-months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for his role in providing a cash bribe to a juror in the first Feeding Our Future trial, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
On April 22, 2024, seven defendants went to trial before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. Two of the defendants on trial were brothers of Abdulkarim Shafii Farah, 25. During the trial, Abdulkarim Farah conspired with his brothers and others to provide a cash bribe to one of the jurors—Juror 52—in exchange for returning a not guilty verdict in the trial.
According to Mr. Farah’s plea agreement, after his co-defendants identified and decided to target Juror 52, Mr. Farah conducted surveillance of Juror 52 and Juror 52’s house. Mr. Farah also sent a map of where Juror 52 parked during jury service. Co-defendant Ladan Ali was recruited to deliver the bribe money to Juror 52, and Mr. Farah was instructed to drive Ali to Juror 52’s house and record a video of Ali delivering the bribe. After meeting Ali in the vicinity of Juror 52’s house, Mr. Farah drove to a Target store to purchase a screwdriver. Mr. Farah used the screwdriver to remove the license plate from Ali’s rental car in order to avoid detection by law enforcement.
On June 2, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., Mr. Farah drove Ali to Juror 52’s house and recorded her delivering a gift bag containing the bribe money. As Ali handed the money to a relative of Juror 52, she explained that there would be more money if Juror 52 voted to acquit the defendants. After the bribe money was delivered, Mr. Farah sent the video he had taken to his brother, Abdiaziz Farah. After the bribe had been disclosed in court, on June 3, 2024, Mr. Farah uninstalled and deleted the encrypted messaging app Signal from his iPhone in order to destroy the messages he and his co-defendants exchange concerning the bribery attempt.
Abdulkarim Farah was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Eric C. Tostrud to 57 months imprisonment—the high end of Mr. Farah’s federal sentencing guidelines range and the sentence advocated for by the government. While handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud said that “properly functioning juries are the core of our criminal justice system” and that it is the role of the federal judiciary to safeguard citizens’ rights to fair and impartial juries. Judge Tostrud also expressed gratitude to Juror 52 for resisting the temptation to accept the very substantial bribe.
The 57-month sentence represents the high-end of Mr. Farah’s sentencing Guidelines range
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI with assistance from IRS – Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Rebecca E. Kline and Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case.
Seven Defendants Sentenced for Trafficking Thousands of Fentanyl Pills into MinnesotaRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Seven defendants have been sentenced in United States District Court for drug-trafficking charges, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to court documents, Latre Lamont Anderson (28), Khianna Rose Clark-Strong (23), Jacquez O’Neal Fondern (22), Rozell Antonio Grainger (27), Issac Oneal Maiden (32), Olivia Mae Erin Martineau-Johns (21), and Jeremy James Nelson-Caban, Jr. (22) were members of a drug-trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills throughout Minnesota, including the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation.
Between approximately the summer of 2022 and the summer of 2023, Anderson, Grainger, and Maiden frequently traveled from Minneapolis to Phoenix, Arizona, where they would obtain multi-pound quantities of fentanyl, which they would then mail to various addresses in the Twin Cities area, often concealing thousands of fentanyl pills in toys or household items. They would travel back to Minneapolis, and then distribute the fentanyl through various drug-traffickers, including Martineau-Johns. Martineau-Johns also obtained fentanyl for distribution from Nelson-Caban and Fondern, and Clark-Strong assisted Martineau-Johns with distributing the fentanyl. The investigation resulted in the seizures of approximately 200,000 fentanyl pills (over 14 kilograms of fentanyl), four firearms (some with high-capacity magazines and/or switches), and thousands of dollars of cash.
“As a direct result of this investigation, DEA and our law enforcement partners across the region prevented thousands of deadly doses of fentanyl from hitting the streets,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “If these deadly counterfeit pills had spread into our Minnesota communities, lives would have been lost and families broken. Our agency remains committed to disrupting the fentanyl supply chain and our enforcement efforts will not let up until the entire global distribution network has been dismantled and brought to justice.”
“This [drug-trafficking] organization pumped significant quantities of dangerous narcotics into Minnesota communities and fueled violence in the process,” said Joseph Persails, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “ATF special agents and our task force officers, working alongside federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, committed months of work to dismantling this network and stopping the damage it was causing. These sentences hold the defendants accountable and send a clear message that those who profit from addiction and violence will face consequences.”
“Cases like these run deep into our neighborhoods and affect all those who live, visit and work in Saint Paul. We’re now able to hold these people accountable for their actions, thanks to the joint effort with our long-standing partnerships with the ATF, DEA, USPIS, and local law enforcement agencies. We’re proud of this investigation and of all those involved in this case,” said Saint Paul Police Chief Axel Henry.
The following sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Davis over the prior several weeks:
- Latre Lamont Anderson, of Minneapolis, was sentence to 156 months followed by 5 years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Issac Oneal Maiden, of Saint Paul, was sentence to 156 months followed by 3 years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Rozell Antonio Grainger, of St. Paul, was sentence to 120 months followed by 5 years of supervised release.
- Jeremy James Nelson-Caban, Jr., of Duluth, was sentenced to 36 months followed by 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
- Olivia Mae Erin Martineau-Johns, of Cloquet, was sentenced to 9 months followed by 2 years of supervised release for violating her condition(s) of supervised release.
