District of Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Brainerd, Minnesota, man was sentenced in federal court today for wildlife trafficking and trespassing on Indian land after removing the head of a 700-pound black bear on the Red Lake Indian Reservation.

Brett James Stimac, 41, was sentenced by Judge Susan Richard Nelson to 15 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and a $9,500 fine.

According to court documents, on the evening of September 1, 2019, Stimac, who is not an enrolled member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, willfully, knowingly and without authorization or permission, entered the Red Lake Indian Reservation for the purposes of hunting a bear. The Government contends that Stimac, using a compound bow, shot and killed a large American black bear near the Reservation’s garbage dump.

According to court documents, on September 2, 2019, Stimac returned to the dump the following day and located the bloody carcass of the bear. Stimac posed for photographs with the bear’s carcass and later shared the photographs on social media. Because of the bear’s large size, Stimac was unable to move the bear from the Reservation. Instead, Stimac used a saw to remove the bear’s head for a trophy. Stimac brought the bear’s head to a taxidermist in Ironton, Minnesota, and left the remainder of the carcass to spoil.

The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians does not permit non-Indians to hunt bear, one of seven clan animals of the Band, within the boundaries of the Red Lake Indian Reservation, due to the bear’s cultural and spiritual importance to the Band.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Red Lake Department of Public Safety, the Red Lake Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with assistance from the Beltrami County Attorney’s Office.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina L. Allery and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Polachek prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Staples man was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for his role in the arsons at the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct building.

According to court documents, on the night of May 28, 2020, Bryce Michael Williams, 27, went to the Third Precinct where a crowd of hundreds had gathered. At one point, the crowd began shouting, “Burn it down, burn it down.” Soon after, a fence that was designed to keep trespassers out of the Third Precinct building was torn down. Williams, along with other co-conspirators, breached the fence and entered the Third Precinct building. Surveillance video footage from the Third Precinct showed Williams standing near the entrance of the Third Precinct holding a Molotov cocktail while a co-conspirator (later identified as Davon De-Andre Turner) lit the wick. The Molotov cocktail was taken into the Third Precinct by Turner and was used to start a fire. Williams later threw a box on an existing fire located just outside the Third Precinct entrance.

“All four defendants charged in federal court have now been sentenced for their individual roles in the burning and near total destruction of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct building,” said Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk. “Mr. Williams and his co-defendants have been held accountable for their dangerous and destructive actions. I thank our federal, state, and local partners who pursued justice in these cases.”

On November 19, 2020, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit arson. As part of his sentencing, Williams was ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay $12 million in restitution.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted jointly by the ATF, the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and David P. Steinkamp.

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury today convicted a St. Paul man on charges of illegally possessing a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.

Following a five-day trial, Darnell Andre Dunn, 30, was convicted on one count of felon in possession of firearm – armed career criminal.

According to the evidence presented at trial, on August 30, 2019, Dunn was involved in a drive-by shooting in St. Paul. Minutes after the shooting, St. Paul police pulled over the car in which Dunn and two others were riding. The police let Dunn and the others go after receiving incorrect information about the license plate of the drive-by shooter’s car from the 911 dispatcher. When they realized the error, Dunn and the others were gone. The following day, St. Paul police saw Dunn parked at a gas station in St. Paul. After asking Dunn about the false name he had given the night before, the officer ordered Dunn out of the car. When Dunn got up, a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson he had been sitting on fell to the floor. A ballistics analysis later showed that it was one of the guns that had been used in the drive-by shooting the night before. Because of his prior felony convictions, Dunn is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

Dunn faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years, up to life imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release. At sentencing, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has yet to be scheduled.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the St. Paul Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and Melinda A. Williams.

MINNEAPOLIS – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota is providing the public with information regarding the North Star Fugitive Task Force:

The North Star Fugitive Task Force (the “Task Force”) is a U.S. Marshals-led Task Force, established pursuant to federal law, that locates and apprehends fugitives in the District of Minnesota.

The Task Force is comprised of members of local, state and federal law enforcement who partner to arrest the state’s most violent fugitives.

The Task Force adopts warrants issued by state and local courts for pending criminal charges, probation violations, or failures to comply with court-ordered conditions.

Task force officers (TFOs) are state and local law enforcement officers who receive special deputations from the U.S. Marshals Service. While on a task force, these officers can exercise U.S. Marshals’ authorities, such as being able to cross jurisdictional lines to apprehend violent fugitives. Nationally, these critical partnerships result in the arrest of nearly 100,000 violent fugitives each year.

In October 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a Body-Worn Camera (BWC) policy to permit TFOs to utilize body-worn cameras on federal task forces. In February 2021, the U.S. Marshals Service began to phase-in this policy, which continues to be implemented in the District of Minnesota.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is leading the investigation into the officer involved shooting incident that occurred on June 3, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Traverse County man was sentenced today to four years of probation, local community confinement, and $416,389 in restitution, for his role in a wire fraud scheme.

According to court documents, Bryan Dallas Crandall, 37, conspired with two employees of the Cenex Harvest States (CHS) grain elevator in Herman, Minnesota to manipulate the records of corn and soybeans delivered by Crandall on multiple occasions between 2013 and 2017. At the time of the fraud, the computer system in place at the elevator in Herman allowed an elevator employee to manually adjust scale readings, in order to allow the scale operator to correct potential errors in the weighing process.

Crandall conspired with the CHS employees to have the employees falsely inflate the number of bushels that Crandall appeared to deliver by semi-truck for sale to CHS. In some cases, entries were made in the elevator computer where a truck was not even present. After receiving payment for the fraudulent deliveries, Crandall kicked-back a portion of the proceeds to his co-conspirators in the form of money, vehicles, and firearms.

Unbeknownst to the elevator employees and Crandall, the CHS database automatically recorded a notation whenever a grain load was manually altered. The scheme ended when local investigators found bank and cell phone records that reflected unusual text messages and payments between Crandall and one of the employees, and CHS located the manual alterations though an analysis of the computer records. In 2018, investigators seized and forfeited vehicles, a snowmobile, and farm equipment obtained in the scheme.

Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery sentenced the defendant.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Lewis prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A criminal complaint charging federal firearms violations has been filed against three individuals for their alleged roles an illegal straw purchasing scheme.

Sarah Jean Elwood, 33, Jeffrey Paul Jackson, 30, and Geryiell Lamont Walker, 21, are charged with one count each aiding and abetting false statements in connection with the purchase of firearms. Following a detention hearing on June 3, 2021, before Magistrate Judge Becky R. Thorson, all three defendants were ordered to remain in custody.

According to the complaint, in May 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) learned that at least three firearms that Elwood had recently purchased had been recovered by police during crime investigations shortly after Elwood bought them. After further investigation, law enforcement subsequently discovered that Elwood had purchased at least 56 firearms from various Federal Firearms Licensees (FFL) in the State of Minnesota between August 1, 2020, and May 28, 2021. Approximately 47 of the 56 firearms were purchased in the month of May 2021 alone.

According to the complaint, ATF agents reviewed Forms 4473 that Elwood completed and signed in connection with 22 transactions for firearm purchases. On each form, Elwood certified that she was the actual purchaser of the firearms. Based on the investigation, this was a false certification because Elwood was purchasing the firearms for, and at the direction of, another person, primarily Walker. For example, a Glock model 19, 9mm pistol that Elwood purchased on May 12, 2021, was recovered 15 days later, in possession of a suspect whom investigators believe was involved in a shooting incident that occurred on May 11, 2021. 

According to the complaint, on May 30, 2021, agents observed a Chevy Impala arrive at an FFL in Circle Pines, Minnesota. Three of the vehicle’s occupants were identified as Elwood, Jackson, and Walker. Walker and another individual entered the FFL first and returned to the vehicle about 15 minutes later.  Elwood then exited the vehicle and entered the store. Approximately 15 minutes later, Elwood exited the store with three newly purchased firearms, a 100-round magazine, and three boxes of high-caliber ammunition, for which she paid over $1,750. She was immediately detained by law enforcement. The other occupants in the vehicle, including Jackson and Walker, were also detained. Elwood later described to law enforcement her role in the scheme was to purchase the firearms while Jackson arranged the deals through Walker. After purchasing the firearms, Elwood and Jackson would sell the guns to Walker and others for about a $100 profit per firearm.

Straw purchasing typically involves a buyer who lawfully purchases firearms from an FFL and then provides them to another person who is legally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms, therefore allowing the prohibited person to avoid the background check system.

“The Twin Cities is experiencing an unprecedented spike in gun violence. Federal law enforcement continues to be aggressive in our efforts to stem this deadly tide through investigations and prosecutions of federal gun cases, including straw purchasing schemes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.

“ATF is dedicated to investigating violent gun crimes and straw purchasing schemes such as this,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Terry Henderson. “Trafficking firearms in order to put guns in the hands of criminals can have irreparable consequences for our communities and we simply cannot let these acts go unaddressed.”

This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF and the Blaine Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MINNEAPOLIS – Mark Sand & Gravel Co. has agreed to pay $1.75 million in damages for allegedly violating the federal False Claims Act and the Minnesota False Claims Act, by using unauthorized gravel materials in connection with several federally-funded road construction projects administered by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

According to the allegations, between 2013 and 2015, Mark Sand & Gravel Co. performed substantial work on three separate federally-funded road construction projects – for portions of Trunk Highways 34, 59/10, and 78 – in or near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. All such projects are required, by law and contract, to be performed in accordance with detailed terms and specifications using only approved materials. The government contends Mark Sand & Gravel Co. failed to follow contract specifications by using unauthorized and substandard materials, namely waste or shale rock included in the gravel mix for the projects, and making materially false claims and statements in connection with its use of those materials. The proceeds of the settlement will be divided by the federal and state governments according to the original funding of the projects.

“Failing to uphold contractual obligations by agreeing to do one thing but then doing another is not acceptable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk. “We will continue to use the False Claims Act and other tools at our disposal to ensure that contractors act with transparency and do the work they promised to do.”

“Performing road construction projects funded by the U. S. Department of Transportation comes with a set of detailed terms and specifications. When companies fail to follow contract specifications, use unauthorized materials, and make false statements concerning the quality of materials, the integrity of the work being performed is compromised,” said Andrea M. Kropf, Special Agent-In-Charge, Midwestern Region, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. “Today’s settlement signals our commitment to ensuring the integrity of the programs designed to maintain and improve our nation’s transportation infrastructure.”

This case was jointly investigated by the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and handled by the Affirmative Civil Enforcement unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, as well as the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced that four people involved in a Twin Cities-based methamphetamine trafficking ring have been sentenced to prison for their roles in the drug distribution conspiracy.

Brandon Earl Swanson, 41, of Crystal, Minnesota, was sentenced to 144 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Jared William Merta, 40, of Montrose, Minnesota, was sentenced to 170 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Wayde Salem Salwei, 46, of Minnetonka, Minnesota, was sentenced to 132 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Katherine Byrd Campbell, 33, of Rochester, Minnesota, was sentenced to time served and five years of supervised release. Co-defendants Lucas Jay Madison and Mark Oren Schorn were previously sentenced by Judge Eric C. Tostrud to 235 and 180 months in prison, respectively.

