District of Minnesota
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Federal Prison Nurse Sentenced for False Statements Relating to Her Relationship with an InmateRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – Jessica Lynn Larson, age 38, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to six months imprisonment followed by a year of supervised release for one count of false statements, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
While working as a nurse at FMC Rochester, Larson had a compromising sexual relationship with an inmate. Larson and the inmate exchanged sexually explicit love letters in which they professed their love for one another and discussed various sexual acts. In April 2024, Larson and the inmate had a sexual encounter. Sexual relationships between staff and inmates are prohibited due to the power imbalance between them.
Shortly after, other nurses at FMC Rochester reported the inappropriate relationship. When confronted about the relationship, Larson falsely accused the inmate of sexually assaulting her, forcing her to engage in a “fantasy” relationship, and threatening to hurt her children if she refused or reported the conduct. Bureau of Prisons staff members later found the love letters they exchanged proving Larson was lying.
Moreover, several months later after being placed on administrative leave, Larson drove to Ohio from which she sent another love letter to the inmate who had been moved to another prison location.
“The DOJ-OIG’s commitment to rooting out inappropriate relationships within correctional facilities is paramount. Such misconduct frequently facilitates contraband smuggling and bribery, directly compromising the safety of both staff and inmates,” said OIG Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Nutt.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanne Semivan prosecuted the case.
Alleged Latin Kings gang member arrested on federal charges after stealing rifle from FBI vehicleRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A prior convicted felon was charged in a criminal complaint today with being a felon in possession of a firearm and theft of government property after breaking into an FBI vehicle and stealing a rifle, announced United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
Rosen was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Travis S. Riddle, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives St. Paul Field Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarrad Smith of FBI Minneapolis, Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito, Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigation St. Paul, and Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie, Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Field Division.
Charged was Raul Gutierrez, 33, of Minneapolis. Gutierrez is expected to make an initial appearance in federal court today.
United States Attorney Rosen stated, “Despite the incitement of violence against federal law enforcement by local officials, which resulted here in the theft of a firearm from an FBI vehicle and the destruction of government property, this United States Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice will always put the public safety of Americans first. This alleged gang member, who is a previously convicted felon, is a danger to the community and this case is an indictment of the weak-on-crime policies promoted by the Mayor and Governor.”
“This arrest underscores a simple truth. We will not tolerate individuals exploiting circumstances to engage in criminal activity,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle, of the St. Paul Field Division. “When criminal conduct results in a prohibited person unlawfully possessing a firearm, the risk to the public increases dramatically, and ATF will act accordingly. Taking advantage of any situation to endanger public safety or undermine the integrity of law enforcement will be met with swift and decisive action.”
“There is a clear, bright line between peaceful protest and lawless destruction," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarrad Smith of FBI Minneapolis. "Stealing, damaging, and destroying federal property endangers the community and jeopardizes the safe and peaceful exercise of First Amendment rights. The FBI will never tolerate interference in law enforcement activities. Together with ATF, DEA, and the invaluable partnership of all our federal, state, and local law enforcement allies, FBI Minneapolis will ensure public safety and that those engaging in violent and destructive behavior will be identified and will face justice.”
Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito of HSI St. Paul stated, "As alleged, this career criminal demonstrated a brazen and utterly unacceptable contempt for the sanctity of public safety and the American rule of law when he broke into a government vehicle and stole deadly weaponry, including a rifle and accessories. Public wellbeing must be non-negotiable — no political considerations or First Amendment rights should compromise the safety and stability of our communities, which descended into riots and chaos on Jan. 14. Standing side by side with our law enforcement partners, HSI is committed to investigating all criminal opportunists and bad actors seeking to exploit the public right to peacefully protest and, in turn, endanger our neighborhoods.”
“Gutierrez is known at DEA as a violent criminal with a history involving fentanyl and methamphetamine drug trafficking and distribution,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “In support of this investigation, DEA identified him as the individual seen breaking into an FBI vehicle on January 14. The combined efforts of federal law enforcement agencies and the Violent Offender Task Force led to the swift arrest and the removal of a Latin King member that instilled fear and pushed poisons into our communities.”
According to the criminal complaint, on January 14, 2026, members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation were assisting Department of Homeland Security officers as part of an ongoing federal operation in the Twin Cities, Minnesota metropolitan area. That evening, FBI personnel were operating on Minneapolis’s North Side in support of a DHS arrest operation that resulted in the use of force. As a result of the ensuing civil unrest, FBI and DHS personnel were forced to abandon their vehicles and property at the scene. Individuals in the crowd forced entry into an unmarked FBI vehicle and stole its contents. The contents included a Colt M16A1 rifle and a HUXWRX Suppressor, among other items.
Investigators with DHS and the Department of Justice (DOJ) promptly began an investigation to identify the individuals responsible for the theft and viewed numerous open-source social media posts and videos of the destruction and theft of government property. In one such video, investigators observed a male with a distinguishable facial tattoo, later identified as Gutierrez, remove a soft rifle case containing the Colt M16A1and HUXWRX suppressor from the trunk vault of the FBI vehicle that had just been broken into. Additional monitoring of open-source social media posts revealed another video that showed Gutierrez walking down the street carrying the soft rifle case and eventually place the rifle case in the backseat of a black Ford sedan.
The following morning, investigators with ATF and the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force (VOTF) established surveillance on Gutierrez’s residence. While at the residence, investigators observed a tow truck arrive and load a covered vehicle onto the back. A male wearing a face mask who matched Gutierrez’s height and weight entered the passenger side of the tow truck and departed. Investigators followed the tow truck for several minutes and during which the cover began to lift in the wind, revealing a black Ford sedan like the one identified in social media videos the previous night. Shortly thereafter, VOTF investigators attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the tow truck which resulted in the truck fleeing. The driver of the tow truck and Gutierrez both exited the truck and ran in different directions. Both the driver and Gutierrez were apprehended after a brief foot pursuit.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent. As a felony trial cannot be held on a complaint, a decision to seek an indictment will be made in the near future.
The case was investigated by the FBI, DHS, ATF, DEA and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Violent Offender Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Click here for a copy of the Criminal Complaint
United States Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Minnesota’s ‘Affirmative Action’ RegimeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division filed a lawsuit today against the State of Minnesota challenging Minnesota’s requirement that all state agencies implement sex- and race-based affirmative action plans and consider “affirmative action goals on all staffing and personnel decisions.” The State’s affirmative action program directs agencies to engage in employment practices that “balance” the sex and race composition of its workforce with the civilian labor force.
“From suing over sanctuary city policies to a wide-ranging fraud investigation, today's lawsuit is the Department of Justice's latest effort to bring Minnesota into compliance with federal law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Making hiring decisions based on immutable characteristics like race and sex is simple discrimination, and the Trump Administration has no tolerance for such DEI policies.”
“For far too long, courts have allowed employers to discriminate based on race and sex when it is packaged as ‘affirmative action,’” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Supreme Court put an end to using race as a factor in college admissions through its Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision. This case is the next logical step. Title VII protects all people from race and sex discrimination in employment. There is no exception that allows discrimination against employees who aren’t considered ‘underrepresented.’”
“Minnesotans already had to see their state officials let criminals brazenly walk off with over a billion taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota. “Now they see those same officials abusing their power by systematically and unlawfully branding jobseekers as the wrong race or sex. The United States Attorney General and the Justice Department are on the side of Minnesotans and have stepped in to hold the State accountable.”
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, alleges that this affirmative action mandate discriminates against, limits, and classifies employees and prospective employees on the basis of their race and sex in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). “Because staffing is a zero-sum game,” the complaint states, “when Minnesota gives preferences to employees or prospective employees on the basis of their race, color, national origin, and sex, it inevitably and necessarily discriminates against other employees or prospective employees because of their race, color, national origin, and sex.”
While the U.S. Supreme Court previously sanctioned the consideration of race and sex in hiring for “traditionally segregated job categories,” the United States argues such outdated precedents are inconsistent with both the text of Title VII and subsequent Supreme Court caselaw.
United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi certified this case as a matter of general public importance. This designation invokes a provision of Title VII that entitles the United States to expedited review by a three-judge district court and direct appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
The filing can be read here.
Forest Lake Man Indicted with Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Damien William Quinn, also known as Ryan William Shattuck, age 34, of Forest Lake, Minnesota, was arraigned on an indictment charging Quinn with four counts of Production of Child Pornography, two counts of Attempted Production of Child Pornography, one count of Receipt of Child Pornography, and five counts of Cyberstalking, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Mr. Quinn was ordered detained pending trial.
Damien Quinn owned multiple pseudonymous Snapchat and Instagram accounts that he used to “catfish” minor victims in order to receive sexually explicit photographs and videos. Quinn used these accounts to cyberstalk women who attended North Branch High School with him, claiming he had nude photos of them and sharing nude photos of one victim. Quinn also modified at least one photograph of a victim to make the victim appear nude. To date, law enforcement has identified eleven total victims of Quinn; six minors and five adults.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Forest Lake Police Department and the Eden Prairie Police Department.
Investigators believe there may be other victims relevant to this investigation. If you attended North Branch High School in North Branch, Minnesota, and have experienced suspicious online behavior from a known or unknown account, or if your child has reported being contacted online by an unknown account seeking sexually explicit material, contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
Assistant U.S. Attorney William C. Mattessich is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Cuban National Charged with Assaulting Federal Officers with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Juan Carlos Rodriguez Romero, age 54, has been charged by indictment with two counts of Assault on a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon and one count of Assault on a Federal Officer, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
On the morning of December 21, 2025, ICE deportation officers attempted to arrest Juan Carlos Rodriguez Romero in St. Paul, Minnesota. Rodriguez Romero is a citizen of Cuba and subject to removal. Uniformed ICE agents initiated a traffic stop of Rodriguez. Rodriguez refused to obey commands and attempted to flee in his car. While fleeing, Rodriguez accelerated his car towards ICE officers who were on foot. Rodriguez sped away but soon hit two parked cars and lost control of his vehicle. ICE officers attempted to apprehend Rodriguez Romero a second time. Rodriguez Romero again accelerated his car towards officers, one of whom fired his weapon towards Rodriguez Romero. Rodriguez Romero struck one officer while trying to flee during this second attempt. When ICE officers apprehended Rodriguez Romero, he bit one of the officers, drawing blood. Two ICE officers were transported to the hospital, suffering from bruised ribs, a dislocated finger, and a bite wound.
Rodriguez Romero is detained pending a detention hearing. If convicted, he faces up to twenty years in prison on the charge of Assault on a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Syngen Kanassatega is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Six Additional Defendants Charged, One Defendant Pleads Guilty in Ongoing Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Six additional defendants have been charged federally with participating in schemes to defraud the government in the Autism fraud scheme and the Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) fraud scheme. One defendant charged in the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) Autism scheme pled guilty today. And this morning, federal agents executed a search warrant relating to fraud in an additional state program, the Integrated Community Services (ICS) program, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
The EIDBI Autism Fraud Scheme
In the Autism fraud scheme, Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, age 27, has been charged by federal information with one count of wire fraud. As set forth in the information, Yussuf and others devised and carried out a scheme to defraud the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention benefit, a publicly funded Minnesota Health Care Program that offers medically necessary services to people under the age of 21 with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Yussuf was the President and CEO of Star Autism Center LLC.
From late 2020 through December 2024, Yussuf used Star Autism to carry out a scheme to defraud the EIDBI program. Star Autism purported to provide necessary one-on-one therapy to children with autism. In fact, Star Autism employed unqualified individuals as “behavioral technicians.” These behavioral technicians were often 18- or 19-year-old relatives, with no formal education beyond high school and no training or certifications related to the treatment of autism.
To run their fraud scheme, Yussuf and his partners needed children who had an autism diagnosis and an individual treatment plan. They approached parents in the Somali community to recruit their children into Star Autism. If a child did not have an autism diagnosis, Yussuf and his partners worked to get the recruited child qualified for autism services.
As a recruitment tactic to drive up enrollment, Star Autism paid monthly cash kickback payments to parents who enrolled their children to receive EIDBI services through Star Autism. The amount of these payments was contingent on the services DHS authorized a child to receive—the higher the authorization amount, the higher the kickback.
Yussuf and his partners submitted millions of dollars’ worth of claims for Medicaid reimbursement on behalf of Star Autism. Many of these claims were fraudulently inflated, billed without providers’ knowledge, and for services that were not actually provided. The cost of the kickback payments that Star Autism paid to parents were financed through Star Autism’s fraudulent billings to Medicaid.
Yussuf’s fraudulent scheme resulted in Star Autism obtaining more than $6 million in EIDBI reimbursement funds from Minnesota DHS and UCare. Yussuf shared in the proceeds of the fraud scheme with the other owners and investors in Star Autism. Among other things, Yussuf used more than $100,000 in fraud proceeds to purchase a freightliner semi-truck. He also sent more than $200,000 in fraud proceeds to Kenya.
In September 2025, Asha Farhan Hassan, age 28, was charged by federal information with wire fraud for her role in a $14 million Autism fraud scheme. Hassan was also charged with participating in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, for which she received $465,000. This morning, before United States District Judge David Doty, Hassan pled guilty to one count of wire fraud for her role in these schemes. Hassan will be sentenced at a later date.
The Housing Stabilization Services Fraud Scheme
In July 2020, Minnesota became the first state in the country to offer Medicaid coverage for Housing Stabilization Services. The Housing Stabilization Services Program is a Medical Assistance (that is, Medicaid) benefit designed to help people with disabilities, including seniors and people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders, find and maintain housing. By design, the HSS Program had low barriers to entry and minimal records requirements for reimbursement that combined to make the Program susceptible to fraud.
Before the HSS Program’s inaugural year, DHS predicted the HSS Program would cost about $2.6 million annually. That proved to be inaccurate. In 2021 alone, the HSS Program paid out more than $21 million in claims. That figure ballooned in the following years: $42 million in 2022, $74 million in 2023, and $104 million in 2024. In just the first six months of 2025, the Program paid out another $61 million.
In the Housing Stabilization Services fraud scheme, Anthony Waddell Jefferson, age 37, and Lester Brown, age 53, have both been charged by federal information with one count of wire fraud.
As set forth in the information, Jefferson and Brown devised and carried out a scheme to defraud Minnesota’s Housing Stability Services Program. Jefferson and Brown live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jefferson and Brown heard that Minnesota’s HSS Program was a good opportunity to make money. Jefferson, Brown, and three of their associates decided to become Minnesota HSS Providers, despite living on the other side of the country and having no network in or connections to Minnesota or its communities. Ultimately, their sole connection to Minnesota was their fraudulent participation in the Housing Stabilization Services Program.
Jefferson and Brown registered LLCs in Minnesota and participated in the Housing Stability Services Program as service providers. They were supposed to provide housing consulting, transitioning, and sustaining services to qualifying people in need. Instead, they defrauded the program.
Jefferson and Brown repeatedly flew together from Philadelphia to Minneapolis for the purpose of recruiting beneficiaries for their companies. They visited shelters and Section 8 housing facilities, marketing themselves as “The Housing Guys.” Jefferson hired family members and associates to work as his employees. At Jefferson’s direction, those employees created fake client notes purporting to document services provided. In some of that documentation, Jefferson invented fake employees whose names he used to sign off on client notes. Brown generally did not keep client notes, despite being required by Program rules to do so. When insurance representatives sought that documentation, Brown made up fake notes to satisfy the requests.
Jefferson and Brown submitted about $3.5 million in HSS claims for services purportedly provided to about 230 beneficiaries.
In the Housing Stabilization Services fraud scheme, Hassan Ahmed Hussein, age 28, and Ahmed Abdirashid Mohamed, age 27, have both been charged by federal indictment with one count of wire fraud.
As set forth in the indictment, Hussein and Mohamed owned and operated a company called Pristine Health LLC in St. Paul. Hussein and Mohamed registered Pristine Health with the Minnesota Secretary of State and then submitted paperwork to DHS to operate Pristine as an HSS provider. Hussein and Mohamed were supposed to provide housing consulting, transitioning, and sustaining services to qualifying people in need. Instead, and in furtherance of their fraud scheme, Hussein and Mohamed caused the submission of false claims information that significantly overrepresented the services they provided.
Hussein and Mohamed shared responsibilities for Pristine’s operations. They worked with another HSS Provider called Foundation First—which was in the business of generating fake HSS Program paperwork—to “consult” on many of Pristine’s purported beneficiaries. Pristine and Foundation First worked together to fabricate Housing Focused Plans for Pristine beneficiaries. Pristine then used those beneficiaries’ names to submit false claims to the HSS Program.
To further expand their operations, Hussein and Mohamed retained the services of another entity—Company 1—to find new beneficiaries whose names Pristine could use to bill the Program. Company 1 encouraged providers to use Company 1’s services to “grow [their] clientele,” “grow bigger than you are now,” and achieve “BIG profit.”
Hussein and Mohamed claimed to service nearly 100 different beneficiaries through Pristine and for such services claimed to be entitled to about $750,000. But in reality, the defendants’ operations at Pristine provided only a fraction of their claimed total.
Hussein and Mohamed spent much of their fraud proceeds on themselves and to fund personal travel, including to London, Sydney, Dubai, Istanbul, and several destinations in Saudi Arabia.
In the housing stabilization services fraud scheme, Kaamil Omar Sallah, age 26, has been charged by indictment with four counts of wire fraud. Sallah owned and operated a company called SafeLodgings, Inc. Sallah registered SafeLodgings with the Minnesota Secretary of State in March 2023. That same month, Sallah submitted paperwork to enroll SafeLodgings as an HSS Provider.
Through SafeLodgings, Sallah was supposed to provide housing consulting, transitioning, and sustaining services to qualifying people in need. Instead, he defrauded the program.
Sallah submitted inflated and fraudulent bills in which he repeatedly claimed that individual SafeLodgings employees had serviced multiple beneficiaries in the same one- or two-hour blocks. Such double billing is neither practically possible nor is it permitted under Program rules. Sallah submitted bills to the Program claiming that he personally provided reimbursable services. Those bills, too, included double billing. In 2024 alone, Sallah claimed to have personally provided more than 3,600 billable service hours.
Sallah diverted much of his fraud proceeds to conspirators, including to his employees at SafeLodgings, and he spent much of it on himself and on investments, including nearly $150,000 in a cryptocurrency exchange.
In all, between approximately March 2023 and August 2025, Sallah and his company fraudulently claimed to be entitled to approximately $1.4 million for providing Housing Stabilization Services and received nearly $1.3 million.
In November 2025, federal agents served Sallah, as SafeLodgings’s owner, with a grand jury subpoena for company records related to the HSS Program. Sallah retained counsel for the purpose of responding to that subpoena. Then he fled the country. On or about November 26, Sallah flew from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Amsterdam. He has not returned to the United States.
The Integrated Community Supports (ICS) Fraud Scheme
Today, the Court unsealed a search warrant for the business of Ultimate Home Health Services LLC which participated in the Integrated Community Supports (“ICS”) program. In 2021, Minnesota began offering Medicaid coverage for ICS. ICS is a Minnesota Medicaid benefit designed to fill a gap in the service continuum between a person living in their own home and more restrictive settings such as group homes and assisted living.
ICS was designed to help people live more independently in the community—as opposed to an institutionalized setting—with daily one-on-one help with health, safety, and household tasks so that qualifying individuals can live in the community. Providers can bill up to 24 hours per day for ICS services.
