District of Minnesota
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Dual Pakistani-Canadian National Arrested for Years-Long Scheme to Circumvent U.S. Export Control LawsRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed yesterday charging Mohammad Jawaid Aziz, also known as Jawaid Aziz Siddiqui and Jay Siddiqui, 67, of Pakistan and Canada, with conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws and violating U.S. export laws. Siddiqui was arrested on March 21 in the Western District of Washington while attempting to cross into the United States from Canada. He remains detained, pending transfer to the District of Minnesota.
As alleged, from as early as 2003 through approximately March 2019, Siddiqui operated an illicit procurement network through his Canada-based company Diversified Technology Services. The purpose of the network was to obtain U.S.-origin goods on behalf of prohibited entities in Pakistan that were associated with the country’s nuclear, missile, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programs.
According to the indictment, Siddiqui, while operating through Diversified Technology Services, procured various goods – including sensitive and restricted items subject to export administration regulations (EAR) and those on the Commerce Control List – from U.S. companies on behalf of the restricted entities in Pakistan. As alleged, Siddiqui and his co-conspirators worked to conceal the true end-users of the goods from U.S. companies, often using front companies and transshipping goods through third countries to evade detection.
Siddiqui is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison; and violating the Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, and Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tambrini of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Chicago Field Office, Office of Export Enforcement made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations Minneapolis, the FBI Minneapolis Field Office, and the Department of Commerce’s BIS Chicago Field Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Endicott for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Nicholas Hunter of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. They received assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jensen from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington and the Department’s Office of International Affairs.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Jury Convicts Rochester Felon for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Rochester man guilty of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on March 18-19, 2023, Divaunte Kartrell Young, 24, pressured an acquaintance “Victim A” for a ride to the Twin Cities. When Victim A refused, Young brandished a handgun he carried in a black and white Adidas cross-body bag. After Victim A and Young drove to a nearby gas station, Victim A went inside the gas station and locked herself in the bathroom in order to call a friend for help. Shortly afterwards, Victim A abandoned her vehicle and called 911. Responding officers located the car, found Young sleeping inside, and took him into custody. During the subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located the black and white Adidas bag with a silver Taurus nine-millimeter handgun inside. Young’s DNA was matched to DNA that was found on the gun. After Young was taken into custody, he contacted Victim A and was captured on recorded jail calls attempting to obstruct Victim A from participating in the criminal case against him.
Because Young has multiple prior felony convictions for domestic assault, aggravated robbery, burglary, and fourth degree assault, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Following a three-day trial before Judge Eric C. Tostrud in U.S. District Court, a jury found Young guilty on one count of illegal possession of a firearm.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Rochester Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan B. Gilead and David B. Green prosecuted the case.
Blaine Man Pleads Guilty in FBI White Powder Hoax CaseRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Blaine man has pleaded guilty to two counts of False Information and Hoax, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on June 30, 2020, Oleg Petrashov, 45, mailed a manila envelope containing a brown and tan powder to the FBI Field Office in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. On November 4, 2022, Petrashov mailed a second envelope containing a white powder to the same FBI Field Office. Both mailings were examined for explosive and biological agents resulting in significant disruptions at the FBI Field Office, requiring the temporary relocation of employees, implementation of decontamination protocols, and deployment of special agent bomb technicians.
Petrashov admitted to FBI agents in April 2023 that he sent the letters and that he made them appear to be from a family member with whom he had a personal dispute, intending to trigger an investigation of that individual.
Petrashov pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Laura M. Provinzino to intentionally conveying false or misleading information that could reasonably be perceived as a biological agent or explosive.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott for the District of Minnesota and Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
Woodbury Man Pleads Guilty in Child Sextortion SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Timothy Lennard Gebhart, a Woodbury man, has pleaded guilty to the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material and for coercing minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on multiple occasions between approximately July 10, 2021, and March 11, 2022, Timothy Lennard Gebhart, 38, coerced a 16-year-old child, Minor A, and a 14-year-old, Minor B, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing pornographic videos. After obtaining the images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, Gebhart distributed the videos via computer and cellular phone. Gebhart then used the pornographic videos to extort money and other items of value from Minor A, threatening to damage the victim’s reputation by sending nude photos and videos to their family and friends.
Gebhart pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell to two counts of child pornography production, one count of child pornography distribution, and one count of interstate communication with the intent to extort. A sentencing hearing will take place at a later date. Gebhart faces a mandatory minimum 15-year sentence.