- Jacquez O’Neal Fondern, of Duluth, was sentence to time served followed by 3 years of supervised release for distribution of fentanyl.
- Khianna Rose Clark-Strong, of Duluth, was sentenced to time served followed by supervised release until October 23, 2027, for violating her condition(s) of supervised release.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspector’s Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Saint Paul Police Department, and other state and local law enforcement counterparts in northern Minnesota.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Hollenhorst prosecuted the case.
Red Lake Woman Found Guilty of Murder and ArsonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Red Lake woman has been found guilty of five counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson following a two-and-a-half-weeklong trial, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
On March 15, 2024, Jennifer Marie Stately, 37, attacked and killed two of her young children. The evidence at trial showed that Stately, when alone with the children at their home on Red Lake Nation, assaulted the boys causing numerous injuries and attacked them with a knife. Stately fatally stabbed her older son before setting the home on fire. Investigators with the ATF determined Stately used gasoline and lighter fluid to ignite three separate fires, including fires at both exit points of the home. While the older boy died of his sharp force injuries, the younger boy was trapped inside and died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
After setting fire to the home, Stately fled the scene and was missing for several hours. The Red Lake Tribal Police Department issued an AMBER Alert, and, less than an hour later, a motorist spotted Stately in Todd County—approximately 150 miles south of the Stately home. Minnesota State Patrol, the Todd County Sheriff’s Department, and the Long Prairie Police Department responded to Stately’s location. She was apprehended and booked in the Todd County Jail.
Following a two-and-a-half-week trial before the Honorable Judge John R. Tunheim, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all six counts: two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, two counts of murder in the course of committing child abuse, one count of murder in the course of committing arson, and one count of arson. At trial, Stately pursued the affirmative defense of insanity. The jury rejected that defense.
"The FBI is honored to have partnered with federal, state and tribal law enforcement partners to bring justice to these young victims who had no chance at survival while in the care of the one person who should have kept them safe," said Rick Evanchec, the Interim Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Minneapolis Field Office.
“ATF Certified Fire Investigators are experts in fire science and routinely provide expert assistance on cases involving both criminal and accidental fires. We are proud to have provided that expertise in this investigation to honor these young victims and hopefully provide some measure of closure to the community. Our commitment to protecting the public and the most innocent among us is unwavering, and ATF will continue partnering with our federal, state, and local partners to protect Minnesota communities from violent criminals,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Spence E. Burnett.
“We all witnessed the devastating aftermath of Jennifer Stately’s horrific and unthinkable actions that night. We hope that holding her accountable for her crimes will provide some sense of justice for the family and the entire Red Lake community who are forever impacted by the loss of these two young boys,” said Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. “We stand with our federal and tribal law enforcement partners in our shared grief and commitment to seeking justice and supporting the community.”
“The guilty verdict this week brings justice to a case that has deeply affected our entire Red Lake Nation community. On behalf of the dedicated men and women of this department, I want to acknowledge the tireless work of our Investigators along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Minnesota BCA Crime Scene Technicians, Todd County Sheriff’s Office, Long Prairie Police Department and lastly the United States Attorney’s Office for their professionalism and determination with such a tragic incident.
Most importantly, our thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of the victims. No verdict can undo the pain of their loss, but we hope this outcome provides some sense of closure.
The Red Lake Department of Public Safety remain committed to protecting our community, standing with victims and ensuring justice is served,” said Director of Red Lake Department of Public Safety Kendall Kingbird, Sr.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, aided by the ATF, the BCA, the Todd County Sheriff’s Department, the Long Prairie Police Department, and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department. The coordination of resources between these law enforcement agencies was imperative to the apprehension of Stately and the ultimate resolution of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel L. Kraker and Garrett S. Fields prosecuted the case.
Five Members and Associates of the Family Mob Street Gang Federally ChargedRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Three indictments and two criminal complaints were unsealed today in the District of Minnesota charging members and associates of the Family Mob street gang with drug trafficking charges. Agents and officers, including multiple S.W.A.T. Teams, executed several arrest and search warrants this morning targeting the gang and its members.
“The Family Mob Gang is a ruthless criminal organization that uses violence to traffic poisonous narcotics, including fentanyl. No more,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen. “As alleged, these defendants dumped countless doses of fentanyl into our community. My office is proud to work with our local, state, and federal partners to pursue justice against violent criminals and those who profit from distributing dangerous narcotics.”
“The distribution of illegal narcotics in our communities is unacceptable, as is the associated violent crime that too often affects innocent residents,” said Richard Evanchec, the Interim Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office. “This case should send a message to other violent gangs that we’ll continue work with our partners at all levels of government to bring to justice those responsible for instilling fear into our communities and polluting them with illegal narcotics.”
“These investigations underscore the critical importance of strong collaboration with local, state, and federal agencies on serious criminal matters that impact our most vulnerable people,” said Dawanna Witt, Sheriff of Hennepin County. “The investigative work and incredible results from HCSO’s WMDTF along with the FBI, DEA, and MPD is making a real impact on the drug trade in Hennepin County. I will continue to prioritize aggressively pursuing violent criminals who threaten the safety of those in our community.”
“I’m incredibly proud of the members of the MPD who worked this, and who consistently go above expectations in their dedication to keeping our community safe,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “And I’m grateful for our federal and county partners whose hard work and dedication made today possible.”