Unfortunately, the ICS program has been vulnerable to fraud. As with the EDIBI and HSS programs, the ICS program has seen explosive growth over the five years since it began in 2021. After paying out a total of approximately $4.6 million in 2021, the program has grown to cost more than $170 million in 2024. In all, claims data shows that the Medicaid system has paid out more than $400 million for ICS services since 2021.
According to DHS records, Ultimate Home Health Services submitted claims for reimbursement for over $1.1 million in ICS funds between approximately June 2024 and August 2025. During that time, Ultimate Home Health Services submitted claims on behalf of a total of 13 clients. According to the search warrant affidavit, ICS billed Medicaid for services for multiple individuals that it did not provide. ICS falsely claimed to have provided ICS services to one individual on all but four days over a 447-day period.
Another individual with severe mental illness was found dead in his apartment, and DHS records show that he was receiving ICS services from Ultimate Home Health at the time of his death. According to DHS records, Ultimate Home Health claimed to be providing 12 hours of services a day, although the individual’s mother, who visited him at least once a week, said that Ultimate Home Health was not providing anywhere near the care for which they were billing Medicaid.
These cases are the result of investigations being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Daniel W. Bobier, Harry M. Jacobs, Rebecca E. Kline, and Matthew Murphy are prosecuting these cases.
Informations and Indictments are merely allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Highs Gang Members Convicted of RICO Conspiracy and Using a Firearm to Murder Sentenced to Life ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
Highs gang member Dantrell Johnson was sentenced today to life imprisonment for his role in a racketeering conspiracy and gang-related murder. On Dec. 16, Highs gang member Gregory Hamilton was also sentenced to life imprisonment.
Following a federal jury trial, both defendants were convicted of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy and using a firearm to cause death.
“The defendants orchestrated a calculated campaign of violence that included ruthless shootings and murders,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “They armed themselves, enlisted others – including juveniles – and hunted down perceived rivals, demonstrating the extreme danger posed by violent gangs. These life sentences reflect the Criminal Division’s unwavering commitment to holding gang leaders accountable and restoring safety to communities terrorized by gang violence.”
“These life sentences reflect our unwavering commitment to hold the most dangerous offenders accountable and remove violent gang networks from our communities,” said Assistant Director of Field Operations Brent Beavers of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) “ATF dedicated hundreds of hours to this investigation alongside our law enforcement partners. We are proud of the meticulous work that brought this ruthless gang to justice.”
“The people of Minneapolis deserve to feel safe and protected in their neighborhoods. The defendants took that right away from them by unleashing violence and terror in their streets,” said Acting Assistant Director Rebecca Day of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who threaten and terrorize innocent community members with violence will be held accountable by the FBI and our partners."
After a two-week trial in April, a federal jury found Gregory Hamilton, 29, and Dantrell Johnson, 32, both of Minneapolis, guilty for their roles in the Highs, a violent Minneapolis street gang, and for a gang-related murder on Aug. 8, 2021.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hamilton and Johnson were members of the Highs, a criminal enterprise that controlled territory north of West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis. The evidence established that Hamilton, Johnson, and other Highs members committed murders, narcotics trafficking, weapons violations, burglaries, assaults, and robberies to further the enterprise. As a member of the Highs, the defendant was expected to retaliate against the rival Lows gang, which operated south of West Broadway Avenue.
Trial evidence showed that, on Aug. 7, 2021, a prominent Highs member was shot and killed by a Lows member at the Winner gas station, a known Highs hangout. The following day, Aug. 8, 2021, Highs members organized a memorial at the gas station, where firearms were distributed and members encouraged one another to retaliate against Lows members for the murder. Hamilton, Johnson, and other Highs members were present at the memorial.
Later that same day, Hamilton and Johnson drove to a Lows hangout, Wally’s Foods, and shot a Lows associate (Victim 1), who survived his injuries. Approximately two hours later, Hamilton, Johnson, and other Highs members drove to Skyline Market, another known Lows hangout, intending to shoot another Lows member.
Hamilton and Johnson followed Victim 2 into the store, where surveillance cameras captured them shooting him. The defendants mistakenly believed Victim 2 was a member of the Lows. Victim 2 fled the store and into the street, where another Highs member, Keon Pruitt, who was driving a stolen Porsche with two juvenile Highs members inside, stopped the vehicle and let the juveniles out. The juveniles chased Victim 2 into a nearby alley and fired additional shots. Victim 2 was shot at least eight times and died at the scene.
On Nov. 16, 2025, Highs gang member Keon Pruitt was sentenced to a 451-month term of imprisonment after a federal jury trial found him guilty of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy and using a firearm to cause death.
These cases against the Highs resulted from an investigation conducted by the ATF; the FBI; the Minneapolis Police Department; IRS Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office; the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; and the Minnesota Department of Corrections, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to this investigation through reports or evidence control.
Trial Attorney Brian W. Lynch of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Lopez-Calhoun, Albania Concepcion, and Rebecca Kline for the District of Minnesota prosecuted the case.
Life Sentence for Highs RICO Defendant Who Murdered Innocent BystanderRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – This morning, United States District Judge Nancy Brasel sentenced Gregory Hamilton, age 29, to life imprisonment, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Hamilton is a violent member of the Minneapolis criminal street gang known as the Highs. He was convicted after a three-week trial of RICO Conspiracy and Premeditated Murder for his involvement in the Highs and the August 8, 2021 murder of Darryl Wells, Jr., an innocent bystander who was mistaken for a gang member.
This is the second life sentence secured by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as a part of the RICO prosecutions aimed at disrupting and dismantling the violent and murderous street gangs of Minneapolis. To date, the office has charged well over 100 gang members with federal crimes, including charging 39 members of the Highs with RICO conspiracy, narcotics trafficking, firearms trafficking, and related offenses.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hamilton, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was a member of the Highs—a criminal enterprise that controlled territory north of West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis. Evidence at trial proved that members of the Highs committed murders, narcotics trafficking, weapons violations, burglaries, assaults, and robberies on behalf of the enterprise. As members of the Highs, the defendants were expected to retaliate against the rival Lows gang, which operated south of West Broadway Avenue.
On August 7, 2021, a prominent Highs member was shot and killed by a Lows member at the Winner gas station, a Highs hangout. The following day, August 8, 2021, Highs members organized a memorial for the deceased member at the gas station, where they distributed firearms and encouraged one another to retaliate against Lows members. Defendant Hamilton attended the memorial.
Later that day, Hamilton and a second convicted defendant, Dantrell Johnson, drove to a Lows hangout—Wally’s Foods—and shot a Lows associate, who survived his injuries. Approximately two hours later, Johnson, Hamilton, and another convicted defendant, Keon Pruitt, drove to Skyline Market, another known Lows hangout. The were “hunting” Lows and wanted to shoot Lows members. They mistakenly believed Wells was a Lows member—he was not—and the store’s cameras captured them shooting Wells inside the store. Wells ran from the store. Pruitt, who was driving two juveniles in a stolen Porsche, chased Wells a short distance. The two juveniles then jumped out of the car, chased Wells into a nearby alley, and fired additional shots at him. All told, Wells was shot at least eight times.
The jury convicted Hamilton, Johnson, and Pruitt of Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy and Using a Firearm to Cause Death.
Today, Judge Brasel imposed what the government requested at sentencing—a life sentence. In doing so, Judge Brasel observed, “This was gang revenge, pure and simple.” Judge Brasel noted that the evidence at trial showed that Hamilton is “a shooter for the Highs” and that he killed Darryl Wells “in a horrific and barbaric manner.” She explained that the victims of the Highs violence—which turned North Minneapolis into “an open-air shooting range”—were not just Wells but also the many members of the community who were also bystanders to this violence.
In imposing the life sentence, Judge Brasel concluded, “A lesser sentence would not honor and protect members of this neighborhood who were terrorized” by the violence of the Highs. As one concerned community member wrote to the Court, “Whether it be from violence with guns, drug sales, a combination of both, we have been preyed upon enough as a community.”
These cases against the Highs are a result of an investigation conducted by the ATF, the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to this investigation through reports or evidence control.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Lopez-Calhoun, Albania Concepcion, Rebecca Kline, and Carla Baumel of the District of Minnesota, and Trial Attorneys Brian Lynch and Alyssa Levey-Weinstein of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section, prosecuted these cases.
Fentanyl Dealer who Caused Two Overdose Deaths Sentenced to 17 YearsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – Patrick Carl Timberlake, Jr., a/k/a “King,” age 29, was sentenced Wednesday in United States District Court to 204 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release for two counts of Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
Timberlake is a drug dealer and a felon who is prohibited from possessing weapons. In 2019 and 2020, Timberlake sold poison—heroin containing deadly fentanyl—to two drug users who took Timberlake’s poison, overdosed, and died. The U.S. Attorney’s Office extends its profound condolences to the families of the victims of Timberlake and the deadly drug epidemic.
Specifically, on December 4, 2019, Timberlake sold Victim 1 approximately 0.5 grams of heroin that contained fentanyl. Victim 1 used the drugs Timberlake sold him. His father later found him unconscious on the bathroom floor and called 911. Victim 1’s father and emergency personnel attempted to revive Victim 1, but he was pronounced dead. A medical examiner later determined his death to be the result of the toxic effects of heroin and fentanyl.
On January 20, 2020, Timberlake sold heroin that contained fentanyl to Victim 2. The next day, emergency services received a 911 call requesting a welfare check on Victim 2 at his parent’s house for a possible overdose. First responders arrived and found Victim 2 unresponsive on the kitchen floor and pronounced him dead. A medical examiner later determined his death to be the result of the toxic effects of heroin and fentanyl.
A subsequent investigation determined that Timberlake had been dealing heroin containing fentanyl on a daily basis, first from his apartment in Saint Paul, then from his apartment in Plymouth, and finally from his apartment in Columbia Heights. The investigation also revealed that another drug customer told Timberlake of Victim 1’s death the day after it happened, to which Timberlake responded: “okay.” Despite knowing that his drugs had caused the death of Victim 1, Timberlake continued to sell drugs, including to Victim 2, causing his death.
A search of Timberlake’s apartment in Columbia Heights revealed a Glock 23 .40 caliber handgun, a 30-round extended magazine, and ammunition—all of which Timberlake was prohibited from lawfully possessing due to his prior felony convictions.
United States District Judge Donovan W. Frank sentenced Timberlake was sentenced Wednesday on two counts of Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl to 204 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release. In sentencing Timberlake, Judge Frank spoke about the scourge of fentanyl deaths affecting our country and recognized the heartbreak to both of the victim’s families who lost their loved ones to the fentanyl epidemic.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Isanti County Sheriff’s Office and Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley M. Endicott and Nathan H. Nelson prosecuted the case.
Architect of Massive $420 Million Bank Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 3 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – Matthew Thomas Onofrio, 34, of Plymouth, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Over the course of two years, Onofrio devised and carried out a $420 million bank fraud scheme.
Between 2020 and 2022, Matthew Onofrio—a young nurse anesthetist and real estate investor—devised and carried out a massive bank fraud scheme. To carry out his fraud scheme, Onofrio created a real estate investment program whereby Onofrio would enter into purchase agreements for commercial properties and assign them to novice “investors” at highly inflated prices. Onofrio then coached his investors to lie to banks to obtain loans they could not afford based on false information.
Onofrio promoted his own financial success and real estate investment strategies in online professional networking groups and on a popular podcast geared towards aspiring real estate investors, called “Bigger Pockets.” Onofrio leveraged those platforms to create a reputation as something of a real estate savant, which attracted more investors.
Onofrio’s investors did not have the kind of money (typically, 30% of the purchase price) that was necessary to purchase the multi-million-dollar properties that Onofrio offered. To solve this problem, Onofrio counseled his investors defraud the banks.
Onofrio helped investors prepare fraudulent personal finance statements falsely indicating they had enough cash to cover the requisite down payment. When the lending banks inevitably requested proof of funds, Onofrio temporarily wired the money into his investors’ bank accounts, making it appear they actually had the money. If the banks asked about the source of the funds, Onofrio instructed his investors to tell the banks it came from other investments, or they had family money. Onofrio would also loan his investors money to cover the down payment but would not include the loans on the investors’ personal financial statements or record the promissory notes as a second mortgage on the property to keep it hidden from the banks.
Over the course of approximately two years, Onofrio completed 68 deals involving $420,564,795 in fraudulently obtained bank loans. Although many of Onofrio’s investors stopped paying on their promissory notes following Onofrio’s indictment in this case, Onofrio netted at least $35,745,252 from his fraudulent scheme before being caught.
U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson sentenced Onofrio to 36 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, and ordered him to play $5,398,641 in restitution. In handing down her sentence, Judge Nelson identified Onofrio as the “ringleader and architect of a vast bank fraud.” Judge Nelson explained that she wanted to send a message to other would-be fraudsters that there is no such thing as a get-rich-quick-scheme—at least not a legal one.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the IRS, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case.
Jury Finds Convicted Sex Offender Guilty of Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – Roberto Carlos Munoz-Guatemala, age 40, was found guilty today in U.S. District Court of Assault on a Federal Officer with a Dangerous and Deadly Weapon and Causing Bodily Injury, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
On June 17, 2025, law enforcement officers attempted to arrest Munoz-Guatemala, a convicted sex offender, on an immigration order. Agents made a traffic stop of Munoz-Guatemala. The defendant was uncooperative and refused to follow directions. After warning Munoz-Guatemala several times, an agent broke the back window so that he could open the vehicle from the inside. Munoz-Guatemala then accelerated his car. As he sped away, the agent’s arm became trapped between the seat and the car frame. Munoz-Guatemala dragged the federal agent for more than 100 yards, while weaving back and forth in an attempt to shake the agent from the car. The agent was eventually jarred free from the car but suffered significant injuries to his arms and hand.
Munoz-Guatemala is illegally present in the United States. In December 2022, Munoz-Guatemala was convicted in Hennepin County of repeatedly sexually abusing a minor.
The jury found Munoz-Guatemala guilty on December 10, 2025, following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan. The jury found that Munoz-Guatemala assaulted the agent with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and that in doing so Munoz-Guatemala caused the agent bodily injury.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bloomington Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez.
Serial Kidnapper and Rapist Charged FederallyRead the Press Release
Abdimahat Bille Mohamed, 28, was charged by complaint with Kidnapping a Minor and Kidnapping, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. As detailed in the complaint, Mohamed kidnapped and raped a 15-year-old girl in 2017 and an adult woman in 2025. In between, he raped at least three other women.
“This Somali national in Minnesota is charged with raping a minor and multiple adult women before being detained — only to be quickly released by a local court, after which he committed yet another rape. This horrific case illustrates how left-wing soft-on-crime policies and vetting failures put innocent people at dire risk. If Minnesota will not protect its own people, the Department of Justice will do it for them,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
“The allegations are sickening — multiple kidnappings and rapes, including against minors — and they happened in a state that has chosen ideology over public safety. Minnesota’s radical soft-on-crime policies created an environment where predators believe they can act without consequence. President Trump was elected to restore law and order, and under Attorney General Bondi, this Department is making sure violent criminals like this will face real justice and spend the rest of their natural lives in federal prison,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“Given the history of the state prosecution of Abdimahat Bille Mohamed, my office will aggressively prosecute this serial rapist,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
On December 3, 2025, federal law enforcement received information concerning violent kidnappings and rapes committed by Mohamed in Minnesota. Law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office immediately investigated and found that, as set forth in the Complaint, there is probable cause to believe that Mohamed committed a string of disturbing sexual assaults—several of them gang rapes—of at least five victims between 2017 and 2025, many following the same pattern. Mohamed faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment and up to a sentence of life for his crimes.
On December 12, 2017, Mohamed and two others kidnapped and raped a 15-year-old girl (Minor Victim 1). Minor Victim 1 met Mohamed online, on the social media platform Snapchat. Mohamed agreed to give Minor Victim 1 a ride and picked her up in St. Paul. Instead of driving her to her requested location, Mohamed drove Minor Victim 1 to Minneapolis against her will. Mohamed parked his car in Minneapolis. Suddenly, two more men got in the car. One of them was holding a short-barreled silver revolver. The man pointed the gun at Minor Victim 1’s head and said, “give my brother some head or I’ll blow your head off.” Minor Victim 1 was forced to perform oral sex on one of the two men. Minor Victim 1 was then sexually assaulted by Mohamed. Minor Victim 1 was forced—at gunpoint and in fear for her life—to perform oral sex on Mohamed. He then raped her vaginally. After the group sexually assaulted the girl, they let her out of the car. Minor Victim 1 ran, hid, and called the police. The police took Minor Victim 1 to the hospital, and she consented to a sexual assault exam. On September 17, 2024, after Mohamed’s DNA was taken in connection with another sexual assault, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) laboratory matched Mohamed’s DNA to the swabs taken from Minor Victim 1’s body, excluding more than 99.99% of the general population.
On February 7, 2018, Mohamed and two others raped an adult woman (Victim 2). In the early morning hours of that day, Roseville police received a call from a Lyft driver, reporting that he had a woman in his car who had been sexually assaulted by three men. Police responded to the scene and interviewed Victim 2. She explained that a man she knew from Instagram picked her up in his car. He and two other men held her against her will in the car. The men raped Victim 2. After they were done sexually assaulting her, the men released Victim 2, telling her the cops were coming. Victim 2 ran to a Motel 6 to charge her phone and called a Lyft to pick her up. When Victim 2 told her Lyft driver what happened, he called 911. Police took Victim 2 to the hospital, where she consented to a sexual assault exam. Police located condoms in a car that had been on the scene. The BCA connected Mohamed’s known DNA sample to the DNA from a recovered condom.
On May 8, 2018, Mohamed and another man kidnapped and raped an adult woman (Victim 3). Victim 3 knew Mohamed from Snapchat but had never met him in person before. Mohamed drove to Victim 3’s house in St. Paul and Victim 3 sat with him in his car. Victim 3 asked Mohamed for a pack of cigarettes. Instead, Mohamed began to drive away. Victim 3 protested, explaining she couldn’t leave her apartment, as her son was inside. But Mohamed continued to drive and locked the car doors so that Victim 3 could not escape. Mohamed drove Victim 3 to Minneapolis. He pulled the car into an alley, where Mohamed raped Victim 3. After the rape, a second man got into the backseat. He was holding a black semi-automatic handgun. He pointed the handgun at Victim 3’s head and said, “If you don’t give me head you’re not going to live.” Victim 3 then performed oral sex on the second man, under threat of her life. After they were done, Mohamed and the other man pushed Victim 3 out of the car. Victim 3 ran until she arrived at a gas station. She asked for directions to the light rail, which she took back to St. Paul. She then contacted the St. Paul Police, who took Victim 3 to the hospital, where she consented to a sexual assault exam. In September 2024 the BCA laboratory matched Mohamed’s DNA to the swabs taken from Victim 3, excluding more than 99.99% of the general population.
On May 30, 2024, Mohamed raped an adult woman (Victim 4). Victim 4 knew Mohamed from Snapchat. Mohamed picked up Victim 4 and her sister in his car and, instead of taking them for something to eat, drove the two women to his apartment in Minneapolis. Mohamed carried Victim 4 to his bedroom and threw her on the bed and closed the door. Mohamed tried to force Victim 4 to give him oral sex. When she refused, Mohamed raped her. Mohamed told Victim 4 that if she didn’t have sex with him, he would get a gun from his car and shoot her or her sister. Victim 4’s sister heard screaming and her sister saying stop. Victim 4’s sister opened the door and saw Mohamed on top of her sister. Mohamed threatened to kill Victim 4’s sister and told her to leave. Victim 4’s sister fled the building and called the police. When the police arrived, they found Victim 4 and Mohamed in his apartment. Victim 4 was crying and stumbling. When Victim 4 was away from Mohamed, she explained he raped her. Police took Victim 4 to the hospital, where she consented to a sexual assault exam. Police arrested Mohamed and took him to the hospital for a sexual assault exam. Mohamad became hostile—he kicked squad doors and windows, spat on officers, and eventually became assaultive with hospital security guards and nurses. He was kicked out of the medical center before the sexual assault exam could be completed. In September 2024, pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement collected a DNA swab from Mohamed.