“Sextortion—threatening to share explicit images of a victim unless they comply with a predator’s demands—is abhorrent,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “All too often, our children become victims of these monstrous schemes. My office will continue to prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Woodbury Police Department, Greene County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Department, the Indiana State Police, and the FBI, with assistance from the Owatonna Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Classen is prosecuting the case.
Woodbury Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Machinegun and Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Alfonso Lee Seals, a Woodbury man, has been sentenced to 182 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm as a felon and interfering with commerce by robbery, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on June 14, 2023, Minneapolis police responded to a 911 call reporting a shootout between two cars along University Avenue Northeast. Responding officers found an abandoned car crashed into a utility pole. On the floorboard of the driver’s seat, law enforcement discovered a Glock model 27 .40 caliber pistol with a “switch” or “auto-sear” attached to it, making it fully automatic. Forensic testing confirmed that that the defendant, Alfonso Lee Seals, 28, possessed the pistol. On November 7, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s brother’s home where they recovered a Taurus model G2S 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, which had been reported stolen from Mounds View, Minnesota, in October 2022. Forensic testing confirmed that the defendant possessed that pistol as well. On October 17, 2023, the defendant and an accomplice robbed a convenience store at gunpoint in Oakdale, Minnesota. Security camera footage showed the defendant ordering the victim cashier to his knees, placing a semiautomatic firearm to the cashier’s back, forcing him to open a cash register, and repeatedly threatening to kill the cashier during the robbery.
On December 23, 2024, Seals pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm as a felon and one count of interfering with commerce by robbery. In his plea agreement, Seals admitted that he knowingly and willingly possessed both firearms and that he possessed the Glock in connection with two other felonies—felony drive-by shooting and intentionally discharging a firearm under circumstances that endanger the safety of another. He also admitted that he and his accomplice robbed the convenience store at gunpoint and threatened to kill the victim cashier. Because Seals has multiple prior felony convictions for assault in both Hennepin and Dakota Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
“Minnesotans should have no tolerance for armed and violent career criminals,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “This behavior is shocking and unacceptable. My office will continue to hold Seals—and others who would terrorize our community—accountable.”
Seals was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Donovan W. Frank.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department, the Oakdale Police Department, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.
Rochester Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Kevyn Bradley Heath, a Rochester man, has been sentenced to 252 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for the production and distribution of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, between November 19, 2023, and December 31, 2023, Kevyn Bradley Heath, 28, produced child pornography and distributed it over Discord, an online social platform. Heath’s offense involved sexual contact of infant or toddler victims in his custody, care, or control.
On November 7, 2024, Heath pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Katherine M. Menendez. Heath was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $106,000.
“Child abusers who commit horrific sex crimes and then document that abuse in pictures and videos are among the most vile offenders we prosecute. This conduct is—in a word—sickening,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “My office will continue to stand up for the victims of sexual abuse and seek only the strongest of sentences against defendants who commit these terrible crimes.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Rochester Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Forbes prosecuted the case.
Ramsey County Carjacker Sentenced to over 5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Ramsey County man has been sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for a string of carjackings and illegal possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on June 30, 2022, Ricardo Rydell Walker, Jr., 22, approached the owner of a black 2021 Toyota Highlander as they exited the car, demanded everything in the driver’s pockets, and hit them on the left side of the head with a handgun. Walker also participated in three additional armed carjackings between February 2021 and June 2022, one in Minneapolis and two in Saint Paul. In each case, Walker and others used the threat of violence and intimidated the victims with firearms.
On July 6, 2022, Walker was arrested in Maplewood, MN, in a stolen car, while in possession of a Springfield Hellcat 9mm pistol.
On November 26, 2024, Walker pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of receipt of a firearm while under felony indictment. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Katherine M. Menendez.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the St. Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William C. Mattessich and Mary Riverso prosecuted the case.
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty; Forty-Fifth Conviction in the $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Abdihakim Ali Ahmed, a Minneapolis man, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering for his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, from September 2020 through January 2022, Abdihakim Ali Ahmed, 39, claimed to be operating a child nutrition site in St. Paul, Minnesota. As part of the scheme, on or about September 4, 2020, Ahmed registered ASA Limited LLC with the Minnesota Secretary of State. Four days later, Ahmed applied for ASA Limited to operate a purported food site in the Federal Children Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future at the Gurey Deli, a small market located in a St. Paul strip mall. Ahmed submitted his application together with Aimee Bock, Feeding Our Future’s executive director. Within just three weeks of creating the ASA Limited site, Ahmed and his co-conspirators falsely claimed to be serving meals to 2,000 or 3,000 children each day, seven days a week. During the one-year period from September 2020 to September 2021, Ahmed his co-conspirators fraudulently claimed to have served more than 1.6 million meals at the ASA Limited site.