“The Family Mob Gang ruled by intimidation and violence, and wrongly assumed they could operate with impunity,” Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “Today, the combined efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement imparted a significant blow to the drug trafficking efforts of a gang that has spread poison through a beloved Minneapolis community. Our job at the DEA is to remove the criminal threats from our neighborhoods, dismantle the drug distribution networks and save American lives. This is a plan we put into action every single day and we are relentless.”
According to the allegations in indictment, complaint, and unsealed records, the defendants were members or associates of the Family Mob gang, which is based in south Minneapolis and originated in approximately the late 1990’s to early 2000’s. The Family Mob conspires to distribute fentanyl, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances. In the past year, the area in the Family Mob’s territory has seen a large presence of open-air drug trafficking, weapons violations, shootings, and homicides.
The charged defendants are alleged to have collectively possessed with intent to distribute over seven kilos of fentanyl since July 2025 to the present. The group is alleged to have dealt fentanyl in a de-facto open air drug market in the area of Lake Street and Park Avenue in South Minneapolis, using force to push other drug dealers out of the area.
The following defendants have been charged federally:
- Silk Lamond Davis, a/k/a “Good/Do Good”, 48, of Minneapolis, is charged by indictment with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
- Alexisus Jarmon Mosby, a/k/a “Snake”, 44, of Bloomington is charged by indictment with distribution of fentanyl.
- Kiron Jamoll Williams, 43, of Minneapolis, is charged by indictment with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Rashshon Jamahl Taggett, a/k/a “Dread” a/k/a “Lay Low”, 44, of Minneapolis, is charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
- Lakendrick Darnell Gilliam, a/k/a “Bay Bay”, 38, of St. Paul, is charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
If convicted, the defendants face a range of penalties, including up to life in prison drug trafficking. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after the consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
FBI, DEA, the Minneapolis Police Department, and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and William C. Mattessich for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Hastings Man Sentenced to 198 Months for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Hunter Geidl, age 29, was sentenced in United States District Court to 198 months imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release for multiple counts related to the production and possession of child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to court documents, on May 19, 2022, Hunter James Geidl, 27, knowingly possessed a video file of a minor victim engaging in sexually explicit activities. From approximately July 29, 2022, until March 22, 2024, Geidl employed and used minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing sexually explicit video images.
"Protecting our nation's children is a mission we hold sacred in the FBI,” said Richard Evanchec, the Interim Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office. "The sentence imposed on Mr. Geidl should send a strong message about our work to bring to justice those who prey on America's kids. If you have information about additional victims of Hunter James Geidl who have not yet been identified, you are urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.”
U.S. District Judge Katherine M. Menendez when handing down the sentence said while Mr. Geidl may be a first-time defendant, he is not a first-time offender.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI with assistance from the Hastings Police Department. It 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney LeeAnn K. Bell prosecuted the case.
Arsonist Who Set Fire to Two Minnesota Mosques Sentenced to Seventy Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Jackie Rahm Little, age 38, was sentenced yesterday to 70 months in federal prison for setting fire in April of 2023 to the Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the Masjid Omar Islamic Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Little had previously entered guilty pleas to one count of arson and one count of damage to religious property in September of 2025.
“In the United States, the desecration of places of worship will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “All Minnesotans should feel safe freely exercising their religion. Little attempted to burn down two mosques. He will now sit in federal prison for his heinous crime.”
According to information provided in court documents and federal court hearings, on April 23, 2023, Little started a fire in the bathroom of the Masjid Omar Islamic Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, also a public place of worship. Little lit a cardboard box on fire inside of a bathroom stall and intended to leave it there for the rest of the building to ignite. Fortunately, Little was interrupted by an employee and the defendant fled, leaving partially burned cardboard and a gas cannister behind.
The following day, Little traveled to the Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque (also known as the Mercy Islamic Center) in Bloomington, Minnesota, a public place of worship. Little carried with him a container of gasoline or other ignitable liquid, and after he entered the mosque, he used it to set fire to the mosque’s third floor hallway and stairwell. At the time Little set the fire, community leaders were meeting at the mosque to address the fire set the day before. The mosque had to be evacuated, including the evacuation of children who were attending daycare. The resulting damage to the mosque totaled more than $378,000.
Judge Ann Montgomery’s 70-month sentence represented an upward departure from the Sentencing Guidelines recommendation as sought by the government, which she held was justified by the serious nature of the crime, the high number of potential victims, and the multiple acts of arson involved.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead prosecuted the case.
Arsonist Who Set Fire to Two Minnesota Mosques Sentenced to Seventy Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Jackie Rahm Little, age 38, was sentenced yesterday to 70 months in federal prison for setting fire in April of 2023 to the Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the Masjid Omar Islamic Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Little had previously entered guilty pleas to one count of arson and one count of damage to religious property in September of 2025.
“In the United States, the desecration of places of worship will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “All Minnesotans should feel safe freely exercising their religion. Little attempted to burn down two mosques. He will now sit in federal prison for his heinous crime.”
According to information provided in court documents and federal court hearings, on April 23, 2023, Little started a fire in the bathroom of the Masjid Omar Islamic Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, also a public place of worship. Little lit a cardboard box on fire inside of a bathroom stall and intended to leave it there for the rest of the building to ignite. Fortunately, Little was interrupted by an employee and the defendant fled, leaving partially burned cardboard and a gas cannister behind.