In September 2025, Mohamed committed another kidnapping and rape. On September 15, 2025, Mohamed picked up an adult woman (Victim 5) in Mankato, Minnesota. Victim 5 met Mohamed that night and Mohamed was supposed to take Victim 5 to get food and then bring her back home. Instead, after Victim 5 was in Mohamed’s car, he kidnapped her. After Victim 5 asked Mohamed to bring her home, Mohamed kept driving and said, “you are not going home.” Mohamed drove Victim 5 approximately 70 miles to a hotel in Bloomington, where he kept her for nearly a week. When Victim 5 tried to leave on the first day, Mohamed grabbed her by the hair, slapped her face, and told her she could not leave. Mohamed raped Victim 5 twice. Mohamed choked Victim 5 while he raped her. Victim 5 was able to text her sister, that “I think I’m getting kidnapped” and needed help, but Mohamed took her phone away. Victim 5’s sister contacted the police, who worked to find Victim 5. On September 21, 2025, Victim 5 jumped out of Mohamed’s car and told a nearby man, “Can you help me? I am being kidnapped.” The man called 911 and police responded to the scene. Police took Victim 5 to the hospital, where she consented to a sexual assault exam. The DNA profile obtained from Victim 5 matched to Mohamed’s known sample.
This case results from an investigation conducted by the FBI, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the Bloomington Police Department, the St. Louis Park Police Department, the Anoka County Sherrif’s Office, and the St. Paul Police Department.
The FBI is investigating Mohamed for the offenses detailed in the complaint and for additional sexual offenses. If you believe you, your child, or someone you know may be a victim of Abdimahat Bille Mohamed, please call the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda A. Williams is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Drug Dealers who Caused Fentanyl Overdose Death of Mille Lacs Man Sentenced to 21 Years and 10 YearsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – Two defendants who distributed fentanyl in Minnesota, resulting in the death of a man on the Mille Lacs Reservation, have been sentenced to lengthy sentences in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
Dimitric Timopkin Wilson, 48, was sentenced to 261 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release, and Allen Lee Goodwin, 51, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and 4 years of supervised release.
According to evidence presented at Wilson’s May 2025 trial, Wilson, a drug dealer, obtained fentanyl from a source in Detroit, Michigan, and distributed it in Wisconsin and Minnesota to lower-level traffickers, including Goodwin. In July 2023, Goodwin sold fentanyl to a 38-year-old man living on the Mille Lacs Reservation. The next morning, the victim injected the fentanyl and died minutes later. Additionally, in October 2023, a Minnesota State Patrol trooper pulled Wilson over for a traffic stop. During the stop, the trooper found hundreds of grams of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and crack cocaine hidden in a compartment of Wilson’s car and arrested Wilson. Finally, less than a year after being indicted, and while on pretrial release, Wilson sold fentanyl to a police informant.
A jury convicted Wilson of one count each of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and distributing fentanyl while on pretrial release. This was Wilson’s second federal drug conviction, as he was convicted in 2008 in the Eastern District of Michigan for conspiracy to distribute heroin.
In October 2025, U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank sentenced Wilson to a total of 261 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and distributing fentanyl while on pretrial release. Judge Frank specifically found that the death of the Mille Lacs man was a foreseeable result of Wilson’s fentanyl trafficking and that Wilson therefore bore responsibility for the man’s death. The sentences run consecutively, and the total sentence to 261 months in prison is well above the sentencing guidelines range.
Goodwin pled guilty in a separate proceeding to distributing fentanyl resulting in death. On December 3, 2025, Judge Frank sentenced Goodwin to 120 months’ imprisonment and 4 years’ supervised release. Judge Frank noted the “devastation that fentanyl is having” on Minnesota’s communities and said that in his decades as a state and federal judge, he had “seen nothing quite like it.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department, the East Central Drug Task Force, the Sawyer County (Wisconsin) Sheriff’s Office, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Lac Courte Oreilles (Wisconsin) Tribal Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Campbell Warner and Allen A. Slaughter, Jr., prosecuted the case.
Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Ibrahim Ahmed Mohamud, a/k/a “Ibbs” and “30,” age 19, pled guilty in federal court today to Possession of a Machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
Mohamud is a member of the criminal street gang known as “YSL” (“Young Slime Life”). Witnesses implicated Mohamud, who goes by “Ibbs,” in a drive-by shooting that occurred on February 24, 2024. According to witnesses, Mohamud shot at the victim after mistaking him for a member of a rival street gang known as “Muddy,” which associates with the Somali Outlaws street gang.
Based on this information, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Mohamud and his vehicle. Officers found two guns inside Mohamud’s car—a Glock 19x 9mm pistol equipped with a switch, rendering it fully automatic, and a Glock 17 9mm pistol. These firearms were forensically linked to a shooting that occurred just two days prior at a residence in Lino Lakes, Minnesota. The targets of that shooting were suspected members of the Muddy street gang. One of those targets had previously been the victim of another gang-related assault by YSL members during a basketball game at Robbinsdale High School on January 28, 2025.
During the vehicle search, police squad vehicle video recorded Mohamud as he attempted to pressure a juvenile occupant of the vehicle into taking responsibility for the firearms, believing the juvenile would not be prosecuted due to his age. Mohamud’s DNA was found on the Glock 19x 9mm pistol equipped with a switch.
Mohamud pled guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Laura M. Provinzino. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Blaine Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian C. Weir for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Alexandra Swain of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
Minneapolis Non-Profit Director Charged with FraudRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – Tony Robinson, age 41, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, made an initial appearance today on an indictment charging Robinson with five counts of wire fraud and conspiracy offenses for Robinson’s participation in a fraud scheme with Tezzaree El-Amin Champion, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
Robinson was the operations director at Encouraging Leaders, a Minneapolis-based non-profit organization founded and led by Champion. Champion used the organization to submit fraudulent grant applications and progress reports to government and private grant programs, then misused substantial portions of the grant funding. Participants in the scheme, including Champion and Robinson, retained grant funds for themselves. Champion and Robinson defrauded the U.S. Department of Justice, Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, the Minnesota Department of Education, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and others.
Robinson participated in the scheme from approximately December 2021 until October 2022. Robinson worked with a freelance worker in Africa to draft and submit false grant progress reports to organizations that had awarded grants to Encouraging Leaders.
For example, Robinson prepared false reports for the U.S. Department of Justice, which issues grants focused on juvenile justice and substance-abuse prevention; the Minnesota State Arts Board, which issues grants to Minnesota’s theaters, museums, choirs, and arts organizations; and Non-Profit A, which is a Minnesota non-profit founded by the McKnight Foundation with a focus on youth-learning outside of the classroom.
Robinson’s reports claimed Encouraging Leaders used grant funds to organize events and activities that never occurred, and overstated Encouraging Leaders’ involvement in events that had occurred. Robinson’s reports also falsely claimed that Encouraging Leaders had assisted various students, when in fact it had not.
During Robinson’s participation in the scheme, the fraud and Encouraging Leaders caused a loss of more than $1 million to victims.
Tezzaree El-Amin Champion was charged separately and pled guilty. On November 18, 2025, U.S. District Judge Katherine M. Menendez sentenced Champion to 84 months of imprisonment to be followed by 60 months supervised release, and to pay $3,479,575 in restitution. In sentencing Champion, Judge Menendez noted that Champion’s fraudulent conduct was “relentless” and “reflects a scale and a depth that is disturbing.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson and Matthew D. Forbes are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former President and CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce Pleads Guilty to FraudRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Jonathan Weinhagen, also known as “James Sullivan,” age 42, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to one count of Mail Fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
From December 2019 through June 2024, defendant Weinhagen abused his position as President and CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce to defraud and embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Chamber of Commerce and its business members, in several ways.
First, Weinhagen stole reward money for the unsolved murders of children. In May 2021, two minor children were killed, and a third child was injured, in a series of shootings in North Minneapolis. On May 21, 2021, the Chamber of Commerce contributed $30,000 to Crime Stoppers of Minnesota to fund three separate $10,000 rewards for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the persons responsible for the shootings. Approximately one year later, Weinhagen emailed the president of Crime Stoppers of Minnesota to inquire about the status of the rewards. When he learned that the rewards were unclaimed, Weinhagen asked that the $30,000 be returned to the Chamber of Commerce because it had “made a commitment to [its] investors to deploy the resources into the North Minneapolis Community.” Weinhagen told Crime Stoppers to send the refund check to Weinhagen’s home, which Weinhagen falsely represented was the Chamber of Commerce’s new address. On June 6, 2022, Crime Stoppers of Minnesota sent the $30,000 check to Weinhagen’s home. Weinhagen stole this money and used it to pay his personal expenses.
Second, between December 2019 and April 2021, Weinhagen entered into three sham consulting agreements on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce with Synergy Partners, a fictional company the defendant invented for purposes of defrauding the Chamber of Commerce. Weinhagen signed the sham agreements using the alias “James Sullivan” and caused the Chamber of Commerce to pay a total of $107,500 to Synergy Partners. Weinhagen deposited this money into a bank account he opened in Synergy Partners’ name and used the money for his own personal expenses.
Third, in November 2020, Weinhagen surreptitiously opened a $200,000 line of credit in the Chamber of Commerce’s name. Over the course of the next year, Weinhagen drew $125,000 from the line of credit, which he transferred to Synergy Partners’ bank account and used for personal expenses.
Fourth, in January 2022, Weinhagen used the Chamber of Commerce’s credit card to pay for a vacation to Hawaii. Weinhagen charged $15,701 to the Chamber of Commerce’s credit card for first-class airfare and a two-bedroom ocean-front room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for him and his family. The defendant later created fake documents to make it appear that the charges were for legitimate Chamber of Commerce business.
Finally, in January 2025, after he was fired from the Minnesota Regional Chamber of Commerce, Weinhagen applied for a $54,661 bank loan. In the application, Weinhagen falsely stated that he earned an annual income of $425,000 from a Minnesota-based restaurant holding company. Weinhagen provided a fake paystub in support of this bank loan. In reality, Weinhagen was not a salaried employee of, and did not earn $425,000 per year from, the restaurant holding company.
Weinhagen pled guilty before District Judge Nancy E. Brasel. A sentencing hearing will be held at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Murphy.
Former President and CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce Pleads Guilty to FraudRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Jonathan Weinhagen, also known as “James Sullivan,” age 42, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to one count of Mail Fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
From December 2019 through June 2024, defendant Weinhagen abused his position as President and CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce to defraud and embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Chamber of Commerce and its business members, in several ways.
First, Weinhagen stole reward money for the unsolved murders of children. In May 2021, two minor children were killed, and a third child was injured, in a series of shootings in North Minneapolis. On May 21, 2021, the Chamber of Commerce contributed $30,000 to Crime Stoppers of Minnesota to fund three separate $10,000 rewards for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the persons responsible for the shootings. Approximately one year later, Weinhagen emailed the president of Crime Stoppers of Minnesota to inquire about the status of the rewards. When he learned that the rewards were unclaimed, Weinhagen asked that the $30,000 be returned to the Chamber of Commerce because it had “made a commitment to [its] investors to deploy the resources into the North Minneapolis Community.” Weinhagen told Crime Stoppers to send the refund check to Weinhagen’s home, which Weinhagen falsely represented was the Chamber of Commerce’s new address. On June 6, 2022, Crime Stoppers of Minnesota sent the $30,000 check to Weinhagen’s home. Weinhagen stole this money and used it to pay his personal expenses.
Second, between December 2019 and April 2021, Weinhagen entered into three sham consulting agreements on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce with Synergy Partners, a fictional company the defendant invented for purposes of defrauding the Chamber of Commerce. Weinhagen signed the sham agreements using the alias “James Sullivan” and caused the Chamber of Commerce to pay a total of $107,500 to Synergy Partners. Weinhagen deposited this money into a bank account he opened in Synergy Partners’ name and used the money for his own personal expenses.
Third, in November 2020, Weinhagen surreptitiously opened a $200,000 line of credit in the Chamber of Commerce’s name. Over the course of the next year, Weinhagen drew $125,000 from the line of credit, which he transferred to Synergy Partners’ bank account and used for personal expenses.
Fourth, in January 2022, Weinhagen used the Chamber of Commerce’s credit card to pay for a vacation to Hawaii. Weinhagen charged $15,701 to the Chamber of Commerce’s credit card for first-class airfare and a two-bedroom ocean-front room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for him and his family. The defendant later created fake documents to make it appear that the charges were for legitimate Chamber of Commerce business.
Finally, in January 2025, after he was fired from the Minnesota Regional Chamber of Commerce, Weinhagen applied for a $54,661 bank loan. In the application, Weinhagen falsely stated that he earned an annual income of $425,000 from a Minnesota-based restaurant holding company. Weinhagen provided a fake paystub in support of this bank loan. In reality, Weinhagen was not a salaried employee of, and did not earn $425,000 per year from, the restaurant holding company.
Weinhagen pled guilty before District Judge Nancy E. Brasel. A sentencing hearing will be held at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Murphy.
White Supremacist Sentenced to 8 ½ Years Imprisonment on Firearms, Ammunition, and Drug-Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Andrew David Munsinger, 41, of Redwood Falls, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 104 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release following an April jury trial where he was found guilty of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute 5.5 pounds of marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to evidence presented at trial, Munsinger was a member of the Aryan Freedom Network, a white supremacist organization. During a year-long investigation by the FBI, evidence gathered included audio- and video-recordings of Munsinger possessing and shooting firearms, purchasing and using ammunition, possessing over 5 pounds of marijuana in heat-sealed bags, discussing his history of marijuana trafficking and his profits, and admitting on more than one occasion that he knew he could not legally possess a firearm.
On February 7, 2024, the FBI executed simultaneous search warrants at Munsinger’s residence, his vehicles, and a farm where he was surveilled on at least two occasions before traveling to a shooting range. Law enforcement seized a total of five firearms, including two unserialized personally made semiautomatic rifles (commonly referred to as ghost guns), two shotguns, a nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol, over 500 rounds and casings of ammunition, a bullet-resistant vest, multiple high-capacity magazines, and a rifle scope. They also seized over five pounds of marijuana in heat-sealed packages, hydroponic marijuana grow equipment, growing marijuana plants, and $24,300 cash. Because Munsinger has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition.
Munsinger was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before United States District Judge John R. Tunheim to 104 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Bejar and Raphael B. Coburn prosecuted the case.
Feeding Our Future Defendant Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Today, United States District Judge Nancy E. Brasel sentenced Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, age 24, to 120 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for his role in the $300 million Feeding Our Future case, the largest Covid-19 fraud scheme in the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Nur was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,920,514.
As demonstrated at trial, Nur and his co-defendants stole more than $47 million in program funds by claiming to serve 18 million meals to kids at more than 30 food distribution sites. The scheme originated out of Empire Cuisine & Market, a small storefront halal market in Shakopee. Empire Cuisine enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program in April 2020—during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic and within weeks of registering the company with the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Nur and his co-conspirators immediately opened several federal child nutrition program sites and began claiming—falsely—to be serving meals to thousands of children per day. These claims were fraudulent. As the Court heard repeatedly at trial, no meals at all were served at many of the Empire Cuisine “sites.” Many of their purported food “sites” were nothing more than parking lots or vacant commercial spaces. Indeed, at some of the sites, it was instead the Shakopee Public Schools who were actually serving meals to kids on a daily basis.
Nur played a key role in the fraud scheme. He created and submitted the bulk of the fraudulent meal counts and invoices that he and his co-conspirators used to support their fraudulent claims. Nur also created and submitted fraudulent rosters purporting to list the names of children receiving meals at their fraudulent meal sites. But, as the Court saw, the rosters were fraudulent, filled with the names of fake children.
Nur and his co-conspirators engaged in a conspiracy to launder the proceeds of their fraud scheme using a series of shell companies both in the United States and Kenya. Nur helped distribute millions of dollars in fraudulent proceeds among their money laundering entities. Nur also set up his own shell company—Nur Consulting LLC—that he used to receive and launder his share of the fraud proceeds by disguising them as “consulting” and similar payments. In all, Nur used Nur Consulting to receive more than $900,000 in fraud proceeds.
Nur spent his fraud proceeds freely. Using the taxpayer money meant for needy kids, he purchased a 2021 Dodge Ram pickup truck for $64,000. Six weeks later, he purchased a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe for $35,000. Nur used fraud proceeds to take a honeymoon to the Maldives, where he stayed in a private villa. He also spent $30,000 in fraud proceeds to purchase jewelry in Dubai.
Finally, as the jury heard at trial, Nur used some of his fraud proceeds to fraudulently obtain a college degree. In 2021, Nur enrolled in Herzing University, an online college with campuses in St. Louis Park and other locations around the country. Nur paid $12,000 to a company called PayMeToDoYourHomework.com to take his courses for him and complete all homework assignments and exams. They guaranteed him an A or B in each course.
Nur paid the company approximately $5,000 to take all his Fall 2021 courses for him. In January 2022, he paid another $6,000 to have the company take all his Spring 2022 semester courses. He made these payments via Nur Consulting, the shell company he created to receive and launder his fraud proceeds. Nur appears to have gotten his money’s worth. Nur received a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management from Herzing University in August 2022. Despite having graduated from Shakopee High School in 2019 with only a 1.75 GPA, Herzing University records show that Nur “earned” his bachelor’s degree in less than 3 years with a 3.42 GPA.
In June 2024, at the conclusion of his 7-week trial, Nur and others attempted to bribe a juror with $120,000 in cash in exchange for a not guilty verdict. Nur and four others were indicted in a separate federal case for the juror bribery scheme. Nur has pled guilty in the juror bribery case and is pending sentencing in that case before United States District Judge David S. Doty. Today’s sentence does not reflect Nur’s attempt to bribe a juror; he will face an additional sentence in that case at a later date.
In imposing the 10-year sentence, Judge Brasel told Nur, “It is so disappointing and so disheartening that where others saw a crisis and rushed to help, you saw money and rushed to steal.” She called that choice “mindboggling.” Judge Brasel explained that “this fraud conspiracy was both and at once elaborate and blatant,” and that Nur made the choice to steal again and again.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
78th Defendant Charged in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – Abdirashid Bixi Dool, age 36, was charged in a seven-count indictment with wire fraud and money laundering for his participation in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Dool made his initial appearance this afternoon in federal court. Dool is the 78th defendant charged in the largest Covid-19 fraud scheme in the country.
Dool co-operated and served on the boards of two Minnesota non-profits, Bilaal Mosque Inc. and Multicultural Resource Center Inc (MRC). Dool also served as the President of MRC. Through those companies, Dool and a second person identified in the indictment as “Conspirator A” participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Dool and Conspirator A purported to operate two food sites—the Bilaal food site in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, and the MRC food site in Moorhead, Minnesota.
As set forth in the indictment, at those sites, Dool falsely claimed to be serving over 40,000 meals to children every week. Through the Bilaal site alone, Dool claimed to serve 6,000 meals to children every day, seven days a week. That daily figure is more than double the entire population—children and adults—of the outstate town that is home is Bilaal. In support of his false claims, Dool submitted fraudulent invoices, purporting to detail the food purchased by Bilaal and MRC to feed hungry children. In reality, Dool purchased very little food. Dool also submitted phony rosters purporting to list the names of the hungry children who he fed at his meal sites. These rosters were also fake.