To accomplish his scheme, Ahmed submitted multiple fake attendance rosters that purported to identify both the names and ages of approximately 2,000 children who attended the ASA Limited site’s “after-school program” in September through December 2021. The lists of names and ages were fake, and Ahmed’s roster spreadsheets contained a formula that inserted a random number between 7 and 17 in the age column for each “child” on the list.
According to court documents, rather than use fraudulently obtained money to serve meals or feed children, Ahmed and his co-conspirators misappropriated much of it. Ahmed transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to himself and other co-conspirators, which included transferring fraud proceeds to a shell company he created called 1130 Holdings Inc. He and his co-conspirators also created another shell company called Five A’s Projects LLC, where they transferred more than $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Ahmed used these proceeds to purchase the former location of Kelly’s 19th Hole, a bar and restaurant in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, which will be now forfeited to the United States. Ahmed used more fraudulent proceeds to purchase a 2022 Mini Cooper vehicle, which has been seized and will be forfeited to the United States.
According to court documents, Ahmed paid more than $49,000 in bribes and kickbacks to Abdikerm Eidleh, a Feeding Our Future employee, in exchange for sponsoring and facilitating ASA Limited’s fraudulent participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. In exchange, Feeding Our Future received nearly $400,000 in administrative fees for sponsoring ASA Limited’s participation in the program.
In total, Ahmed and his co-conspirators caused a loss of $7.3 million to Federal Child Nutrition Programs based on fraudulent claims submitted through Feeding Our Future.
“I am proud of the unrelenting efforts of our prosecution team to hold the defendants—who engaged in a massive pay-to-play fraud scheme that exploited Minnesota and the Federal Child Nutrition Program—accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
Ahmed pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Eden Prairie Man Charged with Coercion, Enticement of a Minor and Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Michael Bruce Gillis, an Eden Prairie man, has been charged via federal criminal complaint with coercion and enticement of a minor and production of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to the criminal complaint, on March 2, 2025, the Mounds View Police Department received a report of a missing 15-year-old male. In an effort to locate the missing juvenile, his family members reviewed his personal electronic devices and discovered recent chat communications between Minor Victim A and an individual identified as “Nick Miller.” In their chat thread, Minor Victim A specifically identified himself as being “young” and still in high school, to which “Nick Miller” responded that he “like[s] younger guys” and that he was “okay with it.” From there, the chat transitioned to Minor Victim A and “Nick Miller” exchanging sexually explicit messages and graphic photos. The pair then made plans to meet, but because Minor Victim A was too young to drive, “Nick Miller” ordered an Uber to pick him up and drive him to the meetup location.
A few hours after the electronic communications between “Nick Miller” and Minor Victim A, law enforcement conducted a welfare check at the address “Nick Miller” had provided. Law enforcement officers discovered Minor Victim A walking on foot a short distance from the indicated residence. Minor Victim A reported that “Nick Miller” had sexually assaulted him, and that he had escaped from the house after “Nick Miller” had fallen asleep. Law enforcement officers subsequently apprehended “Nick Miller” at the address he had provided, and positively identified him as Michael Bruce Gillis, 35. A subsequent records check revealed two other pending matters involving allegations of child exploitation, one in Hennepin County, Minnesota, and the other in Polk County, Florida.
“As this case demonstrates, child predators are clear and present dangers to the children of Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “We have federal tools at our disposal—including significant mandatory minimum sentences—that appropriately take predators like this off the street for decades. As Acting U.S. Attorney, I have directed my office to continue to prioritize these abhorrent crimes—to send a strong deterrent message and to protect our community.”
“The allegations in this case are horrific. His deliberate, predatory behavior led to the sexual assault of a child, causing significant harm and trauma” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will use every resource available to ensure those who prey on the most vulnerable are brought to justice.”
Gillis was charged by criminal complaint today in U.S. District Court with one count of coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of production of child pornography. He is currently detained.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, Eden Prairie Police Department, Mounds View Police Department, and the Bloomington Police Department.