The following day, Little traveled to the Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque (also known as the Mercy Islamic Center) in Bloomington, Minnesota, a public place of worship. Little carried with him a container of gasoline or other ignitable liquid, and after he entered the mosque, he used it to set fire to the mosque’s third floor hallway and stairwell. At the time Little set the fire, community leaders were meeting at the mosque to address the fire set the day before. The mosque had to be evacuated, including the evacuation of children who were attending daycare. The resulting damage to the mosque totaled more than $378,000.
Judge Ann Montgomery’s 70-month sentence represented an upward departure from the Sentencing Guidelines recommendation as sought by the government, which she held was justified by the serious nature of the crime, the high number of potential victims, and the multiple acts of arson involved.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead prosecuted the case.
California Man Found Guilty of Defrauding His Former Employer Optum, Inc.Read the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Karan Gupta, age 47, was found guilty yesterday of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, ten counts of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering conspiracy, following a six-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis before U.S. District Court Judge Kate M. Menendez.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Gupta was a senior director of data analytics at Optum, Inc., a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group headquartered in Minnesota. At Optum, Gupta earned an annual salary of more than $260,000 at the height of his career.
In 2015, Gupta recruited and approved the hiring of a lifelong friend to work at Optum in a managerial data engineering position for which the friend was unqualified. Gupta gave the friend a false resume, which the friend used to secure the position. Gupta became his friend’s supervisor. Then, for almost four years, the friend did no work at all for Optum, all while collecting a salary that began above $100,000 and increased with raises and bonuses each year. The friend met no one else at Optum, sent almost no emails, and regularly did not log into his Optum computer for weeks on end.
At Gupta’s demand, his friend paid Gupta more than half of his unearned Optum salary in kickbacks. Gupta and the friend also agreed on a plan to conceal the kickback payments. Initially, the friend, who lived in New Jersey, would withdraw the kickback payments from his bank account in cash, using the fraud proceeds, then deposit the cash in a New Jersey branch for Gupta’s bank, so that Gupta could access the funds in California. Later, the friend opened a new checking account, designated that checking account to receive the Optum direct deposits, and sent Gupta the debit card, which Gupta then used to withdraw the fraud proceeds in cash from ATMs in California.
The fraud scheme was discovered after Gupta was terminated in November 2019 for a separate fraud by Gupta that Optum discovered. Optum investigated and referred the case to federal law enforcement. Gupta’s frauds against Optum totaled more than $1.2 million.
“Those who manufacture fraudulent schemes to appropriate money from legitimate businesses must be held accountable for their criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Rosen. “Kickback schemes and no-show jobs undermine legitimate businesses, and the perpetrators must suffer the consequences of their actions.”
“Mr. Gupta abused his position of trust as the Senior Director of a subsidiary of the largest healthcare provider in the United States to defraud his company by hiring a ghost employee for a fictitious position, so that he could collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks over many years,” said Rick Evanchec, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office. “The FBI is committed to holding those in positions of power accountable, particularly when the cost of their actions are ultimately passed along to hard working Americans.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Forbes and Rebecca E. Kline prosecuted the case.
Fifth Defendant Convicted in Statewide Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy Linked to Sinaloa CartelRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – Eric Anthony Rodriguez, age 47, was found guilty in U.S. District Court for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Rodriguez is the fifth defendant convicted as part of the scheme. Defendants Erick Emilio Diaz-Aguilar, 33, Juan Martin Elvira, Jr., 36, Edward Gonzalez, 30, and Bruce Michael Orton, 44, all previously pled guilty.
According to court documents, the defendant conspired with other co-defendants to acquire and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine. Lead and organized by Erick Emilio Diaz-Aguilar, the “Diaz-Aguilar Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO)” operated and distributed methamphetamine throughout Minnesota from April 2024 to March 2025. The Diaz-Aguilar DTO orchestrated large shipments of methamphetamine from outside the state, sometimes hundreds of pounds at a time, and distributed methamphetamine in northern, southern, and central Minnesota. During a nearly year-long investigation, law enforcement seized approximately sixty pounds of methamphetamine, 1,500 fentanyl pills, and more than $20,000 in U.S. Currency from various individuals associated with the Diaz-Aguilar-DTO. Agents also executed search warrants at stash houses in Columbia Heights, Hastings, and Rochester, Minnesota. Officers seized three pounds of methamphetamine from Eric Rodriguez in a coordinated traffic stop in November 2025, and evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Rodriguez received dozens of additional pounds of methamphetamine for distribution. Additional evidence showed that the Diaz-Aguilar DTO was affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel, a Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO).
Rodriguez was found guilty after a 6-day jury trial before Judge Susan R. Nelson.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Minnesota State Patrol, Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Chisago County Sheriff’s Office, East Central Minnesota Drug Task Force, Hastings Police Department, Rochester Police Department, Cannon River Drug Task Force, and the New Prague Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and William C. Mattessich.
Washington State Woman Charged with Threatening to Murder a Federal Law Enforcement Officer and Members of the Officer’s FamilyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota Federal Grand Jury returned a three-count Indictment, charging Brenna Marie Doyle, age 18, with threating to murder a federal law enforcement officer, threatening to murder members of the law enforcement officer’s immediate family, and with interstate transmission of communications threatening to injure the federal agent and their immediate family members, United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today.