According to court documents, between March 2020 through at least April 2020, the defendants were involved in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking operation. On April 14, 2020, law enforcement stopped Madison and Campbell near Faribault, Minnesota, as they traveled back from Phoenix, Arizona. Law enforcement conducted a search of the vehicle and recovered approximately 23 pounds of methamphetamine contained within a backpack. The methamphetamine was intended for delivery to multiple co-conspirators in the Twin Cities and surrounding metropolitan area. On the same day, law enforcement conducted multiple search warrants, including Merta’s and Schorn’s apartments in Montrose, Madison’s apartment in St. Paul, and Madison’s car detailing business in Bloomington, Minnesota, where Madison, Swanson and other co-conspirators conducted their operations. As a result of these searches, law enforcement agents recovered more than $100,000 in U.S. currency, more than 780 grams of methamphetamine, three handguns, multiple digital scales, THC cartridges, multiple cell phones, and other drug paraphernalia.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Anoka Hennepin Drug Task Force, the Cannon River Drug & Violent Offender Task Force, the Southeast Minnesota Gang and Drug Task Force, the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, the Rice County Sheriff’s Office, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Edina Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter prosecuted the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Wayzata man was sentenced today to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to commit arson of a Minneapolis bank.

According to court documents, on May 28, 2020, Marc Bell Gonzales, 30, and others intentionally set fire to the Wells Fargo Bank branch building located at 3030 Nicollet Avenue South. Specifically, Gonzales poured gasoline from a red plastic canister onto the Wells Fargo Bank property while the surrounding crowd chanted, “burn it down!” Gonzales admitted that he acted with the intent to accelerate the burning of the Wells Fargo Bank building.

Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud sentenced the defendant.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter prosecuted the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Richfield man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for conspiring to commit arson of the Target Corporation’s headquarters building.

According to court documents, on Wednesday, August 26, 2020, Minneapolis experienced arson, rioting, and looting in response to false rumors regarding police involvement in the death of a murder suspect. After law enforcement released video footage demonstrating that the rumor was clearly false, Shador Tommie Cortez Jackson, 24, gathered with other rioters downtown. Jackson joined a crowd outside Target Corporation’s corporate headquarters building located at 1000 Nicollet Mall (“Target Headquarters”). Jackson used a construction sign to break through the glass doors into the building. After breaching the doors and entering the building, Jackson intentionally set a fire on a counter inside the mailroom. Jackson also attempted to light a second fire in the mailroom on top of cardboard boxes using a lighter and a bottle of ignitable liquid.

Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz sentenced the defendant.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Minneapolis Fire Department, and the Minneapolis, Bloomington, and Richfield Police Departments.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chelsea A. Walcker, Alexander D. Chiquoine, and Joseph S. Teirab prosecuted the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Red Lake man made his initial appearance in federal court today on charges of aggravated sexual abuse occurring on the Red Lake Indian Reservation.

According to court documents, on July 3, 2020, Descart Austin Begay, Jr., 37, knowingly engaged in a sexual act with an individual by using force, threatening, and placing the individual in fear.

Begay, who was arrested yesterday, is charged with one count of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of sexual abuse. Begay made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Becky Thorson. Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk of the District of Minnesota made the announcement.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Red Lake Tribal Police Department and the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is 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.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Monticello man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to commit arson at a Minneapolis bank.

According to court documents, Alexander Steven Heil, 22, admitted that on May 28, 2020, he and other individuals intentionally aided in the arson of the Wells Fargo Bank building located in south Minneapolis. Heil added fuel to an existing fire by throwing items into the flames with the intent to accelerate the burning of the building.

Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud sentenced the defendant.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter prosecuted the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury convicted an Itasca County man today on charges of assaulting an individual with his vehicle, resulting in serious bodily injury, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.

Kevin Roger Doerr, 35, was convicted on one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

“Today, a jury held Mr. Doerr accountable for assaulting an individual and terrorizing a small, quiet community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk. “I commend the work of the prosecution team and our investigative partners who pursued justice in this case.” 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on April 7, 2020, Doerr was driving erratically through Elbow Lake Village on the White Earth Indian Reservation. Neighbors called 911 to report that a silver Chevrolet Monte Carlo, driven by Doerr, was trying to run people over and chasing people through the neighborhood. When law enforcement arrived, they found a chaotic scene with neighbors outside and two badly injured victims whom Doerr had hit with his vehicle. Law enforcement took Doerr into custody and the victims were airlifted to the hospital.

A sentencing date has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the White Earth Police Department, the Becker County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force and the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina L. Allery and Assistant U.S. Attorney Deidre Y. Aanstad tried the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A New York man was arrested today in Minneapolis on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of cocaine on a flight from New York to San Francisco, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.

According to court documents, on May 16, 2021, Jet Blue Airlines flight 915 was en route from New York to San Francisco when it diverted to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport because a man, later identified as Mark Anthony Scerbo, 42, was acting erratically and causing a commotion.  Witnesses reported Scerbo walking up and down the aisle with a butter knife in his fist, snorting white powder, and had a bag containing a white powdery substance on his tray, which a flight attendant retrieved and later delivered to police. After landing, MSP Airport Police detained Scerbo and took custody of the bag of white powdery substance, which field tested positive for cocaine and weighed 24.5 grams.

Scerbo is charged with one count of possession of cocaine. If convicted, Scerbo faces a maximum of three years in prison and a minimum fine of $5,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Miranda E. Dugi is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Fond Du Lac man was sentenced today to 110 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing and discharging a firearm in a school zone.

According to court documents, on October 18, 2019, Shelby Gene Boswell, 29, ran into a funeral service with a rifle and shot a person in the back of the head. The shooting victim was transported to the hospital and survived their injuries. The shooting took place on the grounds of Fond du Lac Head Start which is within a distance of 1,000 feet of the grounds of Fond du Lac Ojibwe High School. Because he has prior felony convictions in Beltrami County, Carlton County, and in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, BOSWELL is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim sentenced the defendant.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fond du Lac Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew R. Winter and Bradley M. Endicott prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal criminal complaint was filed yesterday charging a Waite Park man in connection to a St. Cloud bank robbery and hostage situation.

According to court documents, on May 6, 2021, Ray Reco McNeary, 35, entered a Wells Fargo Bank in St. Cloud and alleged that there was fraud on his bank account. After the bank manager was unable to locate any accounts belonging to McNeary, McNeary became enraged and demanded that $60,000 in cash be taken from the vault and placed in a bank bag. The bank manager activated the silent panic alarm, notifying law enforcement of a problem at the bank.

According to court documents, upon arrival, St. Cloud police officers learned that five employees of the bank were being held hostage by McNeary. Multiple times throughout the incident, McNeary held a pair of scissors against the bank manager’s neck and back. FBI hostage negotiators spoke with McNeary repeatedly during what turned out to be an eight-hour standoff. During the course of negotiations, four of the employees were allowed to leave the bank. The standoff ended at approximately 10:24 p.m. when the bank manager fled the bank and law enforcement moved into the bank and arrested McNeary.

McNeary is charged with one count of bank robbery. If convicted, McNeary faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk of the District of Minnesota; and Special Agent in Charge Michael Paul of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office made the announcement.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Steinkamp is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

###

MINNEAPOLIS – A Texas man was arraigned in federal court today on charges of wire fraud and violating the Senior Citizens Against Marketing Scams Act of 1994 (the “SCAMS Act”).

According to court documents, Jeremy Wade Wilson, 39, of Fort Worth, Texas, was the owner and operator of Publishers Elite, a Texas-based company involved in fraudulent magazine sales. Publishers Elite operated a telemarketing call center in Arlington, Texas, and from 2013 through 2019, Wilson provided his telemarketers with scripts containing fraudulent sales pitches for use in defrauding victim-consumers, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable, out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The fraudulent sales pitches were designed to induce consumers, through a series of lies and misrepresentations, into unwittingly signing up for expensive magazine subscriptions.

According to court documents, Wilson obtained lists of consumers who had active and ongoing magazine subscriptions through other companies. Wilson directed his telemarketers to claim—falsely—that they were calling from the victim-consumers’ existing magazine subscription company and about an existing magazine subscription. Wilson’s script directed the telemarketers to claim—again falsely—to be calling with an offer to renew the victim-consumer’s existing magazine subscription, often at a reduced cost. In reality, Wilson and his company had no existing relationship with most of the victim-consumers and his telemarketers were not calling about an existing magazine subscription. Instead they were calling to defraud them by tricking them into unwittingly signing up for entirely new magazine subscriptions.

According to court documents, Wilson and his company defrauded more than 14,000 victims across the United States, including more than 200 victims in Minnesota. Between 2013 and 2019, his company received more than $4.5 million from victims of his scheme.

Wilson is charged with six counts wire fraud and violating the Senior Citizens Against Marketing Scams Act of 1994 (the “SCAMS Act”). Wilson is the 64th defendant charged to date as part of a nationwide telemarketing scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims. Wilson was arraigned today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung. Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk of the District of Minnesota made the announcement.

This indictment is related to the cases United States v. Rahm, et al., 20-cr-232; United States v. Timmerman et al., 20-cr-233; United States v. Mathias et al., 20-cr-231; United States v. Olberg, 20-cr-285, United States v. Dahl, 18-cr-305 and United States v. Oelrich, 20-cr-128.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Additional assistance was provided by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, and Melinda A. Williams 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.

###

 

 

 

 

MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for his role in the arsons at the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct building.

According to court documents, on the night of May 28, 2020, Davon De-Andre Turner, 25, went to the Third Precinct where a crowd of hundreds had gathered. At one point, the crowd began shouting, “Burn it down, burn it down.” Soon after, a fence that was designed to keep trespassers out of the Third Precinct building was torn down. Turner and an individual unknown to him at the time (later identified as co-defendant Bryce Michael Williams) worked together to light an incendiary device which they intended to be used to start or further accelerate a fire. The incendiary device was taken into the Third Precinct headquarters by Turner and was used to start a fire.

“Mr. Turner’s actions on the night of May 28, 2020 contributed to the near total destruction of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct building,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk. “Those actions were dangerous to community, to law enforcement, and to the many peaceful protestors exercising their first amendment rights. Today’s sentence underscores the seriousness of those actions.”

“ATF is committed to investigating the civil unrest arsons of 2020 that occurred throughout the Twin Cities,” said Special Agent in Charge Terry Henderson, of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “Arson, being inherently violent, is a serious crime that puts our community members and first responders at risk, and it cannot be tolerated.”

“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message—when you are intent on conducting a violent act that breaks federal law, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will move with speed to hold you accountable,” said Michael Paul, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis field office. “That behavior puts our entire community in danger, and we simply will not let it go unaddressed.”

On January 22, 2021, Turner pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit arson. As part of his sentencing, Turner was ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay $12 million in restitution.

Co-conspirator Dylan Shakespeare Robinson, 23, was sentenced on April 28, 2021, to 48 months in prison. Co-conspirator Branden Michael Wolfe, 23, was sentenced on May 4, 2021, to 41 months in prison. Both Robinson and Wolfe, who had each previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit arson, were also ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay $12 million in restitution for their roles in the conspiracy. Co-conspirator Bryce Michael Williams is currently scheduled to be sentenced on June 7, 2021 before District Court Judge Patrick J. Schiltz. Williams plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit arson on November 11, 2020.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted jointly by the ATF, the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and David P. Steinkamp.