"I am glad we are working with our federal partners to get these child predators off the street," said Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges. "I am confident this partnership will help keep our communities safe."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing 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.
Duluth Climbing Coach Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DULUTH, Minn. – Lucas Matthew Kramer, a Duluth man, was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possessing child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. He also was ordered to pay restitution to his victims and a $7,500 assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act of 2018.
“Few crimes are as heinous as the sexual exploitation of minors,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick. “My office will continue to prioritize charging predators who hold positions of trust in our community. Coaches, daycare providers, and others in positions of trust who prey on children will face federal justice.”
“The sentencing of Lucas Mathew Kramer concludes a successful investigation focused on those who seek to exploit our children. HSI will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who target our young people,” said ICE HSI Saint Paul Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt. “We appreciate the collaboration with our law enforcement partners and stand by our commitment to protecting our communities and securing our homeland.”
According to court documents, on September 23, 2022, law enforcement received a tip that an online individual with the username “northernboy35” had used the Kik messenger application to upload 19 videos of child pornography to the internet. Less than a week later, the same username uploaded five additional child pornography videos to the internet. Law enforcement quickly determined that the uploaded files originated from Duluth, Minnesota, and linked the email and IP address for the “nothernboy35” moniker directly to Lucas Mathew Kramer, 45, a longtime collegiate climbing coach.
Law enforcement proceeded to execute a search warrant at Kramer’s residence and discovered that he had knowingly possessed over 600 images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on numerous electronic devices. His CSAM collection included the graphic sexual abuse of prepubescent children—some as young as toddlers—and included videos depicting children being physically forced into sexual compliance. Kramer admitted that he downloaded and traded his CSAM collection with others on the internet. Law enforcement also discovered evidence of sexually explicit chats between Kramer and self-identified prepubescent minors, where he engaged the self-identified minors in sexually explicit conversations and encouraged them to take and send nude images of themselves.
Kramer pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on October 11, 2024. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud on March 19, 2024. When handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud remarked that Kramer’s conduct was “deeply troubling” and that his collection of CSAM materials “reflected depravity” and showed a “callous indifference” to the humanity of his victims.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Duluth Police Department. “The Duluth Police Department appreciates its partnership with Homeland Security Investigations in holding this offender accountable to the highest standards,” commented Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing prosecuted the case.
11 Charged in Twin Cities Drug Trafficking, Kidnapping ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against 11 individuals associated with a transnational Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) tied to a Mexican cartel in a drug trafficking and kidnapping conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
As alleged in the indictment, beginning in July 2023 through January 2025, 11 defendants conspired to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. The DTO leaders arranged for large quantities of methamphetamine to be delivered from Mexico to the Twin Cities area, via the mail and driven by cars and trucks. Once delivered, the Minnesota-based defendants broke large quantities of methamphetamine down into smaller, distributable quantities and sold it to customers throughout the Twin Cities region. In January 2025, an individual owed a DTO leader in Mexico a substantial amount of money, which they could not pay. Four of the co-defendants lured this individual to a location in St. Paul, Minnesota. They kidnaped the victim, beat the victim, chained the victim to a pole, and the held the victim against their will. During the kidnaping and beating, a DTO leader instructed one of the defendants over a messaging application, “you are breaking his hands. Break them good.”
“This case highlights the inherent danger that transnational drug cartels bring to our country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “This mob-style violence has no place in America, it has no place in Minnesota, and those who engage in it will be charged federally.”
The following individuals have been indicted for the following crimes and have made their initial appearance in federal court:
• Richar Sanchez Mujica, 30, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to kidnap, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Donovan Rey Lopez, 21, of Minneapolis is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Erling Soren Holdahl, 48, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to kidnap.
• Dostin Elizander Ortiz-Garcia, 29, of Burnsville, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Jonathan Salvador Juarez-Ferrer, 25, of Minneapolis, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Timothy Duane Ripley, 45, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to kidnap.
• Kendra Sue Johnson, 39, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to kidnap.Four other members of the conspiracy have not yet made their initial appearances.
This case is the result of cooperation between Homeland Security Investigations, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the St. Paul Police Department’s Violent Crime Enforcement Team, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Minneapolis Police Department, Ramsey County, and the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force. It is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. McBride 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.