Between March 2021 and February 2022, Bilaal and MRC received about $1.1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds from Feeding Our Future. However, little of this money was used by Dool to purchase food. Instead, Dool and Conspirator A laundered most of the taxpayer dollars to their families and to themselves. Dool used his cut of the fraud proceeds to travel and to buy real estate in Minnesota.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Clay County Man Found Guilty of “Stolen Valor” and $140,000 in Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
SAINT PAUL – Today a federal jury convicted Mikhail Robin Wicker, also known as Michael Robin Wicker, 39, of Clay County, of wire fraud, mail fraud, using a false military discharge certificate, and fraudulent use of military medals, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Wicker spent years posing as a decorated U.S. Marine. He falsely claimed to have been deployed to Iraq in 2005 as part of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, and falsely claimed to be a recipient of the Purple Heart Medal and the Prisoner of War Medal. For years, he relied on these claims to obtain benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). All of Wicker’s claims were untrue. He never served in any branch of the armed services.
Wicker supported his fraud scheme using forged documents, including a counterfeit DD-214 and fake medal certificates, which he submitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Relying on those materials, the VA provided him more than $140,000 in healthcare, disability, and education benefits.
Wicker was convicted following a one-week jury trial. At trial, Marine veterans from Lima Company testified Wicker never served with them. Agents testified that federal searches across Marine Corps, and Department of Defense databases confirmed there was no record of Wicker ever serving in the military. Employment, pay, and state court records placed Wicker in Michigan during the years he claimed to be deployed to Iraq. The government also demonstrated at trial that Wicker used his false claims and forged certificates to exploit and defraud several VA programs out of monetary benefits and free healthcare.
After a few hours of deliberations, the jury found Wicker guilty on all counts. A sentencing hearing in front of United States District Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan will be set at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Officer of the Inspector General; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General; with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Dilworth Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William C. Mattessich and Bradley M. Endicott prosecuted the case.
Woodbury Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for “Deliberate, Persistent Sextortion Scheme"Read the Press Release
ST. PAUL, MINN. – Timothy Lennard Gebhart, age 38, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 360 months imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release for production and attempted production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and interstate communications with intent to extort, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
For more than two years, from July 2021 until September 2023, Gebhart executed a massive “sextortion” scheme designed to victimize minor children. Gebhart used online platforms including Instagram and Snapchat to target minor children as young as twelve years old. Gebhart used aliases—including 66 different Snapchat aliases—to pose as a teenager or someone much younger than his true age. Gebhart befriended his victims. Gebhart then convinced his victims to send him sexually explicit videos and photos. He also sought out sexual encounters with his victims.
After Gebhart obtained the sexually explicit materials from the children, he would threaten to distribute those photos and videos to the classmates, friends, and family members of his victims unless his victims provided him with more sexually explicit materials. Gebhart would also send his child victims disturbing videos depicting gruesome and violent deaths to shock them into compliance. Gebhart’s threats to the children often included hateful language.
In sentencing Gebhart to a term of 30 years in prison, U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell called this a “deliberate, persistent sextortion scheme.”
The case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Woodbury Police Department, and the Indiana State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Classen prosecuted the case.
77th Defendant Charged in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Ousman Camara, age 45, was indicted today in a nine-count indictment with wire fraud, federal programs bribery, and money laundering for his participation in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Camara is the 77th defendant indicted in what has been identified as the largest Covid-19 fraud scheme in the country.
Defendant Camara was the owner of K’s Dollar Grocery and Deli, a small storefront grocery store in north Minneapolis. In August 2015, the USDA disqualified Camara and his store, K’s Grocery, from participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) due to suspected fraud. In September 2020, Camara enrolled K’s Grocery in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. In 2020 and 2021, Camara fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to 1,000 children a day, seven days a week, at his site. In reality, Camara did no such thing. Instead, he defrauded the program and stole money meant to feed hungry children.
Camara claimed to have served more than 300,000 meals to children, for which he claimed to be entitled to more than $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program reminbursement funds. Camara did not use these funds to purchase food to feed children. Instead, he used the money to fund his lifestyle, pay his credit card bills, and buy a building in north Minneapolis. Camara wired more than $100,000 in fraud proceeds abroad. Camara also paid approximately $87,000 in kickbacks to a Feeding Our Future employee in exchange for his sponsorship and submission of Camara’s fraudulent claims.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
ISIS Supporter Pleads Guilty to Material Support of TerrorismRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23, pleaded guilty today to one count of Attempting to Provide Material Support and Resources to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“There is no margin for error when it comes to terrorism,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Hassan flew the ISIS flag, venerated attacks on the homeland, and wanted to kill Americans. We are not taking chances. We will not let Minnesota become a safe haven for terrorists.”
According to court documents, the FBI received a tip of an online social media user publicly supporting Al Shabab, and later ISIS, in multiple posts. Both Al Shabab and ISIS have been designated by the Secretary of State as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Further investigation showed that the posts were made by Hassan’s social media accounts. Hassan’s social media posts included, among other things, propaganda videos calling for jihad, or holy war, in Somalia, the overthrow of the Somali government and establishment of an Islamic caliphate, and logos of the black ISIS flag. Hassan highlighted and praised ISIS and ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks, both globally and in the United States, including the January 1, 2025 New Orleans attacker who killed 14 individuals. The day after the attack, Hassan referred to this murderer as “the legend that killed Americans.”
In December 2024, Hassan twice attempted to travel one-way from Minnesota to Somalia, via Ethiopia, with the intent to join and fight on behalf of ISIS. FBI agents conducted surveillance of Hassan on both attempts. On the first attempt, Hassan was denied boarding by the airline, because he did not have proper travel documents. After purchasing additional travel documents, including a visa, Hassan again attempted to travel to Somalia to join ISIS on the same one-way itinerary. Customs and Border Protection agents in Chicago interviewed and conducted a secondary inspection of Hassan and his belongings before his international flight to Ethiopia. Inside Hassan’s only carry-on bag, agents found Hassan’s birth certificate, naturalization certificate, and high school diploma.
An inspection of Hassan’s cell phones revealed multiple social media posts supporting ISIS and jihad, direct messages with an ISIS media wing, as well as text exchanges with an apparent ISIS recruiter, whom Hassan referred to as “uncle” and “commander,” discussing Hassan’s travel to Somalia and referencing the “battlefield.” Agents also located two downloaded .pdf documents regarding sniper skills and sniper trading within a social media messaging app channel displaying the ISIS flag as a logo.
During the interview, Hassan admitted that he supports ISIS, regularly views and posts ISIS propaganda on social media, and professed his belief in establishing an Islamic caliphate.
In February 2025, Hassan posted two videos of himself while driving his car. One video briefly displayed an unfolded buck-style knife on Hassan’s lap and the other video showed Hassan holding a homemade black ISIS flag while driving.
At the time of his arrest by FBI agents in late February 2025, the FBI seized two cellphones and the folding buck-style knife, noted above, on Hassan’s person, and the homemade black ISIS flag in Hassan’s vehicle. During a warrant-authorized search of Hassan’s cellphones, the FBI discovered, among other things, various .pdf files, some in Arabic, consisting of instruction manuals on making explosive C-4, explosive urea nitrate, explosive hexamine, explosive HMTD, and ammunition. The search also revealed a messaging app exchange from December 21, 2024 wherein Hassan stated, “I will become ISIS straight away.” Additionally, the cellphones revealed numerous internet searches about ISIS and ISIS activities between December 2024 and February 2025, including such terms as: “Somalia weapons,” “gun ranges,” “isis areas,” “urea fertilizer,” and “isis supporter America.”
“Today’s guilty plea reflects many hours of hard work by agents and analysts from the FBI,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. “Keeping Minnesota safe from those who support Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations like ISIS and Al Shabab is a top priority of the FBI. ISIS and Al Shabab represent a clear threat to all Americans. We will identify and investigate anyone foolish enough to provide support to these terrorists.”
Hassan pleaded guilty this morning to Attempting to Provide Material Support and Resources to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization before District Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court. The defendant’s sentencing hearing will be held at a later date. The defendant has been detained throughout this case and remains detained pending his sentencing.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, and the New York Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case.
Second Defendant in Lows Gang Fraud Case Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Peter Amondo Anderson, a/k/a “Nacho,” 24, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and one count of Aggravated Identity Theft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Anderson and three other members and associates of the Lows, a violent Minneapolis-based street gang, were charged by indictment in May 2025 with engaging in a fraud scheme designed to enrich the defendants and also to enrich the Lows street gang. Anderson is the second defendant in the case to enter a guilty plea.
“The murderous Lows gang has ravaged the North Side with its violence while using fraud to fuel its crimes. No more,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “We are good at prosecuting fraud and will continue to use every federal tool at our disposal to dismantle these violent street gangs.”
Per the indictment, the defendants engaged in their fraud scheme for more than four years, from April 2019 to January 2024. The scheme involved the defendants creating fraudulent checks, depositing those fraudulent checks, and then withdrawing real fraud proceeds.
To accomplish this scheme, Anderson and other co-conspirators used social media to recruit individuals (“money mules”) who had bank accounts at various institutions to assist in depositing fraudulent checks. The money mules provided their personal banking information to Anderson and his co-conspirators, who created false checks made out to the money mules. The false checks were then deposited into the money mule’s bank accounts, and the funds quickly withdrawn and provided to Anderson and his co-conspirators.
Although the banking information for the money mules was readily provided, Anderson and his co-conspirators also used deceptive means to steal victims’ personal identifying and banking information. In August 2024, Anderson and his co-conspirators stole the banking information of a 65-year-old victim in North Carolina. Through the fraudulent use of the victim’s identity, Anderson and his co-conspirators stole approximately $39,000.
In total, Anderson and his co-conspirators deposited at least 28 fraudulent checks and attempted to withdraw nearly $220,000.
Anderson pled guilty before Judge Kate M. Menendez. Anderson’s co-defendant, Faysal Mohamed, a/k/a “G Money,” 27, pled guilty on August 5, 2025. Sentencing hearings for Anderson and Mohamed will be held at a later date.
A related RICO indictment against the Lows criminal street gang is currently pending in federal court. In that case, 14 members of the Lows are charged in an 23-count indictment with crimes including racketeering (RICO) conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder, gun trafficking, drug trafficking, and the use of a firearm in furtherance of crimes of violence resulting in death.
“Anderson and his co-conspirators executed an extensive fraud scheme to exploit victims’ financial information for their own profit and to fund the Lows campaign of violence and terror against the Minneapolis community,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “This years-long conspiracy would have resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars fueling Low's criminal activity. The FBI and our federal, state, and local partners will continue to seek out and stop all gang-related fraud, violence, and crime that threatens the safety of our streets.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and David M. Classen for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Jared Engelking of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Major Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 11 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – William Wayne Ray Schubel, 33, has been sentenced to 140 months of imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release for distributing large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine, in addition to illegally possessing numerous firearms, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“A four-time felon who chose to poison our communities is now going to federal prison for more than a decade,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Methamphetamine is one of the deadliest forces eating away at Minnesota’s neighborhoods. We will keep putting major dealers behind bars until our communities are free from this poison.”
Law enforcement identified Schubel as a high-volume methamphetamine dealer. A confidential informant saw Schubel in possession of five pounds of methamphetamine individually packaged in one-pound vacuum sealed bags. The informant also heard the defendant discussing his receipt of fifty pounds of methamphetamine.
On January 10, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at Schubel’s two residences—a home in Oak Grove, Minnesota, and an apartment in Anoka, Minnesota.
Inside Schubel’s Oak Grove home, law enforcement found 746 grams of methamphetamine and 220 grams of cocaine inside a backpack that also contained a digital scale. Also at the Oak Grove residence, police found a vast array of firearms (12 in total), ammunition, and firearm accessories. This included, among other things, a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol (bearing the defendant’s DNA) with an extended magazine concealed under the defendant’s pillow.
Inside Schubel’s Anoka apartment, law enforcement found an additional five grams of methamphetamine, a firearm cleaning kit, and multiple rolls of vacuum seal bags.
Schubel was arrested that day, in his car. The defendant had $2,378 on his person as well as a cellphone.
Agents searched Schubel’s phone and found more evidence of drug trafficking. Agents found messages where Schubel sent drug “menus” to customers, listing various controlled substances using code names and offering the controlled substances for sale in full pound, half-pound, and quarter-pound amounts.
Agents also found messages where Schubel discussed selling controlled substances and his knowledge that doing so would entail significant consequences. Among other things, Schubel explained he was going to delete his messenger app, because “the Feds can find it and look at that shit"
Schubel has a long and violent criminal history. Schubel has four prior felony convictions, including a conviction for domestic assault by strangulation, and three convictions for drug distribution and possession. Because of his prior felony convictions, it is illegal for Schubel to possess firearms and ammunition.
Schubel was sentenced in U.S. District Court before District Judge John R. Tunheim.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raphael B. Coburn prosecuted the case.
Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Anthony John Crowley, 52, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer, pled guilty in federal court today to Possession of Child Pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“Anthony Crowley’s crimes against children are a disgrace,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “In the last few months, we have seen a rash of law enforcement officers, public officials, and others in positions of trust abusing children. I have zero tolerance for this betrayal. This office will not relent in holding powerful predators to account.”
According to court documents, Crowley, of Minnetonka, Minnesota, knowingly possessed one or more images which contained visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. In 2022, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) received a cyber tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC). The tip informed them that someone was using the Kik application to upload child pornography images. The Kik user ID was linked to Crowley’s phone number and email address. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Crowley’s home and seized his electronic devices. On those devices, law enforcement found numerous child pornography images and what are known as “child erotica” stories.
Crowley pled guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Laura M. Provinzino. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for a later date. Crowley remains detained pending his sentencing. At the time of his crimes and of his arrest, Crowley was a U.S. Customers and Border Protection Officer. He is now on indefinite suspension.
“As a Customs and Border Protection Officer, Crowley was in a position of public trust. To betray that trust by possessing child sexual abuse material is an egregious perversion of the honor, integrity, and lawfulness that should exemplify federal agents,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Protecting children is our highest calling. This case, made possible by a courageous public tipster and the excellent work of the FBI, BCA, and Minnetonka PD, should send a clear message to anyone who would abuse or exploit children—no matter your position or power, there is no hiding. You will be found and brought to justice.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for their investigation and hard work on this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca E. Kline is prosecuting the case.
Ski Coach Sentenced to 78 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – John David Degelau, age 28, was sentenced to 78 months imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release for Possession of Child Pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Degelau, a then-youth ski coach, created child pornography by imposing the faces of children he coached onto the bodies of child pornography victims.
“A ski coach who used photos of children he coached to create child pornography is now headed to federal prison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Today alone, three child predators were sentenced in federal court for absolutely abhorrent conduct. This epidemic of abuse we are seeing in Minnesota is vile, it is devastating, and it must end.”
According to court documents, John Degelau was caught with over 18,000 files of child pornography. Law enforcement discovered Degelau was a local ski coach working with children. In reviewing Degelau’s devices, law enforcement found that he had created child pornography by using Adobe Photoshop. Degelau used that application by morphing/photoshopping pictures of the children’s faces he coached onto sexually explicit images, to make it appear as though Degelau was performing sex acts on the children. The investigation uncovered that Degelau’s devices also contained images of children swimming at a beach, apparently taken without their knowledge from a concealed position behind bushes or trees.
Degelau was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell. Judge Blackwell sentenced Degelau to 78 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. Judge Blackwell ordered Degelau to pay a special assessment of more than $10,000 that will go to programs supporting victims of child pornography offenses and ordered Degelau to pay restitution to the victims of this crime.
“John Degelau will spend the next several years behind bars, a sentence that demonstrates the serious consequences for adults who abuse their position of trust,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. “Degelau used his access to children for the most sinister purpose: his own sexual gratification. Children in our community should be safe in every location, including at the beach and on the ski hill, but especially in the company of a trusted adult. The FBI appreciates our partnership with the Duluth Police on this important investigation.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Duluth Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Green prosecuted the case.
Serial Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Samuel Eric Snell, 46, was sentenced today to 240 months imprisonment followed by 10 years’ supervised release for Production of Child Pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“There is nothing more despicable than repeatedly abusing children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “We are seeing too many cases like this in Minnesota and every single one of them is unacceptable. Children in Minnesota deserve our protection and those who exploit them will face severe federal consequences.”
Snell for years was a user of gaming platform Discord. On this platform, Snell repeatedly solicited and received more than 400 images of nude photos of minor girls. Snell—at the time a 43-year-old man—posed as a man in his early 20s. He used this fake identity to approach a multitude of children as young as 12 years old. Snell victimized at least ten children using his lies, coercing and manipulating the victims to produce graphic child pornography. Snell also met with minors in person on multiple occasions.
As the government argued at sentencing, Snell selected his victims for their vulnerabilities. He took advantage of their youth, naivete, and difficult life circumstances to feed his own craven and twisted sexual desires. This was not a single mistake, nor was it a simple offense. It involved years of manipulation, thousands and thousands of messages, and affected over ten different children across multiple states. Snell abused and manipulated child after child and would still be doing so had he not been caught.
Snell was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim. In handing down the sentence Judge Tunheim noted, “This is a long sentence, but it is justified” primarily because Snell’s many victims would suffer traumatic effects of his crimes “probably for the rest of their lives.”
“Samuel Snell is a classic child predator, and today he received an appropriately harsh sentence,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. “Snell targeted vulnerable children, including those who had existing mental health concerns. He callously groomed and manipulated at least 10 children with total disregard for their wellbeing. The FBI will work tirelessly to identify and arrest anyone who preys on innocent children.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, with assistance from the Inver Grove Heights Police and Woodbury Police Departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian C. Weir prosecuted the case.
Repeat Sexual Offender Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Nicholas Richard Lugo, 25, was sentenced today to 180 months imprisonment followed by 15 years’ supervised release for the Distribution of Child Pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“A 15-year sentence cannot undo the harm Lugo repeatedly inflicted on children, but it delivers justice and protection,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “We are prosecuting several cases like this in federal court today, and every one of them is heartbreaking. Minnesota’s children deserve protection, and those who prey on them will face federal consequences.”
In 2021, Lugo was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Hennepin County, Minnesota. He received a stayed sentence of 144 months’ imprisonment, 180 days in the workhouse, and five years of predatory offender supervision. In October 2024, while Lugo was on supervision, he obtained a cell phone prohibited by the terms of his release. He used that unauthorized cell phone to download a social media application and receive and distribute images and videos of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse material, depicting the sexual abuse of young children. The identified images and videos are of real children—real children experienced this abuse, which the defendant downloaded, consumed, and shared for his gratification.
Lugo was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before District Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan. When handing down the sentence Judge Bryan noted that this crime is “one of the more egregious crimes we have in our society.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office recognizes the suffering of the victims in this case and in Lugo’s prior sexual abuse case. No child should experience sexual violence and offenders must be held accountable.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Chaska Police Department and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead prosecuted the case.
Jury Convicts Defendant of Hiding Methamphetamine in Stuffed AnimalsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Late yesterday, following a two-day jury trial, Damien Duwjan Shade, age 48, was found guilty of all charged counts in the indictment, that is, one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and one count of Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“Stuffed animals are symbols of childhood, not vessels for poison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Turning a child’s toy into a cover for lethal drugs shows the lengths drug traffickers will go to peddle their poison. This verdict ensures there will be consequences.”