###

MINNEAPOLIS – In honor of National Police Week, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Sunday, May 9 through Saturday, May 15, 2021. 

“This week is a time to honor our law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation,” said Attorney General Garland. “I am constantly inspired by the extraordinary courage and dedication with which members of law enforcement act each day, putting their lives on the line to make our communities safer. To members of law enforcement and your families: we know that not a single day, nor a single week, is enough to recognize your service and sacrifice. On behalf of the entire Department of Justice, you have our unwavering support and eternal gratitude.”  

“During this week of national recognition, the Department of Justice celebrates the women and men who have devoted their lives to public safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk. “Here in the District of Minnesota, we extend our gratitude to the federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement officers who are dedicated to serving and protecting our communities, and honor those who have lost their lives in the line of duty.”

In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.

Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities that they have sworn to serve.

During the Roll Call of Heroes, a ceremony coordinated by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), more than 300 officers will be honored. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), of the law enforcement officers who died nationwide in the line of duty in 2020, nearly 60 percent succumbed to COVID-19.

Additionally, according to statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 46 law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts and 47 died in accidents in 2020. LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website.

The names of the 394 fallen officers who have been added in 2020 to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Thursday, May 13, 2021, during a Virtual Candlelight Vigil, which will be livestreamed to the public at 8:00 pm EDT. The Police Week in-person public events, originally scheduled for May, have been rescheduled due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns to October 13-17, 2021. An in-person Candlelight Vigil event is scheduled for October 14, 2021.

Those who wish to view the Virtual Candlelight Vigil on May 13, 2021, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNLEOMF. The FOP’s Roll Call of Heroes can be viewed at www.fop.net. To view the schedule of virtual Police Week events in May, please view NLEOMF’s Police Week Flyer.

To learn more about National Police Week in-person events scheduled for October, please visit www.policeweek.org.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Augustus Quintrell Light, 40, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents, on December 7, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence in Bemidji, Minnesota, where Light was located. At the time, Light had in his possession over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine, which he was planning to distribute, a digital scale and three rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. Law enforcement also executed a search warrant at Light’s residence in Naytahwaush, Minnesota, and recovered, from a locked safe, small quantities of controlled substances, $4800 in cash, and three rounds of .45 caliber ammunition.

Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Paul A. Magnuson accepted the plea.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Beltrami County Attorney, the Mahnomen County Attorney, the Paul Bunyan Task Force, the Bemidji Police Department, the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Department, the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Department, and the White Earth Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Chiquoine and Ruth Shnider are prosecuting the case.

###

 

 

 

 

 

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Rochester man was sentenced today to 260 months in prison followed by eight years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents, from May 2019 through August 2019, John Willis Netherton, 40, was part of a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. As part of the conspiracy, the defendant coordinated and facilitated the delivery of methamphetamine from his co-conspirator Miguel Zamora. Netherton also distributed methamphetamine to sub-distributors. Netherton collected funds from the sale of methamphetamine, which in part were ultimately sent back to the defendant’s source of supply.

John Willis Netherton, also known as “Big John,” also known as “Wicked One,” pleaded guilty on September 4, 2020, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Previously on August 24, 2020, co-conspirator Jacob Paul Williams was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release. On August 28, 2020, co-conspirator Miguel Angel Cuevas Zamora was sentenced to 120 years imprisonment and two years of supervised release. Co-conspirators Joshua Alexander Sazo, Nicholas John Hanson, Jason Edwards Hoffman, Deja Lee Benton, Andrew Robert Berndt, and Kayleigh Rea Todd have all pleaded guilty and are pending sentencing.

Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson sentenced the defendant.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Rochester Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crimes Enforcement Team, the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, the South Central Drug Investigation Unit, and the Minnesota State Patrol.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter, Jr. is prosecuting the case.

 

###

 

Note: A copy of the indictment against Chauvin et al. can be viewed

here  and the two count indictment against Chauvin can be viewed  here.

WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury in Minneapolis, Minnesota, returned two indictments that were unsealed today. The first indictment charges former Minneapolis Police Department officers Derek Chauvin, 45; Tou Thao, 35; J. Alexander Kueng, 27; and Thomas Lane, 38, with federal civil rights crimes for their roles in the death of George Perry Floyd Jr.

The three-count indictment alleges that all four defendants, while acting under color of law, willfully deprived Mr. Floyd of his constitutional rights, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242. Specifically, Count One of the indictment alleges that on May 25, 2020, Chauvin held his left knee across Mr. Floyd’s neck, and his right knee on Floyd’s back and arm, as George Floyd lay on the ground, handcuffed and unresisting, and kept his knees on Mr. Floyd’s neck and body even after Mr. Floyd became unresponsive. The indictment alleges that Chauvin’s actions violated Mr. Floyd’s constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer and resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of, Mr. Floyd.

Count Two of the indictment charges that Thao and Kueng willfully failed to intervene to stop Chauvin’s use of unreasonable force, resulting in bodily injury to, and the death of, Mr. Floyd.  Finally, Count Three of the indictment alleges that all four defendants saw Mr. Floyd lying on the ground in clear need of medical care and willfully failed to aid him. The indictment alleges that by doing so, all four defendants willfully deprived Mr. Floyd of his constitutional right not to be deprived of liberty without due process of law, which includes an arrestee’s right to be free from a police officer’s deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs. The indictment alleges that this offense resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of, Mr. Floyd.

A separate, two-count indictment also charges Chauvin with willfully depriving a Minneapolis resident who was then fourteen-years-old of the constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242. Count One of this indictment alleges that on Sept. 4, 2017, Chauvin, without legal justification, held the teenager by the throat and struck the teenager multiple times in the head with a flashlight. The indictment alleges that this offense included the use of a dangerous weapon—a flashlight—and resulted in bodily injury to the teenager. Count Two of the indictment charges that Chauvin held his knee on the neck and the upper back of the teenager even after the teenager was lying prone, handcuffed, and unresisting, also resulting in bodily injury.

Both indictments charge violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242. 18 U.S.C. § 242 states that it is a crime for an official acting under color of law to willfully violate a person’s constitutional rights. If government employees, like police officers, use or misuse the power provided to them by their position, they are acting “under color of law.” 

An indictment is merely a formal accusation of criminal conduct. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The charges announced today are separate from the Justice Department’s civil pattern or practice investigation into the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department that the Attorney General announced on April 21. The charges announced today are criminal, while the pattern or practice investigation is a civil investigation that will be conducted separately and independently from the criminal case, and will be handled by a different team of career staff from the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The charges announced today are also separate from, and in addition to, the charges the State of Minnesota has brought against these former officers related to the death of Mr. Floyd. The federal charges allege different criminal offenses; specifically, they allege violations of the U.S. Constitution, rather than of state law.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan and Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota commend the investigative efforts of the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in this matter, and thank the Minneapolis Police Department for its cooperation in the investigation.

The federal criminal cases are being prosecuted by Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk of the District of Minnesota, Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel and Trial Attorney Tara Allison of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha Bates, LeeAnn Bell, Evan Gilead, Manda Sertich and Allen Slaughter of the District of Minnesota.

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal grand jury in Minneapolis, Minnesota returned two indictments that were unsealed today. The first indictment charges former Minneapolis Police Department officers Derek Chauvin, 45; Tou Thao, 35; J. Alexander Kueng, 27; and Thomas Lane, 38, with federal civil rights crimes for their roles in the death of George Perry Floyd Jr.

The three-count indictment alleges that all four defendants, while acting under color of law, willfully deprived Mr. Floyd of his constitutional rights, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242. Specifically, Count One of the indictment alleges that on May 25, 2020, Chauvin held his left knee across Mr. Floyd’s neck, and his right knee on Floyd’s back and arm, as George Floyd lay on the ground, handcuffed and unresisting, and kept his knees on Mr. Floyd’s neck and body even after Mr. Floyd became unresponsive. The indictment alleges that Chauvin’s actions violated Mr. Floyd’s constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer and resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of, Mr. Floyd.

Count Two of the indictment charges that Thao and Kueng willfully failed to intervene to stop Chauvin’s use of unreasonable force, resulting in bodily injury to, and the death of, Mr. Floyd. Finally, Count Three of the indictment alleges that all four defendants saw Mr. Floyd lying on the ground in clear need of medical care and willfully failed to aid him. The indictment alleges that by doing so, all four defendants willfully deprived Mr. Floyd of his constitutional right not to be deprived of liberty without due process of law, which includes an arrestee’s right to be free from a police officer’s deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs. The indictment alleges that this offense resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of, Mr. Floyd.

A separate, two-count indictment also charges Chauvin with willfully depriving a Minneapolis resident who was then fourteen-years-old of the constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242. Count One of this indictment alleges that on Sept. 4, 2017, Chauvin, without legal justification, held the teenager by the throat and struck the teenager multiple times in the head with a flashlight. The indictment alleges that this offense included the use of a dangerous weapon—a flashlight—and resulted in bodily injury to the teenager. Count Two of the indictment charges that Chauvin held his knee on the neck and the upper back of the teenager even after the teenager was lying prone, handcuffed, and unresisting, also resulting in bodily injury.

Both indictments charge violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242. 18 U.S.C. § 242 states that it is a crime for an official acting under color of law to willfully violate a person’s constitutional rights. If government employees, like police officers, use or misuse the power provided to them by their position, they are acting “under color of law.” 

An indictment is merely a formal accusation of criminal conduct. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The charges announced today are separate from the Justice Department’s civil pattern or practice investigation into the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department that the Attorney General announced on April 21. The charges announced today are criminal, while the pattern or practice investigation is a civil investigation that will be conducted separately and independently from the criminal case, and will be handled by a different team of career staff from the Civil Rights Division and the United States Attorney’s Office.

The charges announced today are also separate from, and in addition to, the charges the State of Minnesota has brought against these former officers related to the death of Mr. Floyd. The federal charges allege different criminal offenses; specifically, they allege violations of the U.S. Constitution, rather than of state law.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan and Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota commend the investigative efforts of the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in this matter, and thank the Minneapolis Police Department for its cooperation in the investigation.

The federal criminal cases are being prosecuted by Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk of the District of Minnesota, Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel and Trial Attorney Tara Allison of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha Bates, LeeAnn Bell, Evan Gilead, Manda Sertich, and Allen Slaughter of the District of Minnesota.

MINNEAPOLIS – Mitchell James Ottinger, 25, of Carver, Minnesota, was arrested yesterday on criminal charges for alleged production of child pornography related to sextortion and threats of extortion. A detention and preliminary hearing has been scheduled for May 7, 2021, at 2:00 pm before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright.

According to court documents, Ottinger created and used multiple Internet accounts to encourage and direct minors and an adult to create sexually explicit images and videos of themselves to send to Ottinger. Ottinger posed as a young female using aliases including “Taylor Malek” or “Rachel Meyer,” in order to obtain the images and videos. If a victim later blocked or ignored “her,” Ottinger would contact the victim—through the alias or other accounts—and threaten to publish the victim’s sexually explicit image(s) to others unless additional demands for sexually explicit images were met. This conduct is sometimes referred to as “sextortion.”