Minnesota State Senator Charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota state Senator Justin David Eichorn has been charged via federal criminal complaint with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to the criminal complaint, on March 12, 2025, Bloomington Police detectives began an undercover operation to target commercial sex involving juveniles. Law enforcement placed online advertisements offering commercial sex. Unbeknownst to the prospective sex buyers, it was in fact undercover law enforcement officers who received and responded to the messages.
On March 11, 2025, undercover officers began receiving messages from Eichorn, age 40, inquiring, “I saw your post and [sic] chance you are still available tonight?” and then later, “What’s a guy gota do to get with the hottest girl online tonight.” Over the course of messaging over several days, the undercover officer repeatedly said that she was not 18 but was, in fact, 17 years old. Even so, Eichorn proceeded to ask the undercover officer about pricing for various sex acts she might perform, and then Eichorn arranged an in-person meet-up to pay for commercial sex. Eichorn also requested that the undercover officer—whom he believed to be a 17-year-old minor—send him “a naught[y] pic” including one “with lot less clothes.” Eichorn arrived at the agreed-upon location to find law enforcement waiting to apprehend him. In his car, among other things, law enforcement found cash and a condom.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office has no tolerance for public officials who violate federal law—particularly those laws meant to protect children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “I am grateful to the Bloomington Police Department, to the FBI, and to all law enforcement officers who use undercover operations to identify and arrest child sex predators to prevent them from abusing real children.”
“The actions alleged in this case are an appalling attempt to exploit an innocent and vulnerable minor," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI and our partners are committed to protecting children from predators who seek to harm them. Every child deserves to grow up in a safe environment, free from the threat of exploitation.”
“If you come to the Orange Jumpsuit District looking to have sex with someone’s child, expect to leave in handcuffs,” said Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges. “We will not tolerate predators in our community. I have long advocated for stronger penalties for these crimes, and this case is yet another example of why tougher laws are necessary. Our state legislature must take this issue seriously—protecting children should never be up for debate.”
Eichorn was charged by complaint today in U.S. District Court with one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Jury Finds Feeding Our Future Mastermind and Co-Defendant Guilty in $250 Million Pandemic Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Two individuals have been convicted by a federal jury for their roles in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
“Aimee Bock and Salim Said took advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to carry out a massive fraud scheme that stole money meant to feed children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “The defendants falsely claimed to have served 91 million meals, for which they fraudulently received nearly $250 million in federal funds. That money did not go to feed kids. Instead, it was used to fund their lavish lifestyles. Today’s verdict sends a message to the community that fraud against the government will not be tolerated.”
“Stealing from the federal government is stealing from the American people - plain and simple. The egregious fraud uncovered in the Feeding our Future case represents the blatant betrayal of public trust. These criminals stole hundreds of millions in federal funding meant to feed hungry children during a crisis and instead funneled it into luxury homes, cars and lavish lifestyles while families struggled,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI will not allow criminals to rob federal programs and walk away unscathed. We will expose their schemes, dismantle their networks, and ensure they face the full weight of justice.”
“Aimee Bock, Salim Said, and others took advantage of a global pandemic to rob food programs, aimed at serving those in need, of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars during a time when so many people were struggling,” said Ramsey Covington, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Instead of overseeing the distribution of meals to low-income children, Bock’s organization enabled meal site operators to commit fraud. This verdict is the product of dedicated investigators and prosecutors to bring accountability to those who brazenly stole from the American public. IRS Criminal Investigation is deeply committed to working with our partner agencies to combat these types of fraud schemes and ensure our American tax dollars serve their intended purpose.”
“Today’s verdict reaffirms how critical a role the U.S. Postal Inspection Service plays in protecting the American consumer from these types of fraudulent schemes and in ensuring that the nation’s U.S. mail stream is not used by criminals to prey upon our citizens and programs intended to aid those in need during difficult times. The bold egregious nature in which these fraudsters victimized our children and programs intended to feed them during a world-wide pandemic illustrates their callous disregard for human decency and overall greed,” Bryan Musgrove, Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division stated. “This investigation is a tremendous example of how the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our FBI law enforcement partners can work side by side in an effort to bring these fraudsters to justice.”
Historically, the Federal Child Nutrition provided meals to children in school-based programs or activities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) waived some of the standard requirements for participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Among other things, the USDA allowed for-profit restaurants to participate in the program, as well as allowed for off-site food distribution to children outside of educational programs.