According to evidence presented at trial, in March 2023, the Rochester Police Department responded to the FedEx facility at the Rochester Airport after learning of three suspicious packages sent from San Diego, California, to two separate addresses in Winona, Minnesota. The packages were all shipped from the same sender—“Trayvon Strange”—and were addressed to fictitious individuals whom law enforcement determined did not live at the stated addresses.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Rochester Police Department arranged for a drug detecting K9 to sniff the packages. The K9 alerted to the presence of drugs inside the packages. Law enforcement received warrants to open the packages. In the packages, law enforcement found six pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside of stuffed animals.
The next day, law enforcement placed sensors and tracking devices inside the packages, removing all but a small amount of methamphetamine from each box and replacing the methamphetamine with “filler”—rock salt and other materials—to approximate the original weight of the packages.
Law enforcement conducted a “controlled delivery,” delivering the packages to the addresses on the packages. The mother of the defendant’s children initially retrieved the packages and then the defendant arrived at her home to collect the packages, which he believed were full of methamphetamine. Law enforcement searched the scene and found that the defendant had opened the controlled delivery packages. Law enforcement found the controlled delivery methamphetamine and the guts of the cut-open stuffed animals.
The defendant confessed. He said that he traveled to California, purchased several pounds meth, and then shipped it back to himself in Minnesota using fake names. He admitted he hid the methamphetamine inside of stuffed animals. He also admitted he had a gun at his apartment, which he was not legally allowed to possess because he is a felon.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Shade’s home. There, they found the third controlled delivery package, unopened, on a chair in the living room. The package contained the stuffed animals, repackaged with the filler material that law enforcement switched out for the methamphetamine.
Law enforcement further found a loaded Comanche III .357 Magnum revolver in a dresser drawer, a digital scale, approximately 30 small Ziplock baggies in an unlocked safe, and what appeared to be a drug ledger. A search of the bedroom closet further revealed a stash of over 400 live .357 Magnum handgun rounds and a spent casing.
As charged in the indictment, in 2013, Shade was previously convicted of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm in San Diego, California.
On September 24, 2025, a federal jury convicted Shade on both charged counts in U.S. District Court before District Judge Michael J. Davis. Shade will be sentenced at a later date. He faces up to life in prison.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Rochester Police Department, the Winona County Sheriff’s Office, the Winona Police Department, and other members of the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team (SEMVCET).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren O. Roso and Syngen Kanassatega prosecuted and tried the case.
Brothers Charged in $8 Million Armed Crypto-Kidnapping HeistRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Raymond Christian Garcia, 23, and Isiah Angelo Garcia, 24, were charged federally by complaint with Kidnapping for engaging in a kidnapping and cryptocurrency heist where they held a family at gunpoint for nine hours and stole $8 million in crypto currency, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. The crime forced Mahtomedi Public Schools to cancel its homecoming football game for the safety of its community.
“A violent kidnapping that stole $8 million and silenced a homecoming game is not just a crime. It is a blow to the sense of safety of everyone in Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “This is not normal. Minnesotans should not accept wild violence and thievery as normal. Every Minnesotan deserves to live in peace and a life unaffected by rampant crime.”
On September 19, 2025, at 4:45 pm, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received a 911 call from an adult male who reported that he and his family had been victims of an armed robbery and kidnapping by two adult male suspects and had been held hostage at gunpoint within their residence in Grant, Minnesota. The two kidnappers were the Garcia brothers. The 911 caller reported that he, his father (Victim 1), and his mother had been held hostage.
At 7:45 am that morning, Victim 1 was taking out a garbage can to the street when the Garcia brothers suddenly appeared and pointed an AR-15-style rifle and a shotgun at Victim 1. The Garcia brothers took Victim 1 into the garage where they bound his hands with zip ties. They then brought Victim 1 into the house. The Garcia brothers woke up Victim 1’s wife and adult son at gunpoint. They also zip tied their hands and forced them to lie on the floor.
Defendant Raymond Garcia held the wife and son in their home for nine hours. Raymond Garcia was armed with the AR-15-style rifle for the duration of the kidnapping. About 15 minutes before the son called 911, Raymond Garcia left the home out the back door with the AR-15-style rifle, heading towards the tree line. Raymond Garcia returned to the home shortly thereafter, without the rifle.
Meanwhile, while Raymond Garcia held the wife and son hostage, defendant Isiah Garcia forced Victim 1 at gunpoint to log into his cryptocurrency accounts. Isiah Garcia demanded that Victim 1 transfer large amounts of cryptocurrency into a cryptocurrency wallet that Isiah Garcia provided. During the robbery, Victim 1 saw both Garcia brothers frequently making phone calls to an unknown third party, who appeared to be providing the information related to the cryptocurrency accounts and transfers.
Through this third party, the Garcia brothers became aware that Victim 1 had additional cryptocurrency funds. They demanded the money. Victim 1 explained that the remaining funds were on a hard drive-style cryptocurrency wallet that was stored at a family cabin approximately three hours away.
Isiah Garcia, armed with the shotgun, then forced Victim 1 into Victim 1’s truck. Isiah Garcia drove the truck and Victim 1 to the family’s cabin to retrieve the hard drive. All the while, Raymond Garcia held Victim 1’s wife and son hostage with the AR-15-style rifle. At the cabin, Victim 1 transferred the remaining funds to the cryptocurrency wallet provided by Isiah Garcia. Isiah Garcia then drove Victim 1 back towards Victim 1’s home.
In total, the Garcia brothers forced Victim 1 to transfer $8 million worth of cryptocurrency to their wallets.
As Isiah Garcia and Victim 1 were returning to the home, Victim 1’s son used the moments that Raymond Garcia left the home to call 911. Washington County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the scene following the 911 call and found the wife and son zip tied in the house. As they arrived, Washington County Sheriff’s Deputies saw a man, later identified as Raymond Garcia, running out the back door. When law enforcement searched the area around the home, they located a suitcase in the tree line. In the suitcase, they found a disassembled AR-15-style rifle, AR-15 ammunition, as well as clothing items and beverages.
Multiple squads responded to the 911 call, some of whom unknowingly passed Isiah Garcia and Victim 1 as they pulled over to allow the emergency vehicles to pass. Isiah Garcia turned the truck around, parked it nearby, and walked towards a nearby middle school parking lot. Isiah Garcia ditched the shotgun in a nearby field. To protect the safety of the community, Mahtomedi Public Schools was forced to cancel its homecoming football game in response to the ongoing law enforcement activity near the campus.
Using a Wendy’s receipt located in the suitcase recovered behind Victim 1’s house, law enforcement was able to determine that Isiah Garcia had rented a white Chevrolet three days prior to the kidnapping, near Houston, Texas. Law enforcement also located video surveillance showing that Raymond Garcia rented a Motel 6 room in Roseville, Minnesota, shortly before the kidnapping. Law enforcement saw that, shortly after law enforcement responded to the scene of the kidnapping, the white Malibu returned to the Motel 6. The next day, law enforcement spotted the car on cameras in Oklahoma. On September 21, 2025, law enforcement tracked the car back to the home of the Garcia brothers in Waller, Texas. After returning to Texas, Raymond Garcia reported that his AR-15-style firearm that he used in the kidnapping and robbery had been stolen.
On September 22, 2025, law enforcement arrested the Garcia brothers in Texas. Once in custody, Isiah Garcia confessed. He admitted that he and his brother Raymond Garcia had driven to Minnesota, held Victim 1 and his family at gunpoint, tied them up using zip ties, and driven Victim 1 to the family cabin. On September 23, 2025, the Garcia brothers were charged by complaint in Washington County, Minnesota with three counts of kidnapping with a firearm, one count of first-degree aggravated robbery, and three counts of first-degree burglary.
On September 24, 2025, the Garcia brothers were both charged in a federal complaint with kidnapping. Both defendants will make their initial appearances in federal court today and the government will request their detention pending trial.
“As alleged in the complaint, the Garcia brothers terrorized a Minnesota family in their own home, kidnapping one family member while holding the rest of the family hostage in order to conduct a brazen cryptocurrency theft,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. “This office, together with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners in Minnesota and in Texas, will work tirelessly to hold accountable those responsible for this horrific crime.”
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office extends its profound sympathies to the victims and lauds them for their bravery and quick action in calling 911. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is grateful for its partnership with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington County Attorney’s Office. The quick and excellent federal-state cooperation in this case was essential to the filing of federal charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca E. Kline is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
First Defendant Charged in Autism Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Asha Farhan Hassan, age 28, was charged today by federal information with wire fraud for her role in a $14 million autism fraud scheme. Hassan was also charged with participating in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, for which she received $465,000.
“Today’s charges mark the first in the ongoing investigation into fraud in the EIDBI Autism Program,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “To be clear, this is not an isolated scheme. From Feeding Our Future to Housing Stabilization Services and now Autism Services, these massive fraud schemes form a web that has stolen billions of dollars in taxpayer money. Each case we bring exposes another strand of this network. The challenge is immense, but our work continues.”
The EIDBI Autism Fraud Scheme
As set forth in the information, Hassan and others devised and carried out a scheme to defraud the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (“EIDBI”) benefit, a publicly funded Minnesota Health Care Program that offers medically necessary services to people under the age of 21 with autism spectrum disorder (“ASD”). According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (“DHS”) website, the purpose of the EIDBI program is “to provide medically necessary, early and intensive intervention for people with ASD and related conditions.”
Applied Behavior Analysis, sometimes called “ABA therapy,” is a type of one-on-one behavioral therapy designed to help children on the autism spectrum develop social and emotional skills. ABA therapy seeks to improve social skills by rewarding and reinforcing positive behavior while discouraging negative behavior. The EIDBI benefit covers various treatment options for persons diagnosed with ASD and related conditions, including ABA therapy. EIDBI treatment services must be delivered under the supervision of a Qualified Supervising Professional (or “QSP”) that is employed by the EIDBI provider.
In order to qualify for the EIDBI benefit, a person must be under 21 years old; be diagnosed with ASD or a related condition; have had a comprehensive multi-disciplinary evaluation (CMDE) that establishes their medical need for EIDBI services; and be enrolled in a qualifying healthcare program, such as Medicaid. The CMDE is used to develop the person’s individual treatment plan (ITP). An ITP is a personalized, written plan of care that outlines the goals for the person and sets forth the specific interventions the person will receive based on their individual, assessed needs.
From November 2019 through December 2024, Asha Hassan and others devised and carried out a scheme to defraud the EIDBI autism services program. Hassan formed and registered Smart Therapy LLC with the Minnesota Secretary of State in November 2019. Hassan listed herself as the sole owner of Smart Therapy. In reality, other individuals also had ownership stakes in Smart Therapy but were not listed on DHS documents, including because one of the owners previously owned an adult daycare and was excluded by DHS for three years due to her conduct running the adult daycare center. Shortly after forming the company, Hassan enrolled Smart Therapy as a provider agency in the EIDBI program. As discussed below, Hassan also enrolled Smart Therapy in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future.
Smart Therapy purported to be providing necessary one-on-one ABA therapy to children with autism. In fact, Smart Therapy employed unqualified individuals as “behavioral technicians.” These behavioral technicians were often 18- or 19-year-old relatives with no formal education beyond high school and no training or certifications related to the treatment of autism.
To run their fraud scheme, Hassan and her partners needed children who had an autism diagnosis and an individual treatment plan. Hassan and her partners approached parents in the Somali community to recruit their children into Smart Therapy. Where a child did not have an autism diagnosis and an individual treatment plan, HASSAN and her partners worked with a QSP to get the recruited child qualified for autism services. There was no child that Smart Therapy was not able to get qualified for autism services.
As a recruitment tactic to drive up enrollment, Hassan and her partners paid monthly cash kickback payments to the parents of children who enrolled their children in Smart Therapy to receive autism services. These kickback payments ranged from approximately $300 to $1,500 per month, per child. The amount of these payments was contingent on the services DHS authorized a child to receive—the higher the authorization amount, the higher the kickback. Often, parents threatened to leave Smart Therapy and take their children to other autism centers if they did not get paid higher kickbacks. Several larger families left Smart Therapy after being offered larger kickbacks by other autism centers. Hassan and her partners covered the cost of the kickback payments that Smart Therapy paid to parents through the fraudulent billings to Medicaid.
Hassan and her partners submitted millions of dollars’ worth of claims for Medicaid reimbursement on behalf of Smart Therapy. Many of these claims were fraudulently inflated, were billed without providers’ knowledge, and were for services that were not actually provided. Hassan submitted claims seeking reimbursement for the maximum number of hours permitted by Medicaid for a given treatment or service given to a particular client, when the client only received a fraction of those treatment hours, if any treatment was provided at all on that day. These claims were then repeated for numerous other providers. Hassan submitted claims for reimbursement to Medicaid that included fraudulent signatures or approvals from the required medical providers or supervising QSPs. In reality, the providers and QSPs either did not work for Smart Therapy, were out of the country on the day the services were provided or had not participated in or signed off on the services listed in the claims.
Most of the children were dropped off in the morning and picked up in the evening by drivers, who billed DHS for transportation services. It was a part of the fraud scheme that some of these transportation providers were also on the payroll of Smart Therapy.
Hassan’s fraudulent scheme resulted in Smart Therapy obtaining more than $14 million in EIDBI reimbursement funds from Minnesota DHS and UCare. Hassan split the proceeds of the fraud schemes with her partners. Hassan sent hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraud proceeds abroad, some of which she used to purchase real estate in Kenya.
The Federal Child Nutrition Program and Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme
As set forth in the information, Hassan and others devised and carried out a scheme to defraud the Summer Food Service Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program (together, the “Federal Child Nutrition Program”), a program designed to provide meals to hungry children. MDE administers the Federal Child Nutrition Program in Minnesota.
Beginning in April 2020, Aimee Bock, the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, oversaw a massive scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program carried out by sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Bock and Feeding Our Future sponsored entities that submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims and fake documentation while purporting to serve hundreds and, in many instances, thousands of children per day. Bock and her company sponsored the opening of nearly 200 Federal Child Nutrition Program sites despite knowing that the sites intended to and did submit fraudulent claims.
While using Smart Therapy to defraud the EIDBI autism program, Hassan also used Smart Therapy to engage in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Hassan enrolled Smart Therapy in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future in July 2020.
Shortly after enrolling in the program, Hassan began submitting fraudulent claims to Feeding Our Future. Hassan fraudulently claimed that Smart Therapy was serving breakfast and lunch to exactly 300 children a day, 7 days per week. Hassan prepared and submitted fraudulent meal counts, attendance rosters, and invoices in support of the fraudulent claims. Hassan submitted fraudulent invoices purporting to show that a food vendor company called S & S Catering provided meals to be served at the Smart Therapy site. By April 2021, Hassan claimed to be serving approximately 1,200 meals per day to children, 7 days per week, at Smart Therapy.
Between 2020 and 2021, Hassan claimed to have served nearly 200,000 meals to children at the Smart Therapy site, for which she claimed to be entitled to approximately $465,000 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
“Abusing publicly funded health care programs for personal profit is an act of duplicity, greed, and a betrayal of the most vulnerable in our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The alleged fraud by Hassan resulted in the theft of millions of dollars intended to serve and support children in need. The FBI and our partners will not stop pursuing those who unscrupulously exploit government programs. We will secure justice for the taxpayers of Minnesota.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case.
An information is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Edina Man Indicted in $975,000 Covid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Mark Erjavec, 49, was indicted on five counts of wire fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Erjavec, of Edina, Minnesota, fraudulently obtained and stole more than $975,000 in Covid-19 relief funds. Erjavec made his initial appearance in federal court today.
“Erjavec stole nearly $1 million in government dollars meant to keep small businesses alive during the pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “When Minnesotans were struggling to keep their doors open and pay their workers, Erjavec lined his own pockets. Fraud that exploits a crisis is especially shameful.”
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mark Erjavec, devised and executed a scheme to defraud federal Covid-19 relief programs to enrich himself. Specifically, Erjavec took advantage of programs created to provide a financial lifeline to small businesses during the pandemic. Erjavec took funds intended for struggling businesses by resurrecting shell entities and submitting false applications.
Specifically, Erjavec reactivated dormant business entities for use in his scheme. From the mid-1990s until the early 2000s, Erjavec owned nine businesses that were registered in Minnesota. Those companies included Tricolor Heron, LLC, Mesaba Finance – Law, LLC, Mesaba Finance – Summit, LLC, among others. Each of these entities were administratively dissolved by the Minnesota Secretary of State between 2008 and 2013.
From April 2020 to August 2020, Erjavec reactivated these dormant business entities and used them to submit fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA). In those submissions, Erjavec overstated revenues, claimed nonexistent employees, and attached fabricated IRS tax forms to lend the appearance of legitimate business activity. Erjavec often opened new checking accounts for the shell entities on the same day (or within days) of registering the business.
As a result of his fraud scheme, Erjavec obtained more than $975,000 in Covid-19 relief funds. Erjavec stole that money, which he wired into accounts he controlled exclusively. Erjavec used the money for his own personal benefit and spending.
“As alleged in the indictment, Mark Erjavec knowingly submitted false and fraudulent documents to the Small Business Administration in order to take money intended for legitimate small businesses suffering during the Covid-era economic downturn,” said Minneapolis FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. “Erjavec re-registered dormant business entities in order to facilitate the theft of more than $975,000 in taxpayer dollars. Our efforts to stop this egregious fraud are moving forward full speed ahead; we will work with our partners at the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Attorney's Office to hold accountable those who illegally enrich themselves by defrauding the government.”
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Commerce and the FBI, as a part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defendants Charged in First Wave of Housing Stabilization Fraud CasesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Eight defendants have been federally charged with wire fraud for their roles in a massive housing stabilization fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“Today we announce the first wave of charges in a massive fraud in Minnesota’s housing stabilization program,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “I want to be clear on the scope of the crisis. What we see are schemes stacked upon schemes, draining resources meant for those in need. It feels never ending. I have spent my career as a fraud prosecutor and the depth of the fraud in Minnesota takes my breath away. The fraud must be stopped.”
The Scheme to Defraud the Housing Stabilization Services Program
As set forth in the charging documents, the defendants devised and carried out schemes to defraud federally funded health care benefits collected within Minnesota’s Housing Stability Services Program. The HSS Program dates back to July 2022, when Minnesota became the first state in the country to offer Medicaid coverage for Housing Stabilization Services. The Program was designed to help people with disabilities, including seniors and people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders, find and maintain housing. Rather than provide such help, the defendants obtained and misappropriated millions of dollars in program funds that were intended as reimbursements for services provided to those people.
The Program permitted reimbursements for four principal kinds of services: (1) housing consultation; (2) housing transition services; (3) housing sustaining services; and (4) moving expenses.
By design, the Program had low barriers to entry for new providers and for beneficiaries. The Program also had minimal requirements for reimbursement. The HSS Program’s low barriers to entry and minimal records requirements for reimbursement combined to make the Program susceptible to fraud.
Before the Program’s inaugural year, the Program was predicted to cost about $2.6 million annually. That proved to be inaccurate. In 2021 alone, the Program paid out more than $21 million in claims. That figure ballooned in the following years: $42 million in 2022, $74 million in 2023, $104 million in 2024. In just the first six months of 2025, the Program paid out another $61 million.
A federal investigation revealed that many Program providers defrauded the system. These providers acquired the names of Program-eligible beneficiaries from facilities like addiction treatment centers. They then used those individuals’ information to submit inflated and fake reimbursement claims. In this fashion, the providers acquired substantial pay-outs of taxpayer money to which they were not entitled. They used those ill-gotten gains for their own enrichment.