Law enforcement was alerted to the sextortion when one of the victims contacted the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center and reported the threats. Based on the evidence obtained in this investigation, authorities believe there may be additional victims of the alleged conduct. Anyone with information about this matter is encouraged to call the FBI Minneapolis Division at 763-569-8000.

Ottinger is charged with two counts of production and attempted production of child pornography and two counts of making extortionate threats. If convicted, Ottinger faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk of the District of Minnesota; and Special Agent in Charge Michael Paul of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Miranda Dugi is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man was sentenced yesterday to 41 months in prison for his role in the arsons at the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct building.

According to court documents, on the night of May 28, 2020, Branden Michael Wolfe, 23, went to the Third Precinct where a crowd of hundreds had gathered. At one point, the crowd began shouting, “Burn it down, burn it down.” Soon after, a fence that was designed to keep trespassers out of the Third Precinct was torn down. Wolfe pushed a barrel into a fire located in the entrance of the Third Precinct headquarters, which had been set by other unidentified co-conspirators, with the intent to accelerate the existing fire. Wolfe also entered the Third Precinct building and stole several items, including a police vest, duty belt, handcuffs, earpiece, baton, knife, riot helmet, pistol magazine, police radio, police overdose kit, uniform name plates, and ammunition. Wolfe was arrested on June 3, 2020, wearing the police vest, the duty belt and carrying the tactical baton.

“Mr. Wolfe furthered the destruction that took place in Minneapolis last summer by literally adding fuel to the fire. In addition to the arson, Mr. Wolfe stole body armor, weapons, and ammunition belonging to the Minneapolis Police Department,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk. “This sentence underscores the seriousness of Mr. Wolfe’s actions and holds him to account.”

“ATF is committed to investigating the civil unrest arsons of 2020 that occurred throughout the Twin Cities,” said Special Agent in Charge Terry Henderson, of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “Arson, being inherently violent, is a serious crime that puts our community members and first responders at risk, and it cannot be tolerated.”

“The FBI’s mission is to uphold the Constitution, which includes freedom of speech and the right to assemble,” said Michael Paul, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis field office. “Branden Wolfe crossed the line and engaged in criminal activity during the evening the Third Precinct building was burned down last May. People who choose to engage in violent activity during protests may believe they are anonymous, but they are mistaken and will be held accountable for their crimes.”

On December 21, 2020, Wolfe pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit arson. As part of his sentencing, Wolfe was ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay $12 million in restitution.

Co-conspirators Bryce Michael Williams, 27, and Davon De-Andre Turner, 25, have all pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit arson for their roles in the arson at the Third Precinct building. They will be sentenced at a later date.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted jointly by the ATF, the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and David P. Steinkamp.

WASHINGTON – A Minnesota man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to provide material support and resources, namely property, services and weapons, to what he believed was Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization, for use against Israeli and U.S. military personnel overseas.

According to court documents, Michael Solomon, 31, of New Brighton, Minn., was a member of the “Boogaloo Bois,” a group of individuals who espouse violent anti-government sentiments. In late May 2020, the FBI initiated an investigation into Solomon and co-defendant Benjamin Ryan Teeter, both members of the “Boogaloo Bois,” and a sub-group called the “Boojahideen.”

According to court documents, on June 10, 2020, Solomon and Teeter met with a confidential human source (CHS), whom the defendants believed to be a member of Hamas. During this meeting, Solomon and Teeter proposed assisting Hamas as a means of furthering the goals of the Boogaloo Bois. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Solomon used encrypted messaging applications to communicate with Teeter and the CHS about various aspects of the conspiracy.

On June 28, 2020, Solomon, Teeter and the CHS met an undercover employee of the FBI (UCE) that Solomon believed was a member of Hamas. During this meeting, Solomon and Teeter proposed manufacturing suppressors, untraceable firearms and fully automatic firearms for Hamas.

On July 6, 2020, Solomon and Teeter purchased a drill press for the purpose of manufacturing suppressors for Hamas. Solomon admitted that he and Teeter had planned to use the drill press to also manufacture suppressors for members of the Boogaloo Bois. Solomon and Teeter brought the drill press to Solomon’s home and later used the drill press to manufacture five suppressors.

On July 30, 2020, Solomon and Teeter delivered the suppressors to the CHS and UCE believing those devices would be used by the militant wing of Hamas. During that meeting, the defendants agreed to manufacture additional suppressors for Hamas believing that the next batch of suppressors would be used against Israeli and U.S. military personnel overseas.

Solomon admitted that he and Teeter again met the UCE on Aug. 29, 2020. During this meeting, the defendants gave the UCE a 3-D printed “auto sear” believing that the auto sear would be used by Hamas to convert semi-automatic rifles into fully automatic rifles. At this time, Solomon and Teeter agreed to obtain, and did obtain, another order of auto sears for the CHS and the UCE.

Solomon pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Solomon faces 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.

Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota; Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Special Agent in Charge Michael Paul of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Michael J. Davis accepted the plea.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Trial Attorneys George Kraehe and Felice John Viti of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter of the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Michael Solomon, 31, of New Brighton, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to provide material support and resources, namely property, services and weapons, to what he believed was Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization, for use against Israeli and U.S. military personnel overseas.

According to court documents, in late May of 2020, the FBI initiated an investigation into Solomon and co-defendant Benjamin Ryan Teeter, two members of the “Boogaloo Bois,” and a sub-group called the “Boojahideen.” The Boogaloo Bois are a group of individuals who espouse violent anti-government sentiments.

According to court documents, on June 10, 2020, Solomon and Teeter met with a confidential human source (“CHS”), whom the defendants believed to be a member of Hamas. During this meeting, Solomon and Teeter proposed assisting Hamas as a means of furthering the goals of the Boogaloo Bois. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Solomon used encrypted messaging applications to communicate with Teeter and the CHS about various aspects of the conspiracy.

On June 28, 2020, Solomon, Teeter, and the CHS, met an undercover employee of the FBI (“UCE) that Solomon believed was a member of Hamas. During this meeting, Solomon and Teeter proposed manufacturing suppressors, untraceable firearms, and fully automatic firearms for Hamas. 

On July 6, 2020, Solomon and Teeter purchased a drill press for the purpose of manufacturing suppressors for Hamas. Solomon admits that he and Teeter had planned to use the drill press to also manufacture suppressors for members of the Boogaloo Bois. Solomon and Teeter brought the drill press to Solomon’s home and later used the drill press to manufacture five suppressors.

On July 30, 2020, Solomon and Teeter delivered the suppressors to the CHS and UCE believing those devices would be used by the militant wing of Hamas. During that meeting, the defendants agreed to manufacture additional suppressors for Hamas believing that the next batch of suppressors would be used against Israeli and U.S. military personnel overseas.

Solomon admitted that he and Teeter again met the UCE on August 29, 2020. During this meeting, the defendants gave the UCE a 3-D printed “auto sear” believing that the auto sear would be used by Hamas to convert semi-automatic rifles into fully automatic rifles. At this time, Solomon and Teeter agreed to obtain, and did obtain, another order of auto sears for the CHS and the UCE.

Solomon pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Solomon faces 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.

Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota; Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Special Agent in Charge Michael Paul of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Michael J. Davis accepted the plea.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter, and Trial Attorneys George Kraehe and Felice John Viti of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – As this year’s tax filing season comes to an end, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division urge all taxpayers to file correct and accurate tax returns by the Monday, May 17 deadline. Due to COVID-19, the original filing deadline and tax payment due date was postponed from April 15 to May 17. For people facing hardships, including those affected by COVID-19, who cannot pay in full, the IRS has several options available on IRS.gov/payments.

“As the May 17 deadline approaches, Minnesotans should remain vigilant and take care to protect their personal information. Remember, the IRS will not contact you by phone, email, or social media,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk. “Scammers, fraudsters and predatory tax preparers looking to take advantage of law-abiding taxpayers will be held accountable.”

“I am asking all citizens to file correct and accurate tax returns and to pay their share of taxes,” says Tamera Cantu, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division Chicago Field Office, who oversees the state of Minnesota. “We all pay when others cheat the government. IRS Criminal Investigation, together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, works year-round to make certain that those who willfully defy the tax laws will be investigated and criminally prosecuted. Taxpayers are encouraged to visit the IRS.gov website for tips on filing a tax return accurately and searching for a reputable return preparer.”

The following court actions serve as a reminder to taxpayers, to think before filing a false or fraudulent tax return and to be wary of any schemes that falsify your income or deductions.

In November 2020, Muhumed Ali and Faysal Sayid were sentenced to prison for income tax evasion. Ali and Sayid were also ordered to pay a total of more than $1 million in restitution to the IRS. Ali and Sayid were co-owners of a company that provided adult day care services to individuals enrolled in the Minnesota Medicaid program. Between 2012 and 2014, Ali and Sayid removed approximately $1.3 million from the company’s operating accounts and used those funds to pay for personal, non-business expenses, such as clothing, rent for personal residences, vehicles, funds transfers to other parties, and international wire transfers. Ali and Sayid willfully attempted to evade and defeat income taxes due and owing on that money for tax years 2012, 2013, and 2014. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert.

In March 2021, Daren Wradislavsky pleaded guilty to one count of making and subscribing a false return. According to his guilty plea, Wradislavsky was the general manager of a hotel in Owatonna, Minnesota, and was exclusively responsible for the employee payroll. For tax years 2014 through 2017, Wradislavsky included commissions and mileage reimbursement amounts on his personal paychecks but failed to report more than $350,482 in reimbursements on his individual income tax returns. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela M. Munoz.

In April 2021, Shoua Isabelle Yang, the owner and operator of a staffing agency, was indicted on 13 counts of filing a false employer’s quarterly federal tax return and four counts of filing a false United States corporation income tax return. According to the allegations in the indictment, during tax years 2015 through 2018, Yang, employed workers but caused her staffing agency not to properly withhold, account for and pay over accurate payroll taxes, including federal income taxes and Social Security and Medicare taxes. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

In April 2021, Gospel Kordah pleaded guilty to one count of preparation of a false individual income tax return. According to his guilty plea, Kordah prepared tax returns on behalf of his clients that falsely and fraudulently represented, among other things, that the taxpayers incurred deductible medical and dental expenses. Kordah also prepared false and fraudulent income tax returns on behalf of himself and his wife. Kordah prepared and filed approximately 68 false tax returns seeking a total of approximately $237,432 in fraudulent federal and state income tax returns. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison K. Ethen and Kimberly A. Svendsen.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Brainerd man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for his role in the arsons at the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct building.

According to court documents, on the night of May 28, 2020, Dylan Shakespeare Robinson, 23, went to the Third Precinct where a crowd of hundreds had gathered. At one point, the crowd began shouting, “Burn it down, burn it down.” Soon after, a fence that was designed to keep trespassers out of the Third Precinct was torn down. Robinson, along with other co-conspirators, breached the fence and entered the building. Robinson, assisted by an unidentified co-conspirator, lit an object held by the unidentified co-conspirator who threw it toward the Third Precinct building with the intent that it would start a fire or fuel an existing fire.