As proven at trial, Aimee Bock, 44, was the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Salim Said, 36, former co-owner of Safari Restaurant, was jointly tried with Bock. Together, they oversaw a massive fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship.As proven at trial, Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota. These sites, created and operated by Bock, Said, and others, fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed. Bock and Said created and submitted false documentation, including fraudulent meal counts consisting of fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names and ages of the children receiving meals at the sites each day. Feeding Our Future submitted these fraudulent claims to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and then disbursed the fraudulently obtained Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to their co-conspirators involved in the scheme.
To accomplish their scheme, Bock and Said created dozens of shell companies to enroll in the program as food program sites, and to receive and launder the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme. In exchange for sponsoring these sites’ fraudulent participation in the program, Feeding Our Future received more than $18 million in administrative fees to which it was not entitled. In addition to the administrative fees, Feeding Our Future employees solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies sponsored by Feeding Our Future. Many of these kickbacks were paid in cash or disguised as “consulting fees” paid to shell companies created by Feeding Our Future employees to make them appear legitimate.
As proven at trial, Said’s Safari Restaurant reported approximately $600,000 in annual revenue in each of the three years prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, Safari Restaurant enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. By July 2020, Said claimed to be serving meals to 5,000 children per day, seven days a week. In total, Said claimed to have served over 3.9 million meals to children from the Safari Restaurant food site between April 2020 and November 2021. Said also claimed that Safari Restaurant provided more than 2.2 million meals to other food sites involved in Feeding Our Future’s fraud scheme.
In total, Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota, and in doing so, went from receiving and disbursing approximately $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021. Throughout the course of their scheme, Feeding Our Future fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. The defendants used the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme to purchase luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota as well as property in Ohio and Kentucky, real estate in Kenya and Turkey, and to fund international travel.
After a six-week trial, Bock was convicted on four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of bribery, and one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery. Said was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, eight counts of bribery, one count conspiracy to commit money laundering and five counts of money laundering.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Brooklyn Park Felon Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl Mixture Resulting in Death on Mille Lacs ReservationRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Brooklyn Park man pleaded guilty to fentanyl trafficking that resulted in death, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on July 26, 2023, Allen Lee Goodwin, 50, sold a mixture of fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl to a 38-year-old male victim who lived on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation. The next morning, Goodwin’s victim injected the fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl substance and died minutes later. In his plea agreement, Goodwin admitted he intentionally transferred the fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl mixture to his victim, and that the man would not have died but for the use of the fentanyl substance that he sold him.
“Deadly fentanyl is flooding our state and our country—resulting in the tragic loss of so many of our citizens,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Overdose rates are highest on our Indian reservations. This is unacceptable. My heart breaks for the Minnesota parents who have lost their children, struggling with drug addiction, to the greed and callousness of drug dealers. My office will prosecute these purveyors of poison to the fullest extent of the law.”
Goodwin pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death in U.S. District Court today before Judge Donovan W. Frank. A sentencing hearing will take place at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.
Duluth Felon Sentenced to over 13 Years in Narcotics Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Duluth felon was sentenced yesterday to 167 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on February 19, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence of Diaunte Jevon Shields, 44, in Duluth, Minnesota. Inside his apartment, officers discovered over a kilogram of fentanyl, a pound of methamphetamine, and hundreds of grams of cocaine in Shields’s apartment—with a gun and loaded magazine in the same cooler. Officers also found other evidence of narcotics trafficking inside the apartment, including cutting agents, and packing materials. Law enforcement found another kilogram-plus of cocaine in a FedEx box intended for Shields. In total, Shields had over $33,000 in cash on his person when police arrested him.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office proudly serves all of Minnesota, from our big cities to our small towns,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Defendant Shields trafficked deadly poison to our community in Duluth—and now will be off the streets for well more than a decade.”
On August 22, 2024, Shields pleaded guilty to one count of possession of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine with intent to distribute. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Katherine M. Menendez.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Duluth Police Department, with assistance from the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.
Remaining Defendants Plead Guilty in Twin Cities Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The remaining defendants in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl throughout the Twin Cities region have pleaded guilty, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, between August 2022 through December 2023, Phyu Win Jame, 28, Amaya Tiffany-Nicole Mims, 24, Da’Shawn Natori Domena, 25, Cornell Montez Chandler, Jr., 26, Robiel Lee Williams, 24, Quijuan Hosea Bankhead, 31, Stardasha Christina Davenport-Mounger, 25, Fo’Tre Devine White, 28, and Shardai Rayshell Allen, 25, conspired to distribute fentanyl in the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota. To accomplish their conspiracy scheme, several of the co-defendants frequently traveled to Phoenix to obtain fentanyl pills from suppliers, hid the pills inside stuffed animals, and then mailed them to addresses in and around the Twin Cities. Law enforcement in Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties became aware of the trafficking and initiated a joint investigation, which resulted in the seizure of six packages containing over 30,000 grams of fentanyl pills.