United States v. Moktar Aden et al., 25-cr-349 (MJD/JFD)
(Brilliant Minds Services LLC)
- Defendant Moktar Hassan Aden, age 30
- Defendant Mustafa Dayib Ali, age 29
- Defendant Khalid Ahmed Dayib, age 26
- Defendant Abdifitah Mohamud Mohamed, age 27
In April 2022, Aden and his co-defendants, Dayib and Ali completed paperwork to enroll Aden’s company, called Brilliant Minds Services LLC, as an HSS Provider. With Abdifitah Mohamed, those defendants then purported to service individuals in need through Brilliant Minds from an office suite in the Griggs-Midway Building in St. Paul, Minnesota. Mohamed also operated another program provider called Foundation First Services LLC, which has offices in the same building. Through Foundation First, Mohamed claimed to provide Program-reimbursable consultation services to other HSS providers, including Brilliant Minds.
The defendants, along with their employees at Brilliant Minds, were supposed to provide housing consulting, transitioning, and sustaining services to qualifying people in need. Instead, the defendants caused the submission of fake and inflated bills and provided only a fraction of their claimed total.
In all, between approximately September 2022 and April 2025, Brilliant Minds submitted reimbursement claims totaling about $2.3 million. From such claims, in 2024, Brilliant Minds LLC was one of the ten highest-billing HSS providers state-wide.
The defendants diverted some of those taxpayer dollars to their conspirators, and they kept much for themselves. From about April 2023 through about May 2025, each of the defendants personally pocketed between about $300,000 and $400,000 from Brilliant Minds. The defendants also shared a Platinum American Express credit card, on which they accrued nearly half a million dollars in charges to fund and enhance their lifestyles. The defendants paid those charges using Brilliant Mind’s company accounts.
United States v. Christopher Falade, et al., 25-cr-351 (JMB/DJF)
(Faladcare Inc.)
- Defendant Christopher Adesoji Falade, age 62
- Defendant Emmanuel Oluwademilade Falade, age 32
Christopher Falade and his son, Emmanuel Falade, worked together to run Faladcare Inc. as a provider in the HSS Program.
The Falades, along with their employees at Faladcare, were supposed to provide housing consulting, transitioning, and sustaining services to qualifying people in need.
Instead, over the course of years, the Falades and their conspirators created and submitted Program reimbursement claims that were inflated and fraudulent. By doing so, Faladcare received Program payments far exceeding the HSS services they had actually provided. In all, the Falades claimed to service about 100 different beneficiaries and for such services claimed to be entitled to over $2.2 million. The Falades diverted much of their fraud proceeds to their conspirators, including to their Faladcare employees.
United States v. Asad Ahmed Adow, 25-cr-354 (ADM)
(Leo Human Services LLC)
- Defendant Asad Ahmed Adow, age 26
Asad Adow was the owner and principal of Leo Human Services LLC, a company based out of a business suite in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
Adow operated Leo as an HSS Provider from a residence in Blaine, Minnesota and a business suite in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
Asad Adow directed his employees at Leo Human Services to bill as much as they could. At the same time, Adow made clear to those employees that he would not scrutinize the purported billable hours his employees submitted. In this way, Asad Adow incentivized his employees, who were paid hourly wages, to inflate their hours. As the company owner and principal, Asad Adow made more money when his employees overrepresented their billings—which Asad Adow then submitted for Program reimbursement.
Asad Adow also trained his employees at Leo to create notes detailing the purported services they provided. The HSS Program does not require providers to submit such notes to receive reimbursements. However, Asad Adow directed his employees to create service notes so that the company would have them in case DHS ever conducted an audit. Once again, Asad Adow knew that his employees were manufacturing notes that falsely represented their having provided Program services.
Ultimately, based on inflated and fraudulent claims, Leo Human Services received about $2.7 million in Program funds based on the company’s claims to have provided services to about 250 beneficiaries.
Asad Adow diverted much of those taxpayer dollars to his conspirators, including his employees at Leo and his brother, Anwar Adow. Asad Adow also spent proceeds from his scheme to invest in real estate in Kenya, to lease an apartment in Roseville, Minnesota and a 2024 BMW X4, and to fund his lifestyle.
United States v. Anwar Ahmed Adow, 25-cr-353 (PAM)
(Liberty Plus LLC)
- Defendant Anwar Ahmed Adow, age 25
Anwar Adow was the owner and principal of Liberty Plus LLC, a company based out of a business suite in Roseville, Minnesota. In April 2024, Anwar Adow applied to be an HSS provider. Anwar Adow thereafter purported to service individuals in need through Liberty from a business suite in Roseville, Minnesota.
Anwar Adow directed his employees at Liberty Plus to bill as much as they could. At the same time, Anwar Adow made clear to those employees that he would not scrutinize the purported billable hours his employees submitted to him. In this way, Anwar Adow incentivized his employees, who were paid hourly wages, to inflate their hours. As the company owner and principal, Anwar Adow made more money when his employees overrepresented their billings—which Anwar Adow then submitted for Program reimbursement.
Ultimately, based on inflated and fraudulent claims, Liberty Plus received more than $1.2 million in Medicaid funds for services purportedly provided to approximately 200 beneficiaries.
Anwar Adow diverted much of those taxpayer dollars to his conspirators, including his employees at Liberty and his brother, Asad Adow. Anwar Adow also spent proceeds from his scheme to lease a 2023 Mercedes-Benz CLA, to make investments, and to fund his lifestyle.
“Fraud in the Housing Stabilization Services program not only drains money from hardworking taxpayers, it also deprives vulnerable populations of resources to maintain safe housing," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Exploiting this program undermines the financial and physical security of the community amid a housing and addiction crisis. The FBI is relentless in working with our law enforcement partners to root out this fraud and prosecute those who enrich themselves at the expense of the community.”
“The charges filed today represent another big blow to organized program fraud in Minnesota,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “The Minnesota Housing Stabilization Service program was supposed to be a groundbreaking resource to provide stability, assistance, and dignity to seniors and individuals with disabilities. Instead, program funds were diverted to the pockets of greedy opportunists. IRS-CI is proud to partner with our federal and state agencies in investigations like these and will continue to provide our expertise and resources to fight back against those who have chosen to make their living exploiting some of our most vulnerable citizens. The public has the right to expect their hard-earned tax dollars are being used judiciously.”
“The fraud detailed in the criminal charges announced today reflects a calculated effort on the part of the defendants to significantly exploit a program designed to serve vulnerable populations and taxpayers at large” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Our agency remains committed to working together with our federal and state law enforcement partners to identify and bring to justice those who defraud our nation’s healthcare programs.”
“Funding provided through Housing Stabilization Services is intended to help Minnesotans achieve a stable, housed future. When criminals selfishly defraud these programs they are not only committing a crime, but they are depriving others of services that can be life-changing, and defrauding all taxpaying Minnesotans,” Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
56th Defendant Pleads Guilty in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Today, Abdullahe Nur Jesow, age 65, became the 56th defendant to plead guilty in the massive Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“On the very day we secured our 56th conviction in the Feeding Our Future fraud cases, we have also brought the first wave of charges in the Housing Stabilization fraud scheme,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “I am proud of the extraordinary work of our prosecutors, federal agents, and law enforcement partners who are working around the clock to expose these crimes. But the truth is they should not have to. Minnesota deserves better.”
Jesow was one of eight defendants charged in United States v. Hassan, et al., 22-cr-224 (NEB/DTS). This group, the S&S Catering group, purported to run food program sites, including on Lake Street in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group worked together to steal and then launder $17.4 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program money that was meant to feed hungry children during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Today, Jesow pled guilty before District Judge Nancy E. Brasel to money laundering for his role in the scheme. Jesow had been set to proceed to trial before Judge Brasel on October 14, 2025. One defendant now remains in that trial.
Jesow operated a Federal Child Nutrition Program site called Academy For Youth Excellence. Academy For Youth Excellence purported to run a site and serve meals out of Benadir Hall, a banquet hall located above S & S Catering. Benadir Hall was listed on the site application for Academy For Youth Excellence that scheme leader Aimee Bock submitted to MDE on December 30, 2020. Academy For Youth Excellence contracted with S & S Catering to act as a vendor to provide the food that the site was to serve or deliver to children under the federal food program.
Beginning in December 2020, Jesow and his co-conspirators claimed to serve approximately 2,500 meals a day to children, seven days a week. By April 2021, Jesow and his co-conspirators claimed to serve approximately 5,000 meals a day to children, seven days a week. As Jesow knew, these numbers were grossly inflated. In support of their false claims, Jesow’s co-conspirators prepared and submitted fraudulent meal counts, attendance rosters, and invoices.
In total, during the period between December 2020 to September 2021, Academy For Youth Excellence claimed to have served more than 1.7 million meals. In reality, Academy for Youth Excellence only provided a fraction of those meals. Based on these claims, Jesow’s co-conspirators received $4,286,088 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, Jesow received approximately 5% of that amount, and then returned the bulk of it to the co-conspirators in cash or check payments, laundering the proceeds of the fraud scheme.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs, Daniel W. Bobier, and Melinda A. Williams are prosecuting the case.
Mosque Arsonist Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Jackie Rahm Little, age 38, pled guilty today to one count of arson and one count of damage to religious property, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. In April 2023, Little set fire to the Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the Masjid Omar Islamic Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“When someone sets fire to a house of worship, it is not only a federal crime, it is an attack on the heart of a community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Minnesota has endured too many assaults on our sacred spaces. Such hatred and destruction will always be met with federal prosecution as we continue to defend everyone’s right to worship in safety and peace.”
On April 24, 2023, Little traveled to the Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque (also known as the Mercy Islamic Center) in Bloomington, Minnesota, a public place of worship. Little carried with him a container of gasoline or other ignitable liquid, and after he entered the Mosque, used it to set fire to the Mosque’s third floor hallway and stairwell. The Mosque had to be evacuated, including the evacuation of children who were attending daycare. The resulting damage to the Mosque totaled more than $378,000.
The day prior, on April 23, 2023, Little started a fire in the bathroom of the Masjid Omar Islamic Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, also a public place of worship. Little lit a cardboard box on fire inside of a bathroom stall and intended to leave it there for the rest of the building to ignite. Fortunately, Little was interrupted by an employee and the defendant fled leaving partially burned cardboard and a gas cannister behind.
Little pled guilty today, before District Judge Ann D. Montgomery. He will be sentenced at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is prosecuting the case.
Minnesota Woman Pleads Guilty in $2 Million Counterfeit Medical Devices CaseRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Tammy Wadsworth, age 63, pled guilty today to possessing altered, forged, or counterfeit medical products, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Wadsworth, the founder of a pain clinic, defrauded more than a dozen franchise owners through a sophisticated fraud scheme involving microcurrent therapy provided at franchise treatment centers across the United States. She then attempted to conceal her fraud scheme by laundering significant portions of the money she fraudulently obtained from franchise owners.
“Wadsworth is a modern-day snake oil salesman,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Fraud that exploits families searching for answers is among the most shameless crimes we see. It is theft dressed up as innovation. Wadsworth now joins the long line of Minnesota fraudsters who will see federal justice.”
Wadsworth is the founder and owner of Pain, Injury and Brain Centers of America (“PIBCOA”). PIBCOA was a Minnesota limited liability company located in Winona, Minnesota. PIBCOA had clinics and offices throughout the United States.
Wadsworth and PIBCOA claimed to provide a treatment called “A.I. Myoneurvascular Therapy” that, using artificial intelligence and low voltage electricity, would restore degenerative cells to healthy, fully functioning cells. This claim was false. The treatment involved the application of electrodes to the patient’s skin that, when the system was turned on, would deliver various levels of electrical currents to the patient. Wadsworth falsely claimed that A.I. Myoneurvascular Therapy could be used to treat virtually any type of disease, disorder, or condition with a 95% success rate, including Lupus, Crohn’s Disease, Depression, Infertility, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Autism.
Starting in May 2017, Wadsworth devised a scheme to recruit franchise owners to open clinics and provide A.I. Myoneurvascular Therapy to patients around the country. Wadsworth pitched franchise owners with her false claims that A.I. Myoneurvascular Therapy was “state-of-the-art technology” that “treats the untreatable.”
Wadsworth trained franchisees on use of PIBCOA’s equipment and treatment and sold them expensive medical devices and gels that Wadsworth claimed were developed solely for PIBCOA to provide A.I. Myoneurvascular Therapy. In reality, the devices Wadsworth sold to franchise owners had serial numbers, manufacturer information, and product information removed or covered up. Wadsworth refaced the equipment and replaced the manufacturer’s label with a PIBCOA label to pretend that it was her own. Additionally, PIBCOA’s A.I. Myoneurvascular Therapy was not only unsuccessful in treating the diseases and conditions as promised by Wadsworth, but in many cases, the treatment caused injuries to the franchise owners and patients, including burns, scars, and severe nausea.
Wadsworth promised the franchise owners a “great source of revenue.” Wadsworth charged franchise owners between $60,000 and $250,000 to open PIBCOA franchises. After discovering Wadsworth’s false representations both with respect to the equipment they purchased and the use of such equipment to treat patients, all the franchise owners were forced to shut down their businesses. Many incurred substantial financial losses.
In total, the defendant’s actions caused $887,061 in actual loss and as much as more than $2 million in total loss to PIBCOA franchise owners, including payments directly to Wadsworth for equipment, royalties, and franchising costs as well as financial losses associated with the closure of franchisees’ unsuccessful PIBCOA businesses. She primarily used the money to purchase real estate, including a house in Nevada, a Mercedes Benz, and fund her extravagant lifestyle.
Wadsworth pled guilty today. She will be sentenced at a later date.
“U.S. consumers rely on the FDA to ensure that their medical devices are safe and effective and bear true and accurate labeling for their intended uses,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronne Malham of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who threaten the health of consumers by evading federal requirements.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca E. Kline is prosecuting the case.
Minnesota Fraudster Sentenced to 51 Months for Embezzling $2.7 MillionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Destiny McKayla Combs, 37, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 51 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for embezzlement, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Destiny Combs was the Accounting Manager for a surrogacy agency and affiliated law firm. Combs used her position of trust to embezzle more than $2.7 million from her employer. Combs gambled away most of the $2.7 million she stole.
“Combs treated her workplace like her own personal slot machine,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Combs’s crime is part of a disturbing wave of fraud sweeping across Minnesota. From private companies to public programs, fraud has seeped into every corner of our state. We will continue to attack this fraud plague with everything we’ve got at the federal level.”
According to court documents, Destiny Combs was the Accounting Manager for a surrogacy agency and affiliated law firm for approximately nine years. In her position, Combs was solely responsible for managing both companies’ finances, including taxes and financial statements. Combs was such a trusted member of the management team that, in 2022, the company’s owner agreed to sell the surrogacy agency to Combs upon his retirement in 2023. As the sale date approached, however, Combs abruptly quit and moved to Florida.
A subsequent investigation revealed that between February 2019 and June 2023, Combs embezzled approximately $2.72 million from the businesses. Combs’s scheme was simple: she used personal credit cards to fund her gambling habit, then used company funds to pay her credit card bills. Combs stole the money to fuel her online gambling addiction. She made fraudulent entries in the companies’ books to disguise her credit card payments as business expenses, and exploited the trust and autonomy her company gave her to go undetected. Over 52 months, Combs made approximately 292 payments from the company accounts to her personal American Express credit card, totaling $2,723,025.
While this case was pending and Combs was under the supervision of pretrial services, she repeatedly lied to her probation officer and violated her terms of release. Among other things, without authorization or knowledge of her probation officer, she traveled to New York City, New York; Tucson, Arizona; Miami, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Seattle, Washington.
Combs was sentenced today before Judge John M. Gerrard in U.S. District Court. In handing down the sentence, Judge Gerrard noted Ms. Combs’s bad behavior while on pretrial-release, including her multiple trips to Las Vegas, Nevada, in flagrant violation of the travel restrictions imposed upon her by the Court.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service and the Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case.
Carver Man Charged in Animal Crushing CaseRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Bryan Wesley Edison, age 32, has been federally indicted with sixteen counts of Animal Crushing, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Edison created hundreds of videos showing animals being tortured, drowned, dismembered, disemboweled, attacked, and killed, which he published and sold on his pay-per-view YouTube channels. Edison made his initial appearance in federal court today.
“Animal crushing is not only sickening, it is a federal crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “When someone takes pleasure in the torture of defenseless animals, it signals a deeper danger to our community. Especially in these troubled times, we will not allow these warning signs to go unchecked.”
In 2019, President Trump overhauled and expanded the “Crush Video Statute” with the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (“PACT Act”) to make it unlawful for any person to purposely engage in animal “crushing,” that is, purposely crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impaling, or otherwise subjecting to serious bodily injury living mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians. This act recognized that individuals who intentionally torture and kill animals pose a unique danger to others and to society as a whole.
Since 2022, Bryan Edison, of Carver, Minnesota, operated pay-per-view YouTube Channels that depicted animals being crushed and tortured for Edison and his viewers’ sadistic enjoyment. Edison posted nearly 350 animal crush videos on his YouTube channels. Edison created and then posted videos in which he purposefully placed live animals into artificial enclosures such as a playpen, a bathtub, and a shower. These animals included birds, hamsters, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, lizards and other large live reptiles, dogs, and snapping turtles. Edison would sometimes costume the animals or set up a “scenario” in which the torture would occur. Edison would then create crush videos in which the animals suffered prolonged torture and death through impalement, crushing, drowning, suffocating, and being skinned and dismembered alive by the larger animals.
Edison allowed the public to freely access some videos. Other videos required a subscription by the user. Edison set up different “membership” levels offered for $0.99, $9.99, $44.99, or $99.99 per month, with the latter being granted access to “custom” videos commissioned by the member. Edison advertised that the videos with the most graphic torture were behind the membership paywalls.
Edison developed logos for his channels and advertised merchandise offered for sale bearing those logos. Edison attempted to drive viewers to his YouTube pages with “clickbait” that emphasized the torture aspects of the videos, using titles and descriptors such as “slow death,” “shred,” “cracks head open,” “screaming,” “tear apart,” “kills mouse brutally,” and “THAT REALLY HURTS.”
Edison narrated many of the videos he created. His commentary included, “Shredder, do your worst,” “the poor black bunny is losing air by the second,” “there’s nothing I can do to save you,” “the squeal of displeasure, now the panic sets in,” and “gurgling screams.”
Edison’s animal crush channels, including “Prince’s Pet Planet” and “Prince’s Chomp Squad,” were ultimately removed by YouTube for multiple and severe violations of YouTube’s policy on violence.
“Animal crushing is an appalling abuse of power over vulnerable creatures,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The exercise of violence over the defenseless is never acceptable. The FBI stands with our law enforcement partners to rigorously enforce the laws that prevent and punish such heinous acts of cruelty.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Evans is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Carjacker Charged with Carjacking Spree that Killed Two Women Makes Initial Appearance in Federal Court, Ordered DetainedRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Edward Tiki Arrington, 45, made his initial appearance in federal court today, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Arrington was charged by complaint on September 5, 2025, with one count of carjacking and one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
On September 4, 2025, Arrington engaged in a carjacking and shooting crime spree, targeting at least eight victims. Arrington crashed his carjacked vehicle, killing two young women and seriously injuring a child. Arrington was hospitalized and has now been transferred into federal custody. He was ordered detained today pending a detention hearing on Monday, September 22, 2025.