“On the night of May 28, 2020, Mr. Robinson chose to depart from lawful protest and instead engaged in violence and destruction. The arson at the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct put lives at risk and contributed to widespread lawlessness in Minneapolis,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk. “With today’s sentence, Mr. Robinson is held accountable for his actions.”

“ATF is committed to investigating the civil unrest arsons of 2020 that occurred throughout the Twin Cities,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeff Reed, of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “Arson, being inherently violent, is a serious crime that put many of our community members at risk, and it cannot be tolerated.”

“The danger posed by the defendant in this case was very real,” said Michael Paul, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis field office. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message—regardless of motivation, when someone is intent on conducting a violent act that breaks federal law, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will move assertively to hold them accountable. This type of behavior puts public servants and our entire community in danger, and we simply will not let it go unaddressed.”

On December 15, 2020, Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit arson. As part of his sentencing today, Robinson was ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay $12 million in restitution.

Co-conspirators Bryce Michael Williams, 27, Davon De-Andre Turner, 25, and Branden Michael Wolfe, 23, have all pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit arson for their roles in the arson at the Third Precinct building. They will be sentenced at a later date.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted jointly by the ATF, the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and David P. Steinkamp.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Maria Candelaria Zambrano Zavala, 26, of Bloomington, and Humberto Rangel-Torres, 50, pleaded guilty this week to sex trafficking of a minor.

According to court documents, beginning in March 2019 through May 2019, Zambrano Zavala began transporting and providing a minor for commercial sex to Rangel-Torres, who was at the time a construction worker residing at a hotel in Bloomington. On at least three occasions, Rangel-Torres arranged for commercial sex acts through Zambrano Zavala and paid Zambrano Zavala or the minor in cash for each commercial sex act.

“These defendants showed no regard for the health and safety of a minor and instead prioritized their own gratification and profit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk. “The commercial sexual exploitation of minors is a horrifying crime and one that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners have zero tolerance for.”

“Apprehending human traffickers who take advantage of children, and rescuing those exploited will always be a top priority for HSI,” said Jamie Holt, acting special agent in charge HSI St. Paul. “HSI and our law enforcement partners, like the Bloomington Police Department, will not relent in our investigations until every trafficker is behind bars and every victim is rescued.”

Zambrano Zavala pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a minor, and Rangel-Torres pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor. Zambrano Zavala faces a mandatory minimum sentence 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.

W. Anders Folk, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota and Jamie Holt, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud accepted the pleas.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by HSI and the Bloomington Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Manda M. Sertich and Evan B. Gilead are prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced today the Justice Department has opened a pattern or practice investigation into the City of Minneapolis (the City) and the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). The investigation will assess all types of force used by MPD officers, including uses of force involving individuals with behavioral health disabilities and uses of force against individuals engaged in activities protected by the First Amendment. The investigation will also assess whether MPD engages in discriminatory policing. As part of the investigation the Justice Department will conduct a comprehensive review of MPD policies, training and supervision. The department will also examine MPD’s systems of accountability, including complaint intake, investigation, review, disposition and discipline. The Department of Justice will also reach out to community groups and members of the public to learn about their experiences with MPD.

“The investigation I am announcing today will assess whether the Minneapolis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, including during protests,” said Attorney General Garland. “Building trust between community and law enforcement will take time and effort by all of us, but we undertake this task with determination and urgency, knowing that change cannot wait.”

This morning, Department of Justice officials informed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, MPD Chief Medaria Arradondo, City Attorney Jim Rowader, City Coordinator Mark Ruff, and City Council President Lisa Bender of the investigation. The department will continue to work closely with both the City and MPD as the investigation progresses.

“One of the Civil Rights Division’s highest priorities is to ensure that every person in this country benefits from public safety systems that are lawful, responsive, transparent and nondiscriminatory,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “It is essential that police departments across the country use their law enforcement authority, including the authority to use force, in a manner that respects civil rights and the sanctity of human life.”

“People throughout the city of Minneapolis want a public safety system that protects and serves all members of our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota. “This investigation by the Department of Justice provides a vital step to restore and build trust in the Minneapolis Police Department and its officers.”

The investigation is being conducted pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994,  which prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. The Act allows the Department of Justice to remedy such misconduct through civil litigation. The department will be assessing law enforcement practices under the First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as under the Safe Streets Act of 1968, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Special Litigation Section of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, are jointly conducting this investigation. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Department of Justice via email at [email protected] or by phone at 866-432-0268. Individuals can also report civil rights violations regarding this or other matters using the Civil Rights Division’s new reporting portal, available at civilrights.justice.gov.

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

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced a federal criminal complaint charging ANDREW THOMAS, 28, with being a felon in possession of a firearm. THOMAS will make his initial appearance tomorrow before Magistrate Judge Katherine M. Menendez in U.S. District Court.

According to the allegations in the criminal complaint, during the early morning hours of April 18, 2021, a team of Minnesota National Guard soldiers, along with an officer of the Minneapolis Police Department, was stationed at the corner of Penn Avenue North and West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis. At approximately 4:20 a.m., a light-colored SUV driving on West Broadway Avenue fired multiple shots at the team. One bullet went through the windshield of the team’s military vehicle, which held four soldiers. Two soldiers of the Minnesota National Guard sustained minor injuries: one was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of injuries from shattered glass; the other was treated at the scene for superficial wounds.

The criminal complaint also alleges that during the late evening hours of April 18, 2021, Minneapolis Police officers patrolling the area of 6th Street South and Cedar Avenue South encountered a 2002 Ford Explorer that matched the description of the SUV involved in the shooting. After conducting a felony stop of the vehicle, the driver, later identified as THOMAS, and a juvenile passenger, were placed in separate police cars. After obtaining a search warrant for the vehicle, officers recovered from the vehicle a Springfield Armory XD-9 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a .22 caliber revolver with an obliterated serial number, ammunition, and two discharged cartridge casings. Because THOMAS has a prior felony conviction in Hennepin County, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Minneapolis Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez.

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

Defendant Information:

ANDREW THOMAS, 28

Minneapolis, Minn.

Charges:

• Felon in possession of a firearm, 1 count

 

 

###

 

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

 

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced a federal criminal complaint charging MICHAEL PAUL DAHLAGER, 27, of St. Cloud, Minnesota, with illegal possession of a machine gun. DAHLAGER, who was taken into custody early this morning, made his initial appearance today before Magistrate Judge Becky Thorson in U.S. District Court. DAHLAGER was ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing, which is scheduled for April 9, 2021.

According to the allegations in the criminal complaint, in November of 2020, the FBI initiated an investigation into DAHLAGER, a self-proclaimed member of the “Boogaloo Bois,” a loosely connected group of individuals who espouse violent anti-government sentiments. The term “Boogaloo” itself references an impending second civil war in the United States and is associated with violent uprisings against the government. In November 2020, the FBI learned through a confidential human source (“CHS”) that DAHLAGER was discussing his willingness to kill members of law enforcement. The FBI also learned that DAHLAGER was in possession of a 3D-printed “drop in auto sear” and a homemade firearm suppressor. An “auto sear” is a part designed and intended for use in converting a semi-automatic weapon to shoot automatically by a single pull of the trigger and is a machine gun under federal law.

According to the allegations in the criminal complaint, on November 21, 2020, while meeting with the CHS and others at his residence, DAHLAGER showed the CHS several tactical items including body armor, an AR-15 style assault rifle with a folding stock, and an item DAHLAGER claimed was a suppressor. The CHS observed loaded magazines for an assault rifle in DAHLAGER’s residence. DAHLAGER also showed the CHS two auto sears, which DAHLAGER said a friend had created using a 3D printer. DAHLAGER told the CHS that his residence has port-holes to make a stand if law enforcement confronts him.

According to the allegations in the criminal complaint, on December 12, 2020, DAHLAGER traveled from St. Cloud to conduct surveillance at the Minnesota State Capitol building in St. Paul, Minnesota, while attending a “Stop the Steal” rally. DAHLAGER scouted law enforcement numbers, over-watch positions for the Boogaloo Bois, quick reaction forces, and which streets were blocked by law enforcement. DAHLAGER made a video recording of his observations at the Minnesota State Capitol rally, which he later reviewed with the CHS.

According to the allegations in the criminal complaint, on January 10, 2020, the CHS approached DAHLAGER about obtaining an auto sear. DAHLAGER told the CHS he had several auto sears and was willing to provide one to the CHS. DAHLAGER told the CHS that he bought a cover for his suppressor to make the device appear to be a heat shield because DAHLAGER knew the suppressor was not legal. DAHLAGER also showed the CHS a video depicting DAHLAGER shooting what appeared to be the same rifle equipped with the same suppressor the CHS had seen in the PREMISES on November 21, 2020. On February 3, 2021, during a meeting at his residence, DAHLAGER provided two auto sears to the CHS and demonstrated how the devices should be inserted into a firearm.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter, and Trial Attorneys George Kraehe and Phil Viti of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section.

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

Defendant Information:

MICHAEL PAUL DAHLAGER, 27

St. Cloud, Minn.

Charges:

• Unlawful possession of a machine gun, 1 count

 

 

###

 

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced the guilty plea of MATTHEW LEE RUPERT, 28, to one count of arson. RUPERT, who was initially charged on June 1, 2020, pleaded guilty today before Judge Nancy E. Brasel in U.S. District Court. A sentencing date will be scheduled at a later time.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, on May 28, 2020, RUPERT, a resident of Galesburg, Illinois, posted messages on his Facebook account referencing the public protests occurring in the Twin Cities following the death of George Floyd, including one that stated, “I’m going to Minneapolis tomorrow who coming only goons I’m renting hotel rooms.” On May 29, 2020, RUPERT posted a self-recorded cell phone video to his Facebook account indicating that he was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In his Facebook Live video, RUPERT announced that he came “to riot,” and is depicted encouraging violence against law enforcement officers, actively damaging property, breaking into buildings, and looting businesses.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, the video depicts RUPERT asking for lighter fluid before entering a boarded-up Sprint store located on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. RUPERT canvassed the store and eventually entered a backroom while telling others that he had located a store safe. RUPERT and others then knocked several boxes into a pile on the ground. RUPERT sprayed the pile of boxes with lighter fluid and another individual—at the time a juvenile and acting at RUPERT’S direction—lit the pile on fire. RUPERT fled the building and stated, “I lit it on fire!” The store sustained damage as a result of the fire.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Minneapolis Field Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the FBI Chicago Field Office, the FBI Springfield Field Office, and the Chicago Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela M. Munoz and Jordan L. Sing.

Defendant Information:

MATTHEW LEE RUPERT, 28

Galesburg, Ill.

Convicted:

• Arson, 1 count

 

###

 

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced a federal indictment charging JEREMIAH LEE IRONROPE, 24, and KRISANNE MARIE BENJAMIN, 25, with multiple carjackings occurring across the Twin Cities. IRONROPE was also charged with using, carrying and brandishing a firearm, during and in relation to a crime of violence, during one of the carjackings. IRONROPE made his initial appearance today before Magistrate Judge Becky Thorson in U.S. District Court. BENJAMIN made her initial appearances in U.S. District Court on March 25, 2021.