According to court documents, on January 14, 2026, in response to an immigration enforcement action, a large group of protesters in Minneapolis vandalized and significantly damaged FBI-owned vehicles, stealing weapons and ammunition, and seizing government-owned equipment and documents containing federal employees’ phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, and driver’s license numbers. FBI personnel were on scene to investigate an officer-involved shooting and not for any immigration enforcement. One of the individuals whose personal information was confiscated and broadcast on the Internet was an FBI Special Agent.
On January 16, 2026, the Special Agent received a series of threatening voicemail messages on their government-issued cell phone. Subsequent investigation identified the phone number associated with three of those threatening calls as belonging to Brenna Marie Doyle. The voicemail messages threatened to kill the Special Agent and members of their immediate family.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent.
St. Paul Woman Indicted by a Minnesota Federal Grand Jury for inflicting Bodily Injury on a Federal Law Enforcement Officer in the Performance of His Official DutiesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota Federal Grand Jury has returned a true bill of indictment charging Claire Louise Feng, age 27, with inflicting bodily injury on a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent on January 24, 2026, United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today. According to court documents, on January 24, 2026, CBP and HSI officers were attempting to establish and maintain a secure perimeter near Nicollet Avenue, between 27th and 28th St. in Minneapolis, following an officer involved shooting.
While a CBP officer attempted to arrest an individual who threw a chemical canister toward deployed federal law enforcement officers, Feng tackled the CBP officer. In response, a HSI special agent took Feng to the ground. As the HSI special agent gained control of Feng, she forcibly bit his right ring finger, severing the tip of his right ring finger, leaving the bone exposed.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent.
Illinois Man Charged with Interstate Transmission of Text and Voicemail Threats to Injure Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota Federal Grand Jury returned a one-count Indictment, charging Jose Alberto Ramirez, age 29, with interstate transmission of threats to injure a federal law enforcement officer on January 15, 2026, United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today.
According to court documents, on January 14, 2026, in response to an immigration enforcement action, a large group of protesters in Minneapolis vandalized and significantly damaged FBI-owned vehicles, stealing weapons and ammunition, seizing government-owned equipment, and taking documents containing federal employees’ phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, and driver’s license numbers. FBI personnel were on scene to investigate an officer-involved shooting and not for any immigration enforcement. One of the individuals whose personal information had been compromised and broadcast on the Internet was an FBI Special Agent, who began receiving a series of threatening texts and voicemails on their government-issued cell phone on January 15, 2026, and for several days thereafter.
A subsequent investigation identified the phone number associated with one particular voicemail and two particular threatening text messages sent to the Special Agent as belonging to Jose Alberto Ramirez. The messages asserted that the caller/sender knew where the Special Agent’s parents and children lived and advised the Special Agent to “get home safe and fast.”
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent.
California Man Charged with Interstate Transmission of Threats to Injure Five Federal Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota Federal Grand Jury returned a five-count Indictment, charging James Patrick Lyons, age 45, with interstate transmission of threats to injure five federal law enforcement officers on January 18, 2026, United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today.
According to court documents, on January 14, 2026, in response to an immigration enforcement action, a large group of protesters in Minneapolis vandalized and significantly damaged FBI-owned vehicles, stealing weapons and ammunition, seizing government-owned equipment, and taking documents containing federal employees’ phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, and driver’s license numbers. FBI personnel were on scene to investigate an officer-involved shooting and not for any immigration enforcement. Five of the individuals whose personal information was confiscated and broadcast on the Internet were FBI Special Agents.
On January 18, 2026, those five Special Agents received a series of threatening text messages on their government-issued cell phones. Subsequent FBI investigation identified the phone number associated with one particular threatening text message received by the Special Agents as belonging to James Patrick Lyons. All five text messages used similar language and asserted in part that the sender knew who the Special Agents were and where to find them.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent.
Fraud Tourists Plead Guilty to Minneapolis Medicaid FraudRead the Press Release
Two Pennsylvania men pleaded guilty yesterday to repeatedly traveling from Philadelphia to Minneapolis to defraud Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) program of approximately $3.5 million and concealing the scheme by using artificial intelligence to create fake records when questioned by insurance companies.
This case is part of a collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota and the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section to combat prolific fraud on government programs in Minnesota. It also represents the first charges involving the use of artificial intelligence to further a fraud scheme targeting health care programs in Minnesota.
“Criminal fraud not only robs taxpayers — it shatters trust in our institutions. Under President Trump’s leadership, yesterday’s convictions are just the beginning,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our prosecutors will work tirelessly to unravel criminal fraud schemes and charge their perpetrators in Minnesota and across the country.”
“Minnesota will no longer be a haven for fraud under our watch,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Justice Department has been investigating billions in taxpayer fraud across the country and has already successfully convicted 66 individuals and counting in Minnesota. The collaboration between the Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is a prime example of how we restore justice and public trust, while holding criminal fraudsters accountable.”
“Defrauding those who rely on government programs takes away critical resources, and the use of artificial intelligence to carry out these crimes is dangerous and will not be tolerated,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Yesterday’s convictions demonstrate the FBI’s dedication to investigating and holding accountable criminals that target and take advantage of vulnerable members of our communities.”