Between August 6, 2024, and March 12, 2025, Davenport-Mounger, Domena, Williams, White, Allen, Bankhead, Mims, and Jame each pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court before Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Chandler was sentenced to over 13 years in federal prison by Judge Bryan on November 14, 2024. Sentencing hearings for the other defendants will be scheduled in the near future.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Washington County Drug Task Force, and the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.
See also:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/indiana-man-pleads-guilty-twin-cities-fentanyl-distribution-conspiracy
https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/three-additional-individuals-charged-twin-cities-fentanyl-distribution-conspiracy
https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/six-individuals-charged-twin-cities-fentanyl-distribution-conspiracy
Mankato Felon Indicted in Child Exploitation CaseRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Mankato man has been charged with multiple counts related to the production and possession of child sexual abuse material, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, in October 2024, Mitchell Ray Williams, 39, engaged minor victims in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child sexual abuse material videos. Between approximately October 1, 2024, and November 1, 2024, Williams possessed—and advertised the availability of—visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The indictment charges Williams with one count of production and attempted production of child pornography, one count of advertisement of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. Williams made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on February 5, 2025, and was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings by Magistrate Judge Douglas L. Micko. An arraignment hearing has been scheduled for March 11, 2025.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Mankato Department of Public Safety. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian Weir 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.
Thirty-Seventh Feeding Our Future Defendant Pleads Guilty with Obstruction of Justice Enhancement for Witness Tampering AttemptRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Lakeville man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud for his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, from April 2020 through January 2022, Abdinasir Mahamed Abshir, 33, claimed to be operating a child nutrition site in Mankato, Minnesota, a mid-sized city in Southwestern Minnesota. Abshir ran his food site, Stigma-Free Mankato, under the sponsorship of Feeding our Future. Shortly after creating the Stigma-Free Mankato site, the defendant falsely claimed to be serving meals to 3,000 children a day, seven days a week, from J’s Sambusa, a small restaurant in North Mankato. Abshir also created a shell company called Horseed Management, and claimed it was a meal vendor for the Stigma-Free Mankato food site. Between November 2020 and November 2021, Abshir and his co-conspirators falsely claimed to have served approximately 1.6 million meals to children through Stigma-Free Mankato.
To accomplish their scheme, Abshirand his co-conspirators prepared and submitted fake meal counts, invoices, and attendance rosters. Rather than use fraudulently obtained money to serve meals or feed children, Abshir and his co-conspirators fraudulently misappropriated much of it. Abshir transferred millions of dollars from Horseed Management to himself and other co-conspirators, which included transferring fraud proceeds to a shell company the defendant created called Calikamin Enterprise. Abshir used fraudulent proceeds to purchase a 2021 Range Rover, which has been seized and will be forfeited to the United States.
According to court documents, Abshir paid more than $100,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Horseed Management to Abdikerm Eidleh, a Feeding Our Future employee, in exchange for sponsoring and facilitating Stigma-Free Mankato’s fraudulent participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. In exchange, Feeding Our Future received nearly $420,000 in administrative fees for sponsoring the Stigma-Free Mankato site’s participation in the program. In December 2021, Abshir paid $5,750 to a GoFundMe account for Feeding Our Future created by Aimee Bock.
In total, Stigma-Free Mankato received over $5.4 million in payments from Feeding Our Future based on fraudulent claims.
In addition, on February 18, 2025, Abshir attempted to obstruct or impede the administration of justice when he communicated with a cooperating witness in the trial of his co-defendants in United States v. Aimee Bock and Salim Said. Specifically, in the hallway outside Courtroom 13W in the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Abshir approached a witness who was about to testify in the trial. After learning that the witness was about to testify that day, Abshir requested that the witness come with him to the bathroom to have a conversation.