According to the allegations in the indictment, on July 26, 2020, IRONROPE and BENJAMIN, using force, violence, and intimidation, with the intent to cause serious bodily harm, stole a 2008 Lexus ES350. On August 7, 2020, IRONROPE and BENJAMIN, using force, violence, and intimidation, with the intent to cause serious bodily harm, stole a 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe. On August 28, 2020, IRONROPE and BENJAMIN, using force, violence, and intimidation, with the intent to cause serious bodily harm, stole a 2017 Audi A4. On December 20, 2020, IRONROPE, using force, violence, and intimidation, with the intent to cause serious bodily harm, stole a 2015 GMC Terrain. During the August 28 carjacking incident, IRONROPE brandished a firearm, namely a Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun, with a sawed-off barrel.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the St. Paul Police Department, the Maple Grove Police Department, the Richfield Police Department, the Edina Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, and the Minnesota State Patrol.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan H. Nelson.

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defendant Information:

JEREMIAH LEE IRONROPE, 24

Minneapolis, Minn.

Charges:

• Carjacking, 4 counts
• Using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, 1 count

 

KRISANNE MARIE BENJAMIN, 25

Minneapolis, Minn.

Charges:

• Carjacking, 3 counts

 

###

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced federal charges against BRANDON MARCEL THOMAS, 33, for illegal possession of firearms. THOMAS made his initial appearance on April 1, 2021, before Magistrate Judge Becky Thorson in U.S. District Court. Earlier today, Magistrate Judge Thorson ordered THOMAS to remain in custody pending further proceedings.

According to the allegations in the criminal complaint, in March 2021, Minneapolis Police officers received information that THOMAS was engaged in drug and firearms trafficking. Officers executed a search warrant at a storage locker in Minneapolis that had been leased by THOMAS since approximately October 2020. Officers recovered from the storage locker a suitcase with a luggage tag in THOMAS’s name showing travel on February 28, 2021, from Las Vegas to Minneapolis. Officers also recovered approximately 1,050 Oxycodone pills and seven firearms, including a rifle and six pistols.

Because THOMAS has prior felony convictions, including a 2009 carjacking conviction in the District of Minnesota, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Steinkamp.

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

Defendant Information:

BRANDON MARCEL THOMAS, 33

Minneapolis, Minn.

Charges:

• Felon in possession of firearms, 1 count

 

###

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced the sentencing of ALEXZANDER MICHAEL CARNEAL, 29, to 151 months in prison for distributing child pornography. CARNEAL, who pleaded guilty on November 30, 2020, was sentenced today before Judge Susan Richard Nelson in U.S. District Court.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, CARNEAL used GigaTribe to acquire and trade diaper erotica and other sexually explicit content involving minors. On multiple occasions between May and June 2019, CARNEAL exchanged messages with an undercover federal agent. CARNEAL also stated to the undercover agent that he had a large collection of child pornography and diaper content, which CARNEAL made available for distribution.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by FBI Minneapolis, FBI New York, and the Plymouth Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie E. Allyn.

Defendant Information:                                                                                                    

ALEXZANDER MICHAEL CARNEAL, 29

Plymouth, Minn.

Convicted:

• Distribution of child pornography, 1 count

Sentenced:

• 151 months in prison
• 20 years of supervised release
• Restitution ordered – amount to be determined at a later date

 

###

 

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

 

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced a federal criminal complaint charging THOMAS WILDER MOSELEY, 29, with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. MOSELEY will make his initial appearance on March 31, 2021, before Magistrate Judge Becky Thorson in U.S. District Court.

According to the allegations in the criminal complaint, on August 15, 2020, a protest took place at the Minneapolis Police Department’s 5th Precinct building in south Minneapolis. The event became violent and destructive when individuals began throwing rocks and other objects, breaking windows, firing mortar-type fireworks at the building and at officers stationed on the roof, spray painting the building, and using paint to obscure the video surveillance cameras. After reviewing video surveillance footage, investigators were able to identify MOSELEY as one of the individuals who was spray painting the front windows of the building. The building sustained several thousand dollars’ worth of damages a result of the incident.

According to the allegations in the criminal complaint, on October 15, 2020, MOSELEY was present inside the Hennepin County Government Center where protesters had gathered during a court appearance for the four former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd. Hennepin County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested MOSELEY on probable cause based on his involvement in the August 15 incident. At the time of his arrest, MOSELEY was carrying a loaded handgun. MOSELEY was subsequently charged in Hennepin County District Court with possessing a dangerous weapon within a courthouse complex, a felony.

According to the allegations in the criminal complaint, following MOSELEY’s arrest, Minneapolis Police officers executed a search warrant at MOSELEY’s residence in Blaine, Minnesota, and recovered two firearms, more than 1,400 rounds of ammunition, 96 grams of marijuana, and other drug paraphernalia. Officers also obtained a search warrant for MOSELEY’s Toyota Tacoma, which was parked in downtown Minneapolis near the Government Center. Among other things, officers recovered from the vehicle five firearms, a large amount of ammunition, a hatchet, a crowbar, gas masks, and controlled substances, including marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, and cocaine.

According to the allegations in the criminal complaint, while investigating MOSELEY for criminal damage to property at the 5th Precinct, officers observed on several occasions MOESLEY smoking marijuana. Following MOSELEY’s arrest on October 15, he was booked and held at the Hennepin County jail, where personnel ordered that he be given a bottom bunk for the first seven days due to “unknown medical” precautions and drug withdrawal symptoms.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amber M. Brennan.

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

Defendant Information:

THOMAS WILDER MOSELEY, 29

Blaine, Minn.

Charges:

• Possessing firearms and ammunition while being an unlawful user of, and addicted to, controlled substances, 1 count

 

###

 

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

 

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced federal charges against two men in separate child sexual abuse cases occurring on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. The defendants, KEITH ALLEN EHRICH, 38, and KORY PAUL LUSSIER, 24, made their initial appearances earlier today before Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz in U.S. District Court.

According to the allegations in the indictment against EHRICH, between August 2017 and October 11, 2020, EHRICH knowingly engaged in the sexual abuse of a minor.

According to the allegations in the criminal complaint against LUSSIER, between August 2, 2014 and September 20, 2020, LUSSIER knowingly engaged in the sexual abuse of a minor.

These cases are the result of investigations conducted by the Red Lake Department of Public Safety and the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander D. Chiquoine.

The charges contained in the indictment and the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defendant Information:

KEITH ALLEN EHRICH, 38

Red Lake, Minn.

Charges:

• Sexual abuse of a minor, 1 count
• Abusive sexual contact with a child, 1 count

 

KORY PAUL LUSSIER, 24

Red Lake, Minn.

Charges:

• Aggravated sexual abuse of a child, 1 count
• Abusive sexual contact with child, 1 count
• Sexual abuse of a minor, 1 count

 

###

 

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced charges against 13 defendants in a multi-million dollar health care fraud conspiracy. The defendants made their initial appearances yesterday before Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz in U.S. District Court.

According to the allegations in two separate indictments, 13 defendants are charged with participating in a scheme to defraud the Medicaid program. The scheme involved mental health practitioners and interpreters who were associated with Live Better, LLC, a patient services company with offices in Roseville and Minneapolis, and Multicultural Counseling Clinic (“MMCC”), a counseling clinic with offices in St. Paul, Brooklyn Park, and Burnsville. As part of the scheme, the health practitioners and interpreters would submit fraudulent claims through their respective employers for services purportedly provided to Medicaid recipients. In reality, neither the mental health services nor the ancillary interpretation services were rendered. Some defendants participated in this scheme for nearly three years. As a result of the false and fraudulent claims, the Medicaid program paid Live Better and MMCC a total of more than $5.4 million.

The two separate indictments charge defendants OKACH OKWAYOO KWOT, 51, ELIJAH S. KOLLIE, 62, ABDIRAHMAN YONIS, 33, ALPHONSO VASCO JOHNSON, 58, ILYAS ABDI FARAH, 38, ANAB ARTAN AWAD, 50, AYAN ALI MOHAMUD, 41, ELIFAA HENRY KINYAIYA, 45, VARBAR B. KANNEH, 30, ESKENDER M. YOUSUF, 39, HODAN ABDI HASHI, 52, OMAR ALI OSMAN, 28, and UBAH HASSAN HAGI, 43, with conspiracy and wire fraud.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Minnesota Attorney General Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela M. Munoz.

The charges contained in the indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defendant Information:

OKACH OKWAYOO KWOT, 51

Columbia Heights, Minn.

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
• Wire fraud, 3 counts

 

ELIJAH S. KOLLIE, 62

Robbinsdale, Minn.

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
• Wire fraud, 2 counts

 

ABDIRAHMAN YONIS, 33

Bloomington, Minn.

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
• Wire fraud, 2 counts

 

ALPHONSO VASCO JOHNSON, 58

Oakdale, Minn.

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
• Wire fraud, 2 counts

ILYAS ABDI FARAH, 38

St. Louis Park, Minn.

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
• Wire fraud, 2 counts

 

ANAB ARTAN AWAD, 50

Plymouth, Minn.

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
• Wire fraud, 2 counts

 

AYAN ALI MOHAMUD, 41

St. Paul, Minn.

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
• Wire fraud, 2 counts

 

ELIFAA HENRY KINYAIYA, 45

Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
• Wire fraud, 2 counts

 

VARBAR B. KANNEH, 30

New Brighton, Minn.

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
• Wire fraud, 2 counts

 

ESKENDER M. YOUSUF, 39

Maple Grove, Minn.

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
• Wire fraud, 2 counts

 

HODAN ABDI HASHI, 52

Woodbury, Minn.

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
• Wire fraud, 2 counts

 

OMAR ALI OSMAN, 28

Eagan, Minn.

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
• Wire fraud, 2 counts

 

UBAH HASSAN HAGI, 43

Eagan, Minn.

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
• Wire fraud, 2 counts

 

 

###

 

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

 

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced the sentencing of PHILLIP ARLAN KOONTZ, 53, to 20 years in prison for distributing child pornography. KOONTZ, who pleaded guilty on January 22, 2020, was sentenced yesterday afternoon by Judge Joan N. Ericksen in U.S. District Court.

“The sexual exploitation of children is a heinous crime, one deserving of a lengthy prison sentence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk. “Here in Minnesota we are fortunate to have dedicated federal, state, and local investigators who are committed to seeking justice for those who abuse and exploit innocent children.”

“This repeat offender will spend the next 20 years behind bars,” said Jamie Holt, acting special agent in charge of HSI St. Paul. “Community safety is our top priority and hopefully this lengthy sentence will give peace of mind to his victims and their families. HSI special agents will continue to work with our Minnesota law enforcement partners, like the Austin police, to relentlessly pursue child predators and ensure they are brought to justice.”

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, on April 30, 2018, KOONTZ began chatting online with an undercover federal agent who was posing as a 13-year-old girl. KOONTZ sent to the agent multiple images containing sexually explicit content involving minors, falsely representing that the images were of KOONTZ’s daughters and her friends. KOONTZ also possessed 478 sexually explicit images depicting minors, including prepubescent minors. KOONTZ has a previous felony conviction in Mower County for criminal sexual conduct in the second degree.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Austin Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Manda M. Sertich.

Defendant Information:                                                                                                    

PHILLIP ARLAN KOONTZ, 53

Austin, Minn.