“These defendants had no connection to Minnesota or its communities. They traveled across the country for one purpose: to prey upon and steal millions in taxpayer dollars meant for people struggling with homelessness, addiction and disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Although programs like HSS are run by the states, they are funded with federal tax dollars. The Criminal Division will not stand by while fraudsters put all Americans’ tax dollars at risk.”
“The defendants brazenly siphoned millions from a program created to provide vulnerable individuals with stable housing — a deliberate betrayal of public trust that will not be tolerated,” said Inspector General T. March Bell of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This scheme diverted critical resources from those who need them most and eroded confidence in programs intended to support people with disabilities and mental health challenges. HHS-OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to protect taxpayer-funded programs and will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold perpetrators fully accountable.”
“Anthony Jefferson and Lester Brown tried to hide fraud behind artificial intelligence, but technology doesn’t replace math — or accountability;” said IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Guy Ficco. “Our special agents followed the money, broke down the data, and exposed a scheme that siphoned public assistance dollars from a program meant to support vulnerable Minnesotans. When people steal from safety net programs, they don’t just take money — they weaken public trust. IRS-CI will continue to identify, unravel, and stop fraud, no matter how sophisticated the tools behind it.”
“Criminals who target the most vulnerable members of our communities will become the target of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “We pursue them without pause, making sure they are held accountable and feel the full weight of justice. Yesterday’s sentencing emphasizes our unwavering commitment to those we serve and protect.”
According to court documents, Anthony Waddell Jefferson, 37, and Lester Brown, 53, both of Philadelphia, set up businesses in Minneapolis and enrolled as HSS program providers, purportedly to help people with disabilities – including seniors and people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders – find and maintain housing.
Rather than provide those services, Jefferson and Brown – who marketed themselves as “The Housing Guys” – repeatedly traveled from Philadelphia to Minneapolis to recruit Medicaid beneficiaries at homeless shelters and Section 8 housing facilities. The defendants signed those individuals up for HSS and then billed the program for services that were not provided. When asked to provide supporting documentation for their claims, Jefferson and Brown fabricated e-mails discussing their purported “clients” and used ChatGPT to create fake client notes. In total, from February 2022 through June 2025, Jefferson and Brown stole approximately $3.5 million from HSS for services they fraudulently claimed to have provided to approximately 230 Medicaid beneficiaries.
Jefferson and Brown each pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI, IRS-CI, HHS-OIG, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Shankar Ramamurthy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Rebecca Kline and Matthew Murphy are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Minnesota Man Indicted for Filing and Conspiring to File False Tax Returns Requesting Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in Undeserved Tax Refunds from the IRSRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Caesar Munir Wilson made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on Thursday, in response to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to file false claims for tax refunds, filing a false claim for a tax refund, money laundering, and bank fraud from 2022 to 2023. He was released subject to conditions on an unsecured bond pending disposition of the case.
The indictment alleges that the defendant’s tax returns falsely requested refunds of more than $ 90 million and that he conspired in the filing of additional false tax returns requesting tax refunds totaling more than $ 210 million. Wilson’s fraudulent claims allegedly totaled more than $ 350 million and resulted in the United States Treasury paying out more than $ 19 million in undeserved tax refunds. Wilson also allegedly used his fraudulent proceeds to purchase a $ 2.6 million house in Prior Lake, to invest in cryptocurrency and other projects, and for personal expenses.
During the course of the conspiracy, Wilson allegedly advised a group of sovereign citizens regarding trusts and taxes. He also provided them with tax forms and documents for tax filings. Sovereign citizens wrongly believe that certain laws, such as the federal income tax, do not apply to a person’s sovereign persona.
“Individuals who file false claims for tax refunds and who conspire with others to violate the laws of the Unites States must be held accountable for their criminal conduct,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
The case is being investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Forbes and Matthew D. Evans are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent.
Woman Sentenced for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance FraudRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – LaTasha Thomas, age 39, was sentenced in United States District Court to 12 months imprisonment followed by a year of supervised release for one count of mail fraud, and ordered to repay $325,159 in restitution to the United States Department of Agriculture, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
Over the course of two years, Latasha Thomas conspired with her daughter Ambrosia Thomas, and other relative Cynthia Thomas, to defraud the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”). Their scheme focused on the unlawful acquisition of Electronic Benefit Transfer (“EBT”) cards, which are issued by the state government to qualifying applicants and loaded monthly with money from SNAP. Legitimate applicants can use their EBT cards to purchase groceries and make ATM withdrawals.
Thomas and her co-conspirators devised a scheme to acquire cards under false pretenses and defraud the program. They created fake Minnesota temporary drivers’ licenses using false names, with each license picturing one of the Thomases. Then, they submitted these fake licenses to Hennepin County in applications for EBT cards. Believing their SNAP allotments could be increased if the purported recipients were confined to bedrest, the Thomases repeatedly claimed in their fraudulent applications to be women experiencing “high risk pregnancy.” They bolstered these claims with fake doctor’s notes they manufactured for the purpose of maximizing their theft of government funds.
In many of the scheme’s fraudulent applications, the Thomases directed the state to send the EBT cards to Cynthia Thomas’s apartment in Roseville. Cynthia lived there under the same false name—Sofia Gold—that appears on one of the scheme’s ill-begotten cards. When law enforcement searched Cynthia’s apartment in Roseville, they encountered her there and found several pieces of mail addressed to pseudonyms used in the scheme. In the inside part of the apartment building’s mailbox—accessible only to building management and mail carriers—law enforcement found notes indicating that mail should be delivered to Cynthia’s apartment for several of the pseudonyms used in the scheme.