“A little over two weeks ago, a career criminal took the lives of two women and severely injured a child,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “That is loss devastating and it is permanent. I wish we could do more, but the truth is we can never make it right. What we can and will do is ensure that Arrington is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to the complaint, around 8 am on September 4, 2025, 911 calls began to come in about a man with a gun around 334 Lake Street East in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Edward Tiki Arrington, also known as Troy Mike Payton, was the gunman.
Arrington was driving erratically towards Lake Street that morning. He was speeding, swerving into oncoming traffic, and driving on the sidewalk. Arrington drove his red SUV through a red light and crashed into another car, a white Infiniti SUV.
Arrington got out of his SUV and ran towards the other car, pointing a gun at the driver. Arrington tried to open the door of the white Infiniti but the driver accelerated away and was able to get away from Arrington.
Arrington then ran towards another car, a black Volkswagen Passat. Again, Arrington brandished the firearm at the driver. Arrington carjacked the driver—he ordered the driver out of her car at gunpoint, got into the black Passat, and drove the car against traffic.
Arrington drove the black Passat back to his red SUV. Arrington tried to remove two dogs from his red SUV. He was eventually able to get the dogs into the carjacked Volkswagen Passat.
As this was happening, a black Jeep approached the intersection. Arrington pointed his gun at this third victim, the driver of the black Jeep. The driver ducked and she was able to accelerate away.
Arrington then ran up to a fourth victim, a woman walking on foot on Lake Street. Arrington ran up to the pedestrian and pointed his gun at her. The pedestrian put her hands up. Arrington grabbed her hands and demanded to know where her guns were. The pedestrian said she didn’t have a gun. Arrington released her and ran back to the stolen black Passat.
As Arrington began to drive away in the black Passat, he fired a shot out of the vehicle. He appeared to be shooting at a work van that was passing by the black Passat. Arrington left the intersection around 8:10 am and drove to North Minneapolis.
The Minneapolis Police Department sent out a city-wide notice on the black Volkswagen Passat used in a shots-fired call. MPD officers located Arrington driving the carjacked black Passat in North Minneapolis. Officers attempted to pull Arrington over but he fled, driving towards downtown Minneapolis. Recognizing the immediate threat to public safety and human life, officers followed.
Arrington fled through the intersection of Penn Avenue and Olson Memorial Boulevard. He sped through the intersection, running a red light without stopping. As he did so, Arrington crashed at full speed into a blue Ford Focus sedan, which was driving lawfully through the intersection. In crashing his carjacked vehicle into the blue sedan, Arrington killed two women in their 20s and seriously injured a six-year-old child in the back seat; the child suffered bilateral femur fractures and a traumatic brain injury. One of the women killed was the child’s mother.
Arrington has a long and extensive criminal history that includes state convictions for assault and firearms offenses and a 2009 federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
“This violent suspect had an extensive criminal history and showed a complete disregard for the value of human life,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “His reckless and violent actions claimed the lives of innocent people and put countless others at risk. We are grateful for the partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office as we all work to ensure that he is held fully accountable and that justice is pursued for the victims and their families to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Two innocent young women died yesterday, and a young child was hospitalized, due to the reckless and senseless actions of Edward Tiki Arrington, aka Troy Mike Payton,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. “Violent carjackings have permeated Minneapolis for far too long; these federal charges represent the commitment by the FBI, our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to reduce violent crime in Minnesota. The FBI will bring every resource available to ensure a safe community where its residents can thrive. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol and the FBI.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office extends its profound sympathies to the families of the decedents in this case, and to all the victims. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is grateful for the cooperation with its federal, state, and local partners, and thanks the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the FBI for their hard work in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defendant Indicted for Threatening to Murder a Federal Judge, a Supreme Court Justice, and a Defense AttorneyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Robert Phillip Ivers, age 72, was indicted yesterday in a three-count indictment with threatening to assault and murder a federal judge and a Supreme Court Justice, as well as interstate transmission of threats to injure others, including a defense attorney, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Ivers was previously convicted federally of threatening to kill a federal judge. Ivers was charged by complaint earlier this week and was ordered detained pending further proceedings.
“Threats to murder a federal judge, a Supreme Court Justice, and a defense attorney are not just words on a page. They are direct attacks on the rule of law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “We will not allow violent rhetoric to become routine. When someone threatens our judges, we will answer with swift federal prosecution.”
According to the complaint, on September 3, 2025, law enforcement responded to the Wayzata Library in Wayzata, Minnesota, based on a report of a man printing off copies of a manifesto entitled, “How to Kill a Federal Judge.” This man was Robert Ivers. Law enforcement learned that Ivers showed the manifesto to library staff including a page of the manifesto that talked about killing children and had a picture of a gun on it. Ivers also gave library staff a three-page “flyer” advertising his manifesto before he left the library. The flyer stated that the manifesto “is designed to teach extremists on how to plan, train, hunt, stalk and kill anyone including judges, their family members, politicians and more!” It also advertised that the “harsh reality is that judges are going to die.”
In investigating the case, law enforcement learned that, on August 28, 2025, Ivers had been reported for concerning behavior at an Episcopal church in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Ivers attended multiple services and told church members that he planned to attend upcoming church events on September 7 (a family picnic and potluck), September 11 (a blessing of children going back to school, with state legislators in attendance), and September 14 (an annual baptism service). Church staff searched Ivers online and discovered his history included past threats of violence, a felony conviction, and racist commentary. Church staff then contacted law enforcement.
On the evening of September 3, 2025, the Wayzata Police Department located Ivers and arrested him. During his transport, Ivers claimed that he was having a heart attack. Law enforcement transferred Ivers to the hospital from the jail. Ivers was subsequently released from the hospital later that night.
Law enforcement searched Ivers’s vehicle and found, among other things: (1) a photo of the former Pope with crosshairs centered on his head; (2) twenty copies of a spiral bound printed book titled, “How to Kill a Federal Judge” by Robert Ivers; (3) multiple copies of flyers advertising the contents of the book; (4) lists of federal judges; (5) a copy of the Anarchist Cookbook; (6) a white foam box containing a toy replica firearm, a box of Co2 cartridges, and a container of pellets; and (7) a box of fireworks.
On September 5, 2025, Wayzata Police Department re-arrested Ivers. Following his arrest, Ivers was interviewed. Ivers admitted to showing a copy of his manifesto to library staff. Law enforcement asked Ivers if he thought his book would have scared anybody. In response, Ivers shouted: “It was supposed to!”
Ivers’s manifesto is 236 pages long. The cover page is entitled, “How to Kill a Federal Judge” and features a photo of a man holding a rifle. In his manifesto, Ivers focused on the perceived wrongs done to him by the judicial system. He discussed these wrongs—and his anticipated revenge—at length. The manifesto contains various types of writings and many disturbing sketches, apparently drawn by Ivers. The manifesto also contains handwritten threats to kill, including threats to kill judges, as well as their children and pets. Ivers made clear his purpose was to instill fear. He wrote, “If this book doesn’t instill fear in you then your already dead.”
Many names appear in the manifesto, including the names of federal judges. Ivers fixated on Federal Judge A, who presided over his federal trial, and Federal Judge B, who Ivers was previously convicted of threatening to kill. In the manifesto, Ivers threatens to kill Federal Judge A. Ivers has a long history of threatening judges and others. In 2019, Ivers was convicted at trial of threatening to kill Federal Judge B, a federal judge in Minnesota, in United States v. Robert Ivers, 18 CR 90.
Ivers made his initial appearance in federal court on Tuesday afternoon. He is held in custody pending a detention hearing, which will likely occur next week.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Wayzata Police Department, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota thanks both the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for their assistance and important partnership in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda A. Williams is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Defendants Federally Indicted for Armed Robbery Spree That Shut Down Fairgrounds of the Minnesota State FairRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Dylan Charles Jungwirth, age 21, Kenneth Toy Spight, age 21, and Kemonie Hurd, age 18, have all been indicted by a federal grand jury with Hobbs Act Robbery charges. On August 17, 2025, the defendants went on a spree of gas station robberies in a stolen vehicle, using a highly realistic airsoft gun to threaten store employees. Their spree caused the nearby Minnesota State Fair preparations to temporarily shut down.
“The State Fair is one Minnesota’s most cherished traditions. It is a time for all of us to come together and celebrate the state and the end of summer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “These defendants brought violence to that celebration with their armed robbery spree. Anyone who does that will see federal charges.”
On August 17, 2025, at 5:56am, defendants Jungwirth and Spight robbed a Speedway gas station in Roseville, Minnesota. A few hours later, at 8:34am, defendants Jungwirth, Spight, and Hurd robbed another gas station, this time a BP gas station in Little Canada, Minnesota. At 9:05am, defendants Jungwirth, Spight, and Hurd robbed a third gas station, a BP gas station in Roseville, Minnesota.
The defendants robbed all three gas stations at gunpoint. At the third gas station, one of the defendants demanded the cashier’s wallet. The cashier refused and attempted to grab the gun. The defendant then struck the cashier on the head with the gun, resulting in a laceration and burst blood vessel in the cashier’s eye.
After the third robbery, law enforcement spotted a suspect vehicle and pursued it into St. Paul, where the defendants crashed their car. One defendant was arrested while the other two fled on foot into the woods. A search ensued. The other two defendants were later arrested.
The robberies occurred as preparations were ongoing for the Minnesota State Fair. The pursuit and search took place near the State Fairgrounds. At 10:20am that morning, law enforcement sent out an emergency alert, telling people that the fairgrounds were closed due to police activity in the area and to avoid the area south of the fairgrounds. Law enforcement later issued a second “all clear” alert.
The defendants made their initial appearances yesterday afternoon in federal court. All three defendants are detained pending further proceedings. If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota State Fair Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, and the St. Anthony Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian Weir is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defendant Charged with Threatening to Murder a Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Robert Phillip Ivers, age 72, was charged by complaint with threatening to assault and murder a federal judge, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Ivers was previously convicted federally of threatening to kill a federal judge.
“At a time when Minnesota is reeling from acts of violence, the last thing we need is someone spreading fear into our churches, libraries, and courts,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Ivers’s threats are bone chilling. After the past few months, we are not taking chances. When someone threatens our community, we believe them, and we will act swiftly to protect Minnesotans.”
According to the complaint, on September 3, 2025, law enforcement responded to the Wayzata Library in Wayzata, Minnesota, based on a report of a man printing off copies of a manifesto entitled, “How to Kill a Federal Judge.” This man was Robert Ivers. Law enforcement learned that Ivers showed the manifesto to library staff including a page of the manifesto that talked about killing children and had a picture of a gun on it. Ivers also gave library staff a three-page “flyer” advertising his manifesto before he left the library. The flyer stated that the manifesto “is designed to teach extremists on how to plan, train, hunt, stalk and kill anyone including judges, their family members, politicians and more!” It also advertised that the “harsh reality is that judges are going to die.”
In investigating the case, law enforcement learned that, on August 28, 2025, Ivers had been reported for concerning behavior at an Episcopal church in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Ivers attended multiple services and told church members that he planned to attend upcoming church events on September 7 (a family picnic and potluck), September 11 (a blessing of children going back to school, with state legislators in attendance), and September 14 (an annual baptism service). Church staff searched Ivers online and discovered his history included past threats of violence, a felony conviction, and racist commentary. Church staff then contacted law enforcement.
On the evening of September 3, 2025, the Wayzata Police Department located Ivers and arrested him. During his transport, Ivers claimed that he was having a heart attack. Law enforcement transferred Ivers to the hospital from the jail. Ivers was subsequently released from the hospital later that night.
Law enforcement searched Ivers’s vehicle and found, among other things: (1) a photo of the former Pope with crosshairs centered on his head; (2) twenty copies of a spiral bound printed book titled, “How to Kill a Federal Judge” by Robert Ivers; (3) multiple copies of flyers advertising the contents of the book; (4) lists of federal judges; (5) a copy of the Anarchist Cookbook; (6) a white foam box containing a toy replica firearm, a box of Co2 cartridges, and a container of pellets; and (7) a box of fireworks.
On September 5, 2025, Wayzata Police Department re-arrested Ivers. Following his arrest, Ivers was interviewed. Ivers admitted to showing a copy of his manifesto to library staff. Law enforcement asked Ivers if he thought his book would have scared anybody. In response, Ivers shouted: “It was supposed to!”
Ivers’s manifesto is 236 pages long. The cover page is entitled, “How to Kill a Federal Judge” and features a photo of a man holding a rifle. In his manifesto, Ivers focused on the perceived wrongs done to him by the judicial system. He discussed these wrongs—and his anticipated revenge—at length. The manifesto contains various types of writings and many disturbing sketches, apparently drawn by Ivers. The manifesto also contains handwritten threats to kill, including threats to kill judges, as well as their children and pets. Ivers made clear his purpose was to instill fear. He wrote, “If this book doesn’t instill fear in you then your already dead.”
Many names appear in the manifesto, including the names of federal judges. Ivers fixated on Federal Judge A, who presided over his federal trial, and Federal Judge B, who Ivers was previously convicted of threatening to kill. In the manifesto, Ivers threatens to kill Federal Judge A. Ivers has a long history of threatening judges and others. In 2019, Ivers was convicted at trial of threatening to kill Federal Judge B, a federal judge in Minnesota, in United States v. Robert Ivers, 18 CR 90.
“Threats of violence directed at federal judges not only undermine the integrity of our legal system but also pose a grave risk to the principles of justice and democracy,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners consider all threats of violence against judges, or any public servants, with grave seriousness. These actions will not be tolerated. As this chilling case confirms, we are fully committed to protecting judges who devote themselves to our communities and legal system.”
Ivers will make his initial appearance this afternoon in federal court. The United States will request that he be detained during the pendency of his federal case.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Wayzata Police Department, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also thanks the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for its quick action and important partnership in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda A. Williams is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Minnesota Men Arrested for Funding and Directing Kidnappings, Bombings, and Killings OverseasRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Minnesota has returned an eight-count indictment charging naturalized U.S. citizens Benedict Nwana Kuah, 51, and Pascal Kikishy Wongbi, 52, with organizing, financing, and directing kidnappings, bombings, and killings in their native country, the Republic of Cameroon. Kuah and Wongbi were arrested this morning in the District of Minnesota and made their initial appearances this afternoon. Kuah and Wongbi are being held pending detention hearings scheduled for Sept 10 and 11, respectively.
According to the indictment, the defendants held leadership roles in the self-styled Ambazonia Defense Forces (ADF), a separatist militia seeking to create an independent country in Cameroon. Together, they allegedly used their positions to raise money and finance the purchase of weapons, and directed their co-conspirators in Cameroon to kidnap, bomb, and kill civilians, government officials, and members of the security forces in order to intimidate the civilian population and coerce the Cameroonian Government into recognizing their legitimacy.
“The defendants are charged with using the United States as a base of operations to finance and direct kidnappings, bombings, and killings in Cameroon,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their alleged conduct caused death, terror, and suffering among innocent civilians. The Criminal Division is committed to holding accountable those who seek refuge in the United States while spreading violence abroad.”
“Minnesota is not a launchpad for overseas violence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson for the District of Minnesota. “Operating from the comfort of their living rooms in Minnesota, these defendants caused violence and suffering half a world away. They ordered kidnappings, bombings, and murders. Their crimes are an affront to both American law and basic human decency. Cameroon is a safer place because of this prosecution.”
“The defendants were allegedly involved in planning, financing and directing violent attacks that harmed numerous civilians and government officials in the Republic of Cameroon, with targets including a market, an annual footrace, and a Youth Day celebration,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Although these violent acts occurred outside of U.S. borders, these charges should underscore that criminal actors cannot hide in the United States. The FBI does not condone violence and will work with our partners to ensure those who engage in, or direct criminal acts are held accountable for their actions.”
According to the indictment, beginning in 2017, the defendants sent thousands of dollars to co-conspirators in Cameroon for weapons and explosives and directed attacks that left civilians dead, injured, or taken hostage. In 2022, the fighters kidnapped a government official and broadcast propaganda videos about the abduction. In 2023, Kuah helped plan an improvised explosive device attack targeting a regional governor and later financed a bombing at the Mount Cameroon Race for Hope that injured 19 people. That same year, a commander appointed by Kuah murdered two unarmed civilians in a market square, while Wongbi appeared in a propaganda video threatening others with the same fate. In 2024, Kuah allegedly approved the funding and operational plan for a bombing at a Youth Day celebration that killed a 15-year-old girl and injured dozens of other children.
The indictment further alleges that Kuah and Wongbi raised money online to support their operations, including campaigns branded as “The Takeover Fund” and “Operation 200AKs,” which solicited donations for AK-47 rifles and explosives. Kuah appeared in multiple videos urging supporters to fund the purchase of weapons and ammunition for the fighters.
The defendants are charged with conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, and injure persons abroad, conspiracy to provide material support or resources, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Kuah is also charged with three counts of providing material support or resources, conspiracy to commit hostage taking and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction outside the United States. If convicted, the defendants face a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.
Trial Attorney Brian Morgan of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Roso for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Michael Dittoe and Matthew Hracho of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, HRSP Historian/Analyst Dr. Christopher Hayden, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defendants Indicted for Directing Kidnappings, Bombings, and Killings OverseasRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal grand jury has returned an eight-count indictment charging naturalized U.S. citizens Benedict Nwana Kuah, 51, and Pascal Kikishy Wongbi, 52, with organizing, directing, and financing kidnappings, bombings, and killings in their native country, the Republic of Cameroon.
The defendants are charged with conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, and injure persons abroad, conspiracy to provide material support or resources, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. In addition, Kuah is charged with three counts of providing material support or resources, conspiracy to commit hostage taking and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction outside the United States.
According to the indictment, the defendants are leaders of the self-proclaimed Ambazonia Defense Forces (ADF), a group of armed fighters seeking to create a new country called “Ambazonia” in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon. Kuah is the Chairman of the ADF’s so-called War Council. Wongbi is the Head of Defense, Department of Logistics and Human Resources of the War Council. The defendants directed “fighters” to kidnap, bomb, and kill ordinary civilians, government officials, and members of the Cameroonian security forces in order to coerce the Cameroonian Government into recognizing their legitimacy. Both defendants were actively involved in planning, financing, and directing attacks to intimidate and coerce the civilian population and to unlawfully influence the policy and conduct of the Cameroonian government.
“The defendants are charged with using the United States as a base of operations to finance and direct kidnappings, bombings, and killings in Cameroon,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their alleged conduct caused death, terror, and suffering among innocent civilians. The Criminal Division is committed to holding accountable those who seek refuge in the United States while spreading violence abroad.”
“Minnesota is not a launchpad for overseas violence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Operating from the comfort of their living rooms in Minnesota, these defendants caused violence and suffering half a world away. They ordered kidnappings, bombings, and murders. Their crimes are an affront to both American law and basic human decency. Cameroon is a safer place because of this prosecution.”
“The defendants were allegedly involved in planning, financing and directing violent attacks that harmed numerous civilians and government officials in the Republic of Cameroon, with targets including a market, an annual footrace, and a Youth Day celebration,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Although these violent acts occurred outside of U.S. borders, these charges should underscore that criminal actors cannot hide in the United States. The FBI does not condone violence and will work with our partners to ensure those who engage in, or direct criminal acts are held accountable for their actions.”
“The ADF used terror and coercion to torment civilians and threaten the government of Cameroon. The alleged actions of Kuah and Wongbi directed and funded that death, destruction, and terror,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “These arrests underline the strength of the FBI’s partnerships across the federal government and send the clear message that the U.S. will not be a safe harbor for criminals. Across the U.S. and beyond our shores, U.S. citizens who engage in campaigns of kidnapping, bombing, and murder will be found and brought to justice.”