Convicted:

• Distribution of child pornography, 1 count

Sentenced:

• 240 months in prison
• 20 years of supervised release

 

###

 

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced a 16-count federal indictment charging JARED JOHN FIEGE, 34, with fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegal possession of firearms. FIEGE will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court at a later date.

According to the allegations in the indictment, from at least April 2020 through August 2020, FIEGE devised and executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief through Unemployment Insurance (UI) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program. As part of the scheme, FIEGE submitted fraudulent applications for UI benefits and EIDL assistance by using stolen names, birth dates, and social security numbers of at least 25 individuals. In applying for EIDL assistance and advances, FIEGE also invented fictional business entities, which he linked to the identities of real persons without their knowledge or consent. FIEGE possessed multiple cell phones and registered numerous email addresses which he used to impersonate others. FIEGE also impersonated others by using fraudulent passports as a means of identity verification. FIEGE established false bank accounts and requested bank cards to be issued by mail, allowing him to withdraw significant amounts of cash from those accounts.

According to the allegations in the indictment, FIEGE illegally possessed two firearms, namely a Glock 43, 9 mm handgun and a Sig Sauer handgun. Because he has prior felony convictions, FIEGE is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Duluth Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp.

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

Defendant Information:

JARED JOHN FIEGE, 34

Duluth, Minn.

Charges:

• Mail fraud, 5 counts
• Wire fraud, 4 counts
• Bank fraud, 2 counts
• Aggravated identity theft, 4 counts
• Felon in possession of a firearm, 1 count

 

###

 

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

 

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced the guilty pleas of ERIC JAY WECKWORTH-PINEDA, 25, and TANNER JOHN SIK, 21, to one count each of negligent discharge of a pollutant. WECKWORTH-PINEDA and SIK, who were charged by misdemeanor information on October 8, 2020, pleaded guilty before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis in U.S. District Court. Sentencing dates will be scheduled at a later time.

“The reckless behavior of these defendants led to significant damage to the Magellan Pipeline and subsequent release to the Yellow Medicine River,” said Jennifer Lynn, Special Agent in Charge of the EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Minnesota. “EPA will continue to hold individuals responsible for their environmental violations and the resulting harm.”

According to the defendants’ guilty pleas and documents filed with the court, on April 24, 2019, WECKWORTH-PINEDA and SIK traveled to the northwest side of Cottonwood Lake in Lyon County, Minnesota, to a bridge that spans a dam between Cottonwood Lake and a creek called Judicial Ditch 24, which flows into the Yellow Medicine River. WECKWORTH-PINEDA and SIK took guns to the bridge to shoot. SIK used a DPMS AR-15 rifle to fire multiple shots at a diesel fuel pipeline that runs perpendicular across Judicial Ditch 24. WECKWERTH-PINEDA used the scope on his own rifle to spot SIK’s shots. WECKWORTH-PINEDA and SIK admit that multiple shots hit the pipeline and one shot ruptured the pipe. Later that day, WECKWORTH-PINEDA and SIK returned to the area and saw that the pipeline was leaking and reported the leak to the authorities.

According to the defendants’ guilty pleas and documents filed with the court, the owner of the pipeline, Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P., claimed that the pipe’s rupture caused at least 3,906 gallons of diesel fuel to spill into Judicial Ditch 24 at a cost of approximately $1,122,617.64 to clean up the spill and repair the pipeline. The Environmental Protection Agency also expended $16,154.42 in assisting in the clean-up operation. WECKWORTH-PINEDA and SIK each face up to one year in prison and are liable for up to $1,138,772.06 in restitution.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lyon County Attorney’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Polachek is prosecuting the case.

Defendant Information:

ERIC JAY WECKWORTH-PINEDA, 25

Cottonwood, Minn.

Convicted:

• Negligent discharge of a pollutant, 1 count

 

TANNER JOHN SIK, 21

Ivanhoe, Minn.

Convicted:

• Negligent discharge of a pollutant, 1 count

 

 

###

 

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced the guilty plea of JENNIFER LYNN BOUTTO, 32, to one count of embezzlement and theft of Tribal funds. BOUTTO, who was charged by felony information on December 14, 2020, pleaded guilty this morning before Judge Eric C. Tostrud in U.S. District Court. A sentencing date will be scheduled at a later time.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, in 2008, BOUTTO began working as a reservationist at the Fortune Bay Resort Casino, which is owned and operated by the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. BOUTTO later received a promotion to Front Desk Supervisor, a position that allowed her to issue cash refunds without direct supervision. Between January 2013 and October 2019, BOUTTO used her position at Fortune Bay to steal money by issuing false cash refunds against the invoices of previous Fortune Bay customers. BOUTTO would then access the Fortune Bay vault and retrieve the falsely refunded amount. In total, BOUTTO executed the scheme 2,994 times and stole $315,739.87.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, with significant assistance from the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa.

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

Defendant Information:

JENNIFER LYNN BOUTTO, 32

Orr, Minn.

Convicted:

• Embezzlement and theft of Tribal funds, 1 count

 

 

###

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

 

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced the sentencing of ROBERT JOHN HAGER, 70, a former bank CEO, to 18 months in prison for making a false entry in bank records. HAGER, who pleaded guilty on May 18, 2020, was sentenced earlier today by Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, HAGER was the CEO of Border State Bank (“Border”) and served as a director of the bank’s holding company, Border Bancshares, Inc. HAGER also held various executive positions in banks that Border Bancshares, Inc. acquired, including the former First State Bank of Clearbrook and the former First Advantage Bank. In late 2015 and early 2016, HAGER loaned money to a bank customer to invest in a diamond and gold venture in Liberia, Ghana, and Kenya that promised a quick return. After he depleted his own personal funds on the investment and maxed out the amount he could borrow from the bank, HAGER asked other individuals, including bank customers, shareholders, and directors of the bank to lend him money, which would enable HAGER to recover his personal funds.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, between 2016 and 2017, HAGER requested a series of loans by having Border bank customers take out loans in their own names, or draw from loans they already had, and then transfer the funds to HAGER. In May 2016, HAGER issued three unauthorized Standby Letters of Credit (SBLCs) worth $1.6 million to facilitate the purchase and delivery of diamonds and gold from Africa. In each instance, Hager issued the SBLC on the letterhead of First Advantage Bank and signed the letter as CEO of First Advantage. Letters of Credit are considered obligations of a bank, and they can impact a bank’s financial standing.  Such obligations must be entered into the bank’s general ledger so that they can be accounted for and tracked by regulators. In order to conceal his actions, HAGER failed to report the SBLCs to bank personnel so that they could be logged into the bank’s system.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Office of Inspector General for the Federal Reserve Board, the Office of Inspector General for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the FBI.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amber M. Brennan.

Defendant Information:                                                                                                    

ROBERT JOHN HAGER, 70

Greenbush, Minn.

Convicted:

• Making false entries in bank records, 1 count

Sentenced:

• 18 months in prison
• Two years of supervised release

 

###

 

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

 

United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the guilty pleas of eleven additional defendants for their roles in a $300 million telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted elderly and other vulnerable victims. The defendants, who were indicted on October 27, 2020, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count each of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

According to their guilty pleas and documents filed with the court, the defendants participated in the fraud scheme in various roles, including telemarketers, call center managers, or magazine company owners. The defendants used, or directed their co-defendants to use, fraudulent sales scripts to defraud victim-consumers, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable, out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The fraudulent sales scripts were designed to induce consumers, through a series of lies and misrepresentations, into making large or repeat payments to the companies.

JANNICE KRISTINA LAUR, 39, the manager of a telemarketing call center in Pompano Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty on February 26, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud before Senior Judge David S. Doty in U.S. District Court. As part of her guilty plea, LAUR agreed to pay $100,000 in restitution to all identified victims in this and related cases.

VASEAN BERIOISOVA RICKS, 53, a telemarketer at a call center in Oxford, Mississippi, pleaded guilty on February 26, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud before Senior Judge David S. Doty in U.S. District Court. As part of her guilty plea, RICKS agreed to pay $15,000 in restitution to all identified victims in this and related cases.

JARED THOMAS MICHELIZZI, 37, the owner and operator of fraudulent magazine sales companies in Fridley, Minnesota, and San Diego, California, , pleaded guilty on February 25, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud before Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson in U.S. District Court. As part of his guilty plea, MICHELIZZI agreed to pay $22,076,363 in restitution to all identified victims in this and related cases.

JAMES ANTHONY SIERRA, 55, the manager of telemarketing call centers in Tempe, Arizona, pleaded guilty on February 22, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud before Senior Judge David S. Doty in U.S. District Court. As part of his guilty plea, SIERRA agreed to pay $100,000 in restitution to all identified victims in this and related cases.

DANIEL MATHIAS, 62, the owner and operator of an Oxford, Mississippi-based company involved in fraudulent magazine sales, pleaded guilty on February 17, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud before Senior Judge David S. Doty in U.S. District Court. As part of his guilty plea, MATHIAS agreed to pay $2,746,547 in restitution to all identified victims in this and related cases.

LLOYD JOSEPH LOFTIS, 60, the manager of a telemarketing call center in Cape Coral, Florida, pleaded guilty on January 28, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud before Senior Judge David S. Doty in U.S. District Court. As part of his guilty plea, LOFTIS agreed to pay $50,000 in restitution to all identified victims in this and related cases.

CORLOS KENTRELL SMITH, 41, a telemarketer at a call center in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, pleaded guilty on January 5, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud before Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson in U.S. District Court. As part of his guilty plea, SMITH agreed to pay $15,000 in restitution to all identified victims in this and related cases.

IRMA BEATRICE TIMMERMAN, 47, an owner and operator of Arizona-based companies involved in fraudulent magazine sales, pleaded guilty on December 16, 2020, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud before Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson in U.S. District Court. As part of her guilty plea, TIMMERMAN agreed to pay $1,853,293 in restitution to all identified victims in this and related cases.

RONALD OLLO COLEMAN, 59, an owner and operator of Georgia-based companies involved in fraudulent magazine sales, pleaded guilty on December 16, 2020, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud before Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson in U.S. District Court. As part of his guilty plea, COLEMAN agreed to pay $1,762,912 in restitution to all identified victims in this and related cases.

JOHN MICHAEL BLALOCK, 53, the owner and manager of a fraudulent magazine sales company in Cape Coral, Florida, pleaded guilty on December 11, 2020, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud before Senior Judge David S. Doty in U.S. District Court. As part of his guilty plea, BLALOCK agreed to pay $100,000 in restitution to all identified victims in this and related cases.

SHARON DENISE MCEWEN, 54, a telemarketer at a cell center in Oxford, Mississippi, pleaded guilty on December 9, 2020, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud before Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson in U.S. District Court. As part of her guilty plea, MCEWEN agreed to pay $15,000 in restitution to all identified victims in this and related cases.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has set up website containing additional information about the case, including information about how victims of the fraud scheme can submit claims for restitution. The website is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/magazine-scam-victim-information

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Additional assistance was provided by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, and Melinda A. Williams are prosecuting the case.

 

###

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

 

On February 28, 2021, United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald will step down as United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota. After her departure, First Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk will assume the role of Acting U.S. Attorney.