The Thomases withdrew government funds from ATMs and used them to make purchases. They also marketed and sold the use of the EBTs to others, arranging for their customers to pick up an EBT card, use an agreed-upon portion of its monthly allotment, return the card, and then pay the conspirators a fee (usually 50-60%) for the privilege. In all, through their scheme the Thomases caused over $325,000 in losses to the SNAP program.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hennepin County Fraud Unit.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanne Semivan prosecuted the case.
Sixteen Defendants Charged with Violently Assaulting Federal Officers and PropertyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Sixteen individuals who violently assaulted federal officers and federal property over the past several weeks have been charged in criminal complaints, announced United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
Rosen was joined in the announcement by HSI Acting Executive Associate Director, Homeland Security Investigations John A. Condon.
Among those charged were:
Gillian Etherington, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who is alleged to have rammed her car into a United States Border Patrol vehicle and drove away. Border Patrol Agents followed Etherington who drove into oncoming traffic and struck an unmarked law enforcement vehicle near a high school. Etherington refused to comply with Agents’ commands to exit her car. As Agents attempted to remove her from the car, Etherington put the car in gear. Agents were ultimately able to pull Etherington from the car, but she resisted arrest and yelled: “Free Palestine!” Etherington also tried to grab one of the Border Patrol Agent’s firearm, which fell to the ground and out of the Agent’s reach.
Paul Johnson, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who is alleged to have been following Customs and Border Protection Officers in his van. Johnson exited his van and approached the CBP Officers’ vehicle with a baseball bat in his hand. After Officers told Johnson to stop approaching and get back, Johnson returned to his van, left the baseball bat, but grabbed a canister of pressurized oleoresin capsicum (“pepper spray”), and sprayed the CBP Officer’s vehicle. When Officers attempted to arrest Johnson – who had entered his running van – he resisted arrest, attempted to put the van in gear, and sprayed the faces of multiple officers with pepper spray.
Matrim James Charlebois, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who is alleged to have stood in front of a law enforcement vehicle and obstructed its path. Charlebois then used two hands to swing a metal cane at federal law enforcement officer, narrowly missing the officer’s head. Charlebois then struck a federal law enforcement vehicle multiple times with the metal cane.
Ilan Wilson-Soler, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who is alleged to have approached federal law enforcement officers with a large fire extinguisher, pointed it at the officers, sprayed them, and then ran away. While Wilson-Soler was running away, he collided with another federal law enforcement officer and hit her in the knee with the fire extinguisher.
Abdikadir Noor, of St. Cloud, Minnesota, who is alleged to have thrown a brick at Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers. When Officers attempted to arrest Noor, he fled and, once caught, attempted to avoid being handcuffed by grappling with the Officers.
Margaret Sager, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who is alleged to have jumped on the back of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officer and put her arm around his neck in what appeared to be a strangle hold. At the time of Sager’s assault on the Officer, the Officer had arrested an illegal alien and was escorting the illegal alien to a vehicle for transportation.
Also charged were Kirubele Adbebe of Rosemont, Minnesota; Nasra Ahmed of Woodberry, Minnesota; Helicity Borowska of Mahtomedi, Minnesota; Joshua Doyle of Robbinsdale, Minnesota; Nitzana Flores of South Haven, Minnesota; Christina Rank of St. Paul, Minnesota; Madeline Tschida of Becker, Minnesota; Alice Valentine of St. Cloud, Minnesota; William Vermie of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Quentin Williams of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota.
United States Attorney Rosen stated, “We do not tolerate assaults on federal officers and those who commit that crime will be held accountable.”
“People need to understand their actions have consequences and that obstruction, assault and impeding is not protected under the disguise of protesting,” said HSI Acting Executive Associate Director, Homeland Security Investigations John A. Condon. “We will continue to work with the Department of Justice to ensure anyone that oversteps that line of peaceful protester to illegal agitator will be apprehended and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent. As a felony trial cannot be held on a complaint, a decision to seek an indictment will be made in the near future.
These cases are being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Minnesota Man Charged with Forcibly Assaulting Representative Ilhan Omar while She Engaged in Performance of her Official DutiesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Anthony James Kazmierczak, age 56, made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today, charged in a criminal complaint with forcibly assaulting and interfering with United States Representative Ilhan Omar while she conducted an official town hall meeting in Minneapolis on January 27, 2026. According to documents filed in federal court, Kazmierczak was seated at a Minneapolis town hall officiated by Rep. Omar, when he stood up, and quickly approached Rep. Omar as she was speaking. Kazmierczak allegedly held a syringe in his hand, which he used to spray Rep. Omar with an initially unknown liquid substance, later identified as apple cider vinegar, which landed on Rep. Omar’s clothing and skin. Kazmierczak gestured at Rep. Omar and shouted at her before being brought to the floor by two security officers.
“Assaultive behavior and acts of intimidation directed at officers and employees of the United States will not be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “Persons who engage in this criminal conduct can expect a swift response from law enforcement and federal prosecutors.”