According to the indictment, beginning in 2017, the defendants directed and financed attacks and kidnappings in Cameroon. The defendants sent thousands of dollars to fighters for the purpose of purchasing weapons and ammunition and directed fighters to conduct attacks that resulted in deaths.
On April 30, 2022, the fighters kidnapped a civilian government official from Cameroon’s Northwest Region. Wongbi advocated for killing the official immediately. The fighters forced the official to read a statement denouncing Cameroon and proclaiming loyalty to Ambazonia. Kuah then worked with others to publish a propaganda video that incorporated the statement and demanded that the Government of Cameroon release prisoners in exchange for the government official’s release. Several days later, Kuah appeared in a video on the ADF’s YouTube channel in which he announced that the kidnapped official had been “condemned to death.” While the official was in captivity, co-conspirators accused the official of not supporting the separatist movement and instructed the fighters not to release her until they gave the order. The official was rescued by the Cameroonian military following a month in captivity. Kuah later appeared in a propaganda video lamenting that the official had not been killed.
In January 2023, Kuah and another leader planned and oversaw an attempt to kill the civilian governor of Cameroon’s Northwest Region, which they dubbed “Operation Rattlesnake.” While co-conspirators sent funding for the attack, Kuah reviewed photos of the proposed attack site and the attack plan and instructed the fighters about the construction and placement of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
On the date of the attack, the fighters deployed the IEDs, causing the governor’s convoy to divert, but failing to kill the governor.
In February 2023, the group’s leader directed fighters to bomb the Mount Cameroon Race for Hope, an annual footrace held in the Southwest Region. Kuah sent funds from his personal bank account to finance the attack and fighters sent photographs of the completed IEDs. On February 25, 2023, the fighters detonated the IED at the race, injuring 19 people.
On October 4, 2023, conspirators murdered two unarmed civilians in the market square in Guzang, a town in the Northwest Region. Prior to the killings, Kuah and Wongbi had repeatedly instructed members to kill civilians who were believed to be cooperating with the Government of Cameroon. After the killings, the group’s spokesman publicly confirmed that the men were killed because they had allegedly provided information to Cameroonian forces. Wongbi then appeared in a propaganda video threatening that other cooperators would meet the same fate.
On February 11, 2024, conspirators detonated an IED at a Youth Day celebration in Nkambe, in the Northwest Region. The attack injured dozens of civilians, mostly children, and killed a 15-year-old girl. Prior to the IED attack, Kuah distributed an operational plan for attacks, which included the attack against Youth Day celebrations in Nkambe. Additionally, Kuah approved the purchase of dynamite, a fuse, and a remote, for use in the attack.
In addition to planning and directing attacks like the ones described above, the defendants raised money and sent thousands of dollars to fighters for weapons, ammunition, explosives, and other supplies. For example, in 2017 and 2018, Kuah and Wongbi personally sent fighters thousands of dollars to buy materials for attacks. Then, in 2021, the defendants began to raise funds for the group through social media platforms. Through an internet site called “The Takeover Fund” the defendants solicited donations and raised funds for weapons. Kuah also appeared in videos on social media platforms in which he requested donations for explosives. In October 2022, Kuah announced the launch of a new fund-raising campaign called “Operation 200AKs,” which was designed to arm fighters with AK-47 assault rifles. Kuah appeared in multiple videos requesting donations for Operation 200 AKs, and accounts controlled by the conspirators received numerous donations, many of which specified that the funds were to be used for weapons and ammunition. Conspirators directed members to send the funds to fighters in Cameroon, often in support specific planned attacks.
Kuah and Wongbi were arrested this morning in the District of Minnesota and made their initial appearances this afternoon. Kuah and Wongbi are detained pending detention hearings set for September 10, 2025 (Kuah) and September 11, 2025 (Wongbi). If convicted, the defendants face a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison.
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Roso and Trial Attorney Brian Morgan of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) are prosecuting the case, and with assistance from Trial Attorneys Michael Dittoe and Matthew Hracho of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, HRSP Historian/Analyst Dr. Christopher Hayden, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Carjacker Charged with Federal Crimes for Carjacking Spree that Killed Two Women and Injured a ChildRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Edward Tiki Arrington, 45, was charged by complaint this morning with one count of carjacking and one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Yesterday morning, Arrington engaged in a carjacking and shooting crime spree, targeting at least eight victims. Arrington crashed the vehicle he carjacked, killing two women and seriously injuring a child.
“Two young women should be alive today. Instead, their lives were cut short by a senseless crime committed by a career criminal,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “They deserved better. We all deserve better. I am weary of this endless violence. Minnesota deserves peace. We will keep fighting to restore it.”
According to the complaint, around 8 am on September 4, 2025, 911 calls began to come in about a man with a gun around 334 Lake Street East in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Edward Tiki Arrington, also known as Troy Mike Payton, was the gunman.
Arrington was driving erratically towards Lake Street that morning. He was speeding, swerving into oncoming traffic, and driving on the sidewalk. Arrington drove his red SUV through a red light and crashed into another car, a white Infiniti SUV.
Arrington got out of his red SUV and ran towards the other car, pointing a gun at the driver. Arrington tried to open the door of the white Infiniti, but the driver accelerated and was able to get away from Arrington.
Arrington then ran towards another car, a black Volkswagen Passat. Again, Arrington brandished his firearm at the driver. Arrington carjacked the driver, a second victim. He ordered the driver out of her car at gunpoint, got into the black Passat, and drove the car against traffic.
Arrington drove the black Passat back to his red SUV. Arrington tried to remove two dogs from his red SUV. He was eventually able to get the dogs into the carjacked Passat.
As this was happening, a black Jeep approached the intersection. Arrington pointed his gun at a third victim, the driver of the black Jeep. The driver ducked and she was able to accelerate away.
Arrington then ran up to a fourth victim, a woman walking on foot on Lake Street. Arrington ran up to the pedestrian and pointed his gun at her. The pedestrian put her hands up. Arrington grabbed her hands and demanded to know where her guns were. The pedestrian said she didn’t have a gun. Arrington released her and ran back to the carjacked Passat.
As Arrington began to drive away in the black Passat, he fired a shot out of the vehicle. He appeared to be shooting at a work van, whose driver was driving past the black Passat. Arrington left the intersection around 8:10 am and drove to North Minneapolis.
The Minneapolis Police Department sent out a city-wide notice that the black Volkswagen Passat was used in a shots-fired call. MPD officers located Arrington driving the carjacked black Passat in North Minneapolis. Officers attempted to pull Arrington over but he fled, driving towards downtown Minneapolis. Recognizing the immediate threat to public safety and human life, officers followed.
Arrington sped through the intersection of Penn Avenue and Olson Memorial Boulevard, running a red light without stopping. As he did so, Arrington crashed at full speed into a blue Ford Focus sedan, which was driving lawfully through the intersection. In crashing his carjacked vehicle into the blue sedan, Arrington killed two women in their twenties and seriously injured a six-year-old child in the back seat; the child suffered bilateral femur fractures and a traumatic brain injury. One of the women killed was the child’s mother.
Arrington has a long and extensive criminal history that includes state convictions for assault and firearms offenses and a 2009 federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Arrington faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison and up to a maximum of life in prison if convicted of these offenses. Carjacking resulting in death is a death penalty-eligible crime.
“This violent suspect had an extensive criminal history and showed a complete disregard for the value of human life,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “His reckless and violent actions claimed the lives of innocent people and put countless others at risk. We are grateful for the partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office as we all work to ensure that he is held fully accountable and that justice is pursued for the victims and their families to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Two innocent young women died yesterday, and a young child was hospitalized, due to the reckless and senseless actions of Edward Tiki Arrington, aka Troy Mike Payton,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. “Violent carjackings have permeated Minneapolis for far too long; these federal charges represent the commitment by the FBI, our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to reduce violent crime in Minnesota. The FBI will bring every resource available to ensure a safe community where its residents can thrive. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and the FBI, with assistance from the Minnesota State Patrol.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office extends its profound sympathies to the families of the decedents and to all the victims in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office appreciates its strong partnerships with the Minneapolis Police Department, the FBI, the Minnesota State Patrol, and many other state and local partners. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is grateful to the men and women of law enforcement who serve and protect Minnesota.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Green is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Kenyan National Charged with International Money Laundering in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Ahmednaji Maalim Aftin Sheikh, 28, a resident of Kenya, was indicted today with Conspiracy to Commit International Money Laundering for his role in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Sheikh is the 74th defendant charged in this scheme, the largest Covid fraud scheme in the country.
“I share the outrage of my fellow Minnesotans at seeing money meant to feed hungry children converted into fortunes half a world away,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Sheikh’s indictment shows yet again what we are up against. It is another window into the many fraud schemes that have seeped into every corner of our state. But we cannot shrink from confronting this crisis. We must come together as Minnesotans and demand that the frauds stop now. We must protect the future of our children and our state.”
Sheikh is a Kenyan national who helped launder and send abroad millions of dollars in Feeding Our Future fraud proceeds for his brother, Abdiaziz Farah. Abdiaziz Farah was the leader of the “Empire” group and the lead defendant in the first Feeding Our Future trial. Earlier this month, United States District Judge Nancy E. Brasel sentenced Abdiaziz Farah to 28 years in prison for his role in the fraud scheme. Abdiaziz Farah is pending sentencing in the juror bribery case before United States District Judge David S. Doty.
As set forth in the indictment, from 2020 to 2022, Abdiaziz Farah and others carried out a massive scheme to defraud the federal child nutrition program, a program designed to provide free meals to children in need. Abdiaziz Farah and his co-conspirators obtained, misappropriated, and laundered more than $40 million in federal child nutrition program funds that were intended to serve hungry children.
Defendant Ahmednaji Sheikh is a citizen and resident of Kenya. Sheikh helped his brother, Abdiaziz Farah, launder and hide his fraud proceeds abroad, beyond the reach of federal law enforcement. Abdiaziz Farah sent millions of dollars in fraud proceeds abroad, including to Sheikh. Sheikh received those funds and helped his brother conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the fraud proceeds by investing them in Kenyan real estate through a series of sham corporate entities and bulk cash smuggling.
Sheikh helped Abdiaziz Farah use fraud proceeds to purchase a 20 percent stake in a Kenyan real estate company. For example, in April 2021, Abdiaziz Farah purchased an apartment building in the South C neighborhood of Nairobi, located adjacent to Nairobi National Park. Defendant Sheikh also helped Abdiaziz Farah use proceeds to purchase land in Mandera Town, a city located in Kenya, on the boarder with Somalia and Ethiopia.
Defendant Sheikh and Abdiaziz Farah regularly exchanged text message about their ill-gotten wealth. For example, on July 3, 2021, Abdiaziz Farah texted Sheikh, “You are gonna be the richest 25 year old InshaAllah.” Sheikh responded, “I love you so much.” Abdiaziz Farah and Sheikh also exchanged messages and photos of the cash that was sent from Farah in the United States to Sheikh in Kenya.
For example, on August 29, 2021, Sheikh sent Abdiaziz Farah a photo of $138,000 in cash.
On December 9, 2021, Sheikh sent Abdiaziz Farah a photo of banker’s boxes filled with $270,000 in cash that Farah sent to Sheikh.
On December 16, 2021, Sheikh sent Abdiaziz Farah photos of a receipt documenting a $300,000 money transfer from Abdiaziz Farah in Minneapolis to Sheikh in Kenya. Abdiaziz Farah reported the transfer purpose as “family support” and the source of the income as his “salary.”
On December 27, 2021, Sheikh sent a text message explaining that he had received $1,287,000 from Abdiaziz Farah in the prior days.
As the indictment notes, Individual S.D. is Abdiaziz Farah’s sister-in-law; she is the sister of Abdiaziz Farah’s wife. Individual S.D. is a naturalized U.S. citizen who lives in Minnesota. She worked at one of the companies that sponsored Abdiaziz Farah’s fraudulent participation in the federal child nutrition program.
In October 2021, Abdiaziz Farah purchased a townhome in Burnsville, Minnesota for $575,000 using the proceeds of his fraud scheme. Individual S.D. then moved into that townhome.
On December 30, 2021, Sheikh married Individual S.D., in Nairobi, Kenya. Individual S.D. flew to Nairobi on December 21, 2021 and returned to the United States on January 11, 2022.
On June 9, 2023, Individual S.D. filed a petition for alien relative seeking to sponsor Sheikh’s immigration to and permanent residency in the United States. On the petition, Individual S.D. identified Sheikh as her husband.
On November 7, 2024, Sheikh applied to enter the 2026 Diversity Immigrant Visa lottery. The Diversity Immigrant Visa program, also known as the “green card lottery,” is an annual immigration lottery run by the United States Department of State. The program seeks to diversify the immigrant population of the United States by selecting applicants from countries with low number of immigrants. Each year, the State Department issues immigrant visas followed by permanent resident cards (or “green cards”) to approximately 55,000 winners of the green card lottery. On his application, Sheikh stated that he was unmarried.
“The federal child nutrition program was designed to provide meals to children in need,” said FBI Minneapolis SAC Alvin M. Winston, Sr. “According to the indictment, Ahmednaji Maalim Aftin Sheikh saw this instead as an opportunity to steal from taxpayers and from hungry children. The indictment alleges Sheikh and his co-conspirators laundered more than $40 million in federal funds. Sheikh allegedly used the proceeds of his fraud to invest in an upper-class Kenyan real estate company. The FBI will use every resource to stop this shameful theft, and to ensure that taxpayer resources are used appropriately for their intended purpose.”
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
75th Defendant Charged in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Muna Wais Fidhin, 44, has been charged in a ten-count indictment with three counts of Wire Fraud, four counts of Federal Programs Bribery, and three counts of Money Laundering for her role in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Fidhin is the 75th defendant charged in this scheme, the largest Covid fraud case in the country. She was arrested this morning.
“With the 75th defendant charged in the Feeding Our Future scandal, the message could not be clearer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Feeding Our Future is only one of the many frauds against the state we are pursuing. If you touched these frauds in any way, pick up the phone and call the FBI today. You will still be held accountable, but it will be far better for you than if you wait until we come knocking.”
Fidhim participated in a scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program by exploiting changes in the program intended to ensure that underserved children received adequate nutrition during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Feeding Our Future was a non-profit organization purportedly in the business of helping community partners participate in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Aimee Bock, convicted at trial and pending sentencing, was the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future. Prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Feeding Our Future was a small non-profit that sponsored the participation of daycares and after-school programs in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Beginning in approximately April 2020, Feeding Our Future dramatically increased the number of sites under its sponsorship as well as the amount of Federal Child Nutrition Program funds received by those sites. Feeding Our Future went from receiving and disbursing approximately $3.4 million in federal funds to sites under its sponsorship in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021.
In 2020, Fidhin enrolled her company, M5 Café, in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Fidhin later created a nonprofit organization called M5 Care, which, in 2021, she also enrolled in the program under another sponsor. Fidhin fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to 500 children a day, seven days a week, at her sites. In reality, Fidhin served few, if any, children at her sites. Fidhin submitted fake invoices purporting to document the purchase of food for use in feeding these children.
In all, Fidhin fraudulently claimed to have served more than 300,000 meals at her two food sites, for which she claimed to be entitled to approximately $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
Fidhin did not use these funds to purchase food to feed children. Instead, she used the money to pay off her home mortgage, to purchase a car, and to fund her lifestyle. Fidhin also wired tens of thousands of dollars out of the country. She paid approximately $27,000 in kickbacks to a Feeding Our Future employee in exchange for his sponsorship and submission of her fraudulent claims.
“Today’s arrest of Muna Wais Fidhin represents yet another major milestone in this investigation: the 75th indictment in this massive fraud scheme,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. “As alleged in the indictment, Fidhin, using fraudulent documents, stole more than $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program. Fidhin, and all of those charged in connection with this scheme, may have underestimated the FBI’s ability to identify, investigate and prosecute individuals who steal from taxpayers with funds intended for hungry children. Rest assured; the FBI will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners, together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, until every culpable person is held responsible.”
“The Feeding Our Future fraud investigation ignited an awareness of the pervasive fraud that exists in government-funded programs in this state,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Well-intentioned assistance programs will always be targeted for fraud and when the system fails to protect federal funds, IRS Criminal Investigation will work with the United States Attorney’s Office and partner agencies to expose those who use deception and fraud to enrich themselves at the expense of those who truly need help. While we take a moment to reflect on the great investigative work performed by talented and devoted investigators and attorneys resulting in charges filed against seventy-five individuals, there is still more work to be done on this and other fraud schemes targeting government funded programs. Our agents will continue to provide their investigative and financial expertise to these fraud investigations.”
United States Postal Inspection Service Denver Division Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove said, “The arrest of the 75th defendant in this case demonstrates the Postal Inspection Service’s steadfast pursuit of justice for anyone who uses the mail in a scheme to divert emergency funds intended to help those most in need. The US Postal Inspection Service is proud to work with its law enforcement partners to bring this kind of greed to an end.”
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Convicted Felon Who Threatened Rochester Woman with Gun Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Divaunte Kartrell Young, age 24, has been sentenced to 180 months of imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release following a federal jury trial in which Young was found guilty of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“Career criminals are not in charge of Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Young threatened this victim with a gun and then tried to bribe his way out of accountability. Acts of violence and corruption like this will always end the same way—with years in federal prison.”
In Spring of 2023, Young spent the day running errands with the victim, who had recently met Young. The victim kindly chauffeured Young around Rochester, Minnesota, in her car. At the end of the day, Young told the victim he wanted her to drive him from Rochester to the Twin Cities (a four-plus hour roundtrip for the victim). The victim repeatedly said no. Young then unzipped a crossbody bag he was wearing and showed the victim that he had a gun in his bag. Young threatened to shoot the victim, making statements like, “what if I shot your brain” and saying he could shoot up the car. The victim was badly frightened, and ultimately fled, leaving Young with her car. Alone on the road, in freezing mid-March temperatures, the victim hyperventilated and became sick, which the Court observed was “an intense physical reaction to an intensely frightening situation.”
The victim called the police, and officers soon responded to the location the victim left her car and found Young asleep in the front passenger seat. Officers arrested Young and searched the car. They found Young’s cross-body bag in the glove compartment. Inside was a black and silver Taurus nine-millimeter handgun.
Young was detained pending his trial. From jail, Young attempted to obstruct justice. He called the victim, telling her to lie to the police and court about what happened. When the victim refused to lie, Young attempted to bribe her with money.
Young has a long and violent criminal history. Young’s history includes felony convictions for domestic assault, aggravated robbery, burglary, and assault of a corrections officer. Before he committed his crime, Young was on probation in four separate cases, but had absconded from supervision.
On March 26, 2025, following a trial, a federal jury found Young guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Young was sentenced today by United States District Judge Eric C. Tostrud. In handing down his sentence Judge Tostrud noted that defendant’s history and characteristics were “deeply troubling” to the Court and demonstrated the defendant “was, in fact, a lifelong criminal” with five prior adult felonies. Judge Tostrud explained that “Reasonable people fear for their lives when they are threatened with a firearm. There is no question the victim’s fears were justified. The defendant was in a prime position to act on his threats.” In handing down the maximum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment, Judge Tostrud concluded that the defendant was “a great danger to the public” who had “no respect for the law.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office commends the bravery of the victim in this case.
The case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Rochester Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan B. Gilead, David B. Green, and Ruth S. Shnider prosecuted the case.