“My highest priority as U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota has always been safety and security of the individuals, families, and communities of this great state and nation,” said U.S. Attorney MacDonald. “Serving as the United States Attorney has been my great honor and privilege. I have always been and continue to be humbled and inspired by the women and men of this office whose dedication to the pursuit of truth and justice is unwavering.”

“We Minnesotans have been very fortunate to have Erica MacDonald serve as our United States Attorney for the last three years. Erica has been a leader in the fight for justice and a great working partner to the Minnesota Attorney General’s office: she’s taken initiative, been responsive, and shown up every time we’ve needed her. She’s been a champion for Minnesotans trying to afford their lives and a leader in the fight against consumer fraud. At start of the pandemic, Erica took the initiative to found the Minnesota COVID-19 Action Team that brought together both of our offices, county attorneys, and federal, state, and local law enforcement to ensure that we were all working together to protect Minnesotans from scams, fraud, and abuse as we navigated America’s deadliest public-health crisis in a century. She provided determined, rock-solid leadership at a time when Minnesotans needed it most — and characteristically, did it not to get credit or praise, but because it was the right thing to do,” said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. “Erica MacDonald has earned Minnesotans’ respect, and I’m grateful for her partnership and her friendship. She’s talented, gifted, and cares about people, so wherever she goes next, she’s sure to be well appreciated and very successful. I wish her the best.”

“As I think back to my time as the special agent in charge of the Minneapolis Division, working with Erica McDonald is one of the highlights of that part of my FBI career.  From the day I attended her swearing in, I saw Erica’s dedication to the law, and her unwavering commitment to making Minnesota a better and safter place to live and raise a family,” said FBI Assistant Director for Counterterrorism Jill Sanborn. “All of our Federal partners appreciated her leadership in leading what we called the federal family in Minnesota, where we worked to build on the strong foundation of trust and partnership that the public expects from its law enforcement leaders. I’ve often said that the strongest partnerships often lead to lasting friendships, and I’m proud not only call Erica a colleague, but a friend as well.”

“United States Attorney Erica MacDonald on countless occasions during her tenure showed her care and support to the residents and businesses in the city of Minneapolis. U.S. Attorney MacDonald was an active leader in public safety assisting the Minneapolis Police Department in addressing violent crime and lead a task force last year that brought resources to keep our city safe,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo. “She also recognized the importance in trying to steer young people away from making bad decisions that could harm them and our communities. She was a key member of our local Group Violence Intervention (GVI) program and met regularly with our city’s African American Faith leadership. As Chief of the Minneapolis Police Department I want to thank U.S. Attorney MacDonald for her honorable and dedicated service to public safety and the citizens of Minneapolis.”

Since June 11, 2018, Ms. MacDonald has served as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the District of Minnesota. During her tenure, Ms. MacDonald lead an office of approximately 130 employees, including 18 new Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 17 new support staff she hired. The

Office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, representing the United States in affirmative and defensive civil cases, and assisting communities throughout Minnesota in appropriate crime prevention and community-building efforts.

Under Ms. MacDonald’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prioritized the prosecution of violent crime and narcotics, public safety in Indian Country, prosecutions of child exploitation and human trafficking cases, cybercrime investigations and prosecutions, and national security cases. Ms. MacDonald also led impactful outreach connected to cases involving child victims and human trafficking victims a priority of her work as U.S. Attorney.

In addition to outreach and prosecutions, during her tenure, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recovered more than $36 million in restitution for victims of crime, vigorously defended the government in numerous civil actions, reenforced law enforcement partnerships, and sought to enhance public safety through community engagement. A few of the many significant achievements of the Office during Ms. MacDonald’s tenure include:

• On December 9, 2020, Michael Hari was convicted of hate crimes and civil rights violations for his role in the 2017 bombing of the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. Ms. MacDonald described the conviction as a condemnation of hatred and ignorance, and an affirmation of our fundamental right to live and worship free from the threat of violence and discrimination.
• Ms. MacDonald took an aggressive approach to combating child exploitation, human trafficking and the growing epidemic of sextortion, a form of cybercrime involving the extortion of vulnerable victims, often minors, by disseminating or threatening to disseminate sexually explicit content. The Office brought several successful sextortion prosecutions and held multiple community education and outreach events around the state to help build awareness about this heinous crime.
• Ms. MacDonald’s passion for fighting for the safety and protection of vulnerable individuals extended to elderly populations who are often the targets of scam artists. On October 28, 2020, the Office brought criminal conspiracy charges against 60 defendants for their roles in a $300 million nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted senior citizens. To date, the Office has secured 24 guilty pleas in these cases. Under Ms. MacDonald’s leadership the Office also hosted roundtables and trainings with stakeholders focused on reporting and combatting elder abuse.
• In September of 2019, Ms. MacDonald was appointed by Attorney General William P. Barr to be a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC is a group of 15 U.S. Attorneys who advise the Attorney General on matters of policy and substantive issues affecting the Justice Department. Ms. MacDonald also served as the co-chair of the AGAC’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Working Group.
• In January of 2020, Attorney General William P. Barr appointed Ms. MacDonald to the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice. The purpose of the Commission was to conduct a modern study of the state of American policing and determine specific measures to reduce crime and promote the rule of law.
• In accordance with one of her top priorities, Ms. MacDonald increased the number of prosecutors and support staff assigned to the violent crime and narcotics section. Under the Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) initiative, Ms. MacDonald worked in close partnership with local organizations, federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and prosecutors to ensure the most significant violent crime problems facing the district were addressed through enforcement actions, treatment options, and prevention efforts.
• Under Ms. MacDonald’s leadership, the Office’s PSN strategy focused on the reduction of gang and group violence within the Twin Cities. As part of that strategy the Office continued its active partnership in the City of Minneapolis’ Group Violence Intervention (GVI) Initiative, which consists of a cohesive partnership between local government, state, and federal law enforcement, community leaders, and social service providers who seek to improve public safety by challenging the peer dynamics in violent street groups in Minneapolis. Working with community organizations and leadership and based on the evidence-based successes seen in the Minneapolis GVI, the Office supported the development of a Group Violence Intervention in St. Paul. The Office further supported programmatic planning to reduce recidivism rates and assist in reentry for violent crime and drug offenders, within the City of Duluth.
• In the summer of 2020, Ms. MacDonald stood up a Twin Cities Violent Crime Task Force to marshal federal and state resources in response to an extraordinary spike in gun violence and violent crime.
• During her tenure, Ms. MacDonald committed additional resources to enhancing public safety and prosecuting crimes in Indian Country, including appointing two Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys (SAUSAs) and a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Coordinator. These resources have increased the Office’s ability to address the violent crime that disproportionately impacts Native Americans, particularly women and children.
• The Office’s Civil Division continued its enforcement of federal civil rights statutes, including the ADA, Fair Housing Act, and servicemember rights’ statutes. The Civil Division has a robust program supporting DOJ’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative, which included trainings with community and local housing organizations and a sexual harassment lawsuit against several Minneapolis rental properties. In addition, the Civil Division defended more than 1,200 lawsuits challenging policies and actions of the executive branch with excellent results.
• During her tenure, the Civil Division’s Financial Litigation Unit successfully collected more than $36 million in criminal restitution payments for victims of crime and another $25 million in civil recoveries for the United States. Many of the civil recoveries were the result of civil investigations, litigation, and settlement in False Claims Act and other federal fraud statutes enforced by the Civil Division.
• Ms. MacDonald also oversaw the establishment and expansion and of a training and mentorship program for new Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and an employee wellness program.

 

###

 

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

 

 

United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of CURTIS BRENT CARICO, 46, to an additional three months in prison for attempting to obtain a controlled substance in prison. CARICO, who pleaded guilty on September 9, 2020, was sentenced earlier today by Judge Eric C. Tostrud in U.S. District Court.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, CARICO was an inmate at the Sandstone Federal Correctional Institution (Sandstone) on January 24, 2020, when he attempted to obtain synthetic cannabinoid, a prohibited Schedule 1 controlled substance. In order to bypass security protocols, CARICO conspired with a co-defendant to have a magazine mailed to him at Sandstone that contained a page that had been soaked with liquid synthetic cannabinoid.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea A. Walcker.

Defendant Information:                                                                                                    

CURTIS BRENT CARICO, 46

Inmate at Sandstone FCI

Convicted:

• Attempting to obtain contraband in prison, 1 count

Sentenced:

• Three months in prison

 

###

 

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a felony information charging MARYANN HELEN STOFFEL, 70, of Hastings, Minn., with one count of wire fraud. STOFFEL will make her initial appearance before a Judge in U.S. District Court at a later date.

According to the allegations in the information, from December 2012 through October 2020, STOFFEL used her position as the Clerk of the Township of Vermillion, an elected position, to misappropriate more than $650,000 of Township funds. Although, in her role as Clerk, STOFFEL had signature authority over the Township’s bank account, Township checks required at least two signatures. As part of the fraud scheme, STOFFEL, at times, forged the signatures of the Township’s Treasurer and the Chairman of the Township Board on Township checks. At other times, STOFFEL solicited signatures from the Township’s Treasurer and the Chairman of the Township Board on blank Township checks by falsely representing that she would use the checks to pay the Township’s bills. Instead of using the funds to pay the Township’s bills, STOFFEL transferred the funds to her personal bank account for her own use and benefit. STOFFEL concealed her fraud from the Township and from the State of Minnesota by excluding the unauthorized payments to herself on the Township’s annual report.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Svendsen is prosecuting the case.

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

Defendant Information:

MARYANN HELEN STOFFEL, 70

Hastings, Minn.

Charges:

• Wire fraud, 1 count

 

 

###

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

 

United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the arrest of JOSE ANGEL FELAN, JR., 34, and MENA DHAYA YOUSIF, 22, for their roles in multiple arsons on May 28, 2020. FELAN and YOUSIF were detained on February 15, 2021, in Mexico by Mexican authorities for immigration violations after the U.S. Marshals Service located them. A superseding indictment charges FELAN with three counts of arson and YUSIF with being an accessory after the fact. FELAN and YOUSIF made their initial appearances on February 17, 2021, before a Magistrate Judge in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of California. The defendants were ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing on February 23, 2021.

“Thanks to the skilled investigative work of the ATF and the tireless apprehension efforts of the U.S. Marshals Service these two defendants, who have been on the run for more than eight months, will be returned to Minnesota to face justice,” said U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald.

According to the allegations in the superseding indictment, on May 28, 2020, FELAN maliciously damaged and destroyed by means of fire the Goodwill retail store, the Gordon Parks High School, and the 7 Mile Sportswear store, all of which were located on University Avenue in St. Paul. YOUSIF assisted FELAN in preventing his apprehension by law enforcement.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the St. Paul Police Department, the St. Paul Fire Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division. The fugitive apprehension efforts were led by the U.S. Marshals Service.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda A. Williams and Emily Polachek.

The charges contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defendant Information:

JOSE ANGEL FELAN, JR., 34

Rochester, Minn.

Charges:

• Arson, 3 counts

 

MENA DHAYA YOUSIF, 22

Rochester, Minn.

Charges:

• Accessory after the fact (arson), 1 count

 

###

 

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600