“An assault on a member of Congress is an assault on the democratic values that underpin this nation,” said Interim Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec of FBI Minneapolis. “The men and women of the FBI will work tirelessly to defend the safety of public officials as they serve the people of this great country. FBI Minneapolis stands alongside our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and ensure accountability for anyone who thinks they can assault, intimidate, or interfere with those serving our nation."
Defendant Kazmierczak was ordered held in federal custody, pending a detention hearing and preliminary hearing, both scheduled for February 3, 2026.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent. As a felony trial cannot be held on a complaint, a decision to seek an indictment will be made in the near future.
Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Sentenced for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Anthony John Crowley, 52, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer, was sentenced today to 71 months in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release after having pleaded guilty last year to distributing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen. In addition to the custodial sentence, Crowley was also ordered to pay a $10,000 assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.
Rosen was joined in the announcement by Interim Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec of FBI Minneapolis.
According to court documents, Crowley, of Minnetonka, Minnesota, knowingly distributed one or more images which contained visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. In 2022, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) received a cyber tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). The tip informed them that someone was using the Kik application to upload child pornography images. The Kik user ID was linked to Crowley’s phone number and email address. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Crowley’s Kik account and his home and seized his electronic devices. On his Kik account, they located evidence that he had distributed child pornography images to other users and participated in chat groups related to pictures of children. On his electronic devices, law enforcement found child pornography and age-questionable images and what are known as “child erotica” stories.
At the time of his crimes and of his arrest, Crowley was a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer stationed at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Minnetonka Police Department and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for their investigation and hard work on this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca E. Kline prosecuted the case.
Minneapolis Gang Member Convicted of Murder and RICORead the Press Release
Following a two-week trial, a federal jury in Minneapolis convicted William Johnson today for his involvement in a violent Minneapolis street gang and a gang-related murder in August 2021.
“This is the Criminal Division’s fifth successful trial against members of this violent Minneapolis gang,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department’s firm resolve to stop violent crime in Minneapolis and around the country remains a top priority of this Administration. We will continue to obtain justice for crime victims in Minneapolis and around the country to halt senseless gang killings wherever they occur.”
“This conviction reflects sustained effort by investigators and prosecutors,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul Field Division. “These cases do not end with a single verdict. ATF and our partners will continue holding every individual involved in this RICO conspiracy accountable for their actions.”
“Criminal gangs who threaten and terrorize our communities will be tracked down and held accountable by the FBI and our partners,” said Acting Assistant Director Mark Remily of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “The danger the Highs have brought onto our streets will not be tolerated. Today’s conviction is another step in dismantling these criminal enterprises and stopping their acts of violence.”
“William Johnson and the Highs criminal street gang did not simply commit isolated acts of violence — they imposed control through killings, robberies, and assaults, leaving the entire community to live under threat,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Chicago Field Office. “This conviction holds Johnson accountable for a murder carried out to advance a violent criminal enterprise that treated fear as a tool and human life as disposable. IRS-CI will continue working alongside our federal, state and local partners to dismantle these organizations at every level. We will follow the money, expose the structure behind the violence, and help ensure that gangs that terrorize communities in Minnesota are brought to justice.”
“Today’s conviction should put violent gang members on notice. The U. S. Postal Inspection Service will target anyone who uses the U. S. Mail to conduct and fund illegal criminal enterprises,” said Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove of the U. S. Postal Inspection Service Denver Division. “Residents deserve to feel safe in their communities. We remain dedicated to tracking criminals down and bringing them to justice, no matter their affiliation.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, William Johnson, 35, of Minneapolis, was a member of the Highs — a criminal gang that controlled territory north of West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis. Highs members committed murders, firearms crimes, burglaries, assaults, and robberies on behalf of the gang. As part of his membership, the gang expected Johnson to retaliate against their rivals, namely, the Lows gang, which operated south of West Broadway Avenue.
As proven at trial, the gang war between the Highs and Lows escalated when on Aug. 7, 2021, a prominent Highs member was shot and killed by a Lows member at a gas station — a notorious High’s hangout. The next day, Highs members organized a memorial for the deceased member at the gas station. During the memorial, they distributed firearms and told one another to retaliate against Lows members for the murder. Defendant Johnson and other Highs conspirators all attended.
Later that day, Johnson and two other Highs members went looking for Lows members to shoot and kill. Johnson drove himself and others to Skyline Market, a well-known favorite Lows’ hangout. Seeing the victim and mistakenly believing him to be a Lows member, they shot at him inside of the store. The victim ran from the store and into the street where another Highs member was driving two juveniles in a stolen Porsche. The juveniles exited the vehicle and chased the victim into a nearby alley where they fired additional shots at him. He died at the scene. Johnson drove the two Highs members away and back to the memorial site.
The defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. His sentencing date has yet to be set by the court. Two other defendants in prior trials in this case, Dantrell Johnson and Gregory Hamilton, have already been sentenced to life in prison. A third co-defendant, Keon Pruitt, was sentenced to over 37 years in prison. Numerous other Highs members have been sentenced to penalties in excess of ten years.
To date, 42 Highs members or associates have been convicted of federal charges.
The ATF, FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, U. S. Postal Inspection Service, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections are investigating the case, with assistance from the U. S. Marshals Service, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Brian Lynch and Alyssa Levey-Weinstein of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section and Assistant U. S. Attorneys Albania Concepcion, Carla J. Baumel, and Rebecca E. Kline of the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.