Abshir pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. In his plea, he acknowledges that an enhancement will apply to his Sentencing Guidelines because he obstructed justice when he attempted to tamper with a witness. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Duluth Felon Charged with Possession of Firearm, FentanylRead the Press Release
DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth woman has been indicted on illegal possession of a firearm and drug trafficking charges, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on December 8, 2023, Khadijah Denise Preston, 30, was found in possession of a Smith & Wesson model M&P Shield M2.0 handgun. On October 9, 2024, Preston possessed fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
Because Preston has a prior felony conviction in Hennepin County for second degree assault, she is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
The indictment charges Preston with one count of illegal possession of a firearm and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. She made her initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois on March 6, 2025.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Duluth Police Department, the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole J. Carter 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.
Mahnomen Felon Indicted for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Mahnomen man has been charged with illegal possession of firearms as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on July 17, 2023, Adam James Webster, 23, was found in possession of a Remington rifle and 12 gauge shot gun.
Because Webster has a prior felony conviction in Mahnomen County for third degree assault, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
The indictment charges Webster with one count of illegal possession of firearms. He made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Alice R. Senechal in the District of North Dakota.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the White Earth Police Department, the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole J. Carter 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.
Gang Member Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A member of the Minneapolis Highs gang was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release for his role in a racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, Deandre Poe, a.k.a. “Squizzy” or “Fat Squad,” 35, was a member of the Highs, a street gang operating on the north side of Minneapolis since approximately 2004. The Highs congregated at specific businesses and residences located at or near the West Broadway Avenue and Lyndale Avenue North intersection. Highs members proved their loyalty to the gang by “putting in work,” i.e., committing acts of violence for the benefit of the gang or offering other benefits such as introducing a source for drugs or firearms. Highs members were expected to “hunt” rival gang members: an express directive to locate and kill rivals. If they did not, Highs members were expelled from the gang and physically assaulted for failing to “put in work.”
According to court documents, Poe was part of the Highs extensive fentanyl trafficking operation involving Arizona-based suppliers. Between November 2022 and March 2023, Poe made several round-trip flights from Minneapolis to Phoenix, where he mailed at least four bulk parcels of fentanyl back to Minnesota using the U.S. Postal Service.
On October 3, 2024, Poe pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a RICO conspiracy with the Highs criminal enterprise. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy E. Brasel on March 4, 2025.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Minneapolis Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, 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 also contributed to this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Albania Concepcion, Carla J. Baumel, Rebecca E. Kline and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Brian W. Lynch of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section prosecuted the case.
Minneapolis Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan was arrested yesterday and charged by criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
As alleged in the criminal complaint, in December 2024, Hassan attempted to travel from Minnesota to Somalia to join ISIS on two occasions, neither of which were successful. Hassan attempted to disguise the purpose of his travel as visiting family despite having none in Somalia and was traveling with his birth certificate, naturalization certificate, and high school diploma. The FBI’s investigation established that Hassan publicly supported ISIS on social media through multiple posts and communicated with a Facebook account for the Manjaniq Media Center, which encouraged individuals to travel to join ISIS and touts itself as a media organization of the Islamic Caliphate. The investigation further revealed that Hassan praised Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the perpetrator of the ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Jan. 1. On Feb. 21, Hassan also posted a video of himself driving while holding a small ISIS flag inside the vehicle, as well as another video of himself driving with an open knife on his lap. On Feb. 26, FBI observed Hassan driving while again holding the ISIS flag.
Hassan was charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. He made his initial appearance in the District of Minnesota today and was ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing which will take place at a later date.
The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorneys Ryan White and Charles Kovats Jr. of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law
Minneapolis Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
As alleged in the criminal complaint, in December 2024, Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan (“Hassan”) attempted to travel from Minnesota to Somalia to join ISIS on two occasions, neither of which was successful. Hassan attempted to disguise the purpose of his travel as visiting family despite having none in Somalia and was traveling with his birth certificate, naturalization certificate, and high school diploma. The FBI’s investigation established that Hassan publicly supported ISIS on social media through multiple posts and communicated with a Facebook account for the Manjaniq Media Center, which encouraged individuals to travel to join ISIS and touts itself as a media organization of the Islamic Caliphate. The investigation further revealed that Hassan praised Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the perpetrator of the January 1, 2025, ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in New Orleans, Louisiana. On February 21, 2025, Hassan also posted a video of himself driving while holding a small ISIS flag inside the vehicle, as well as another video of himself driving with an open knife on his lap. On February 26, 2025, FBI observed Hassan driving while again holding the ISIS flag.
“As we have all seen in recent months, ISIS and its supporters pose the gravest of dangers to our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Those who support foreign terrorist organizations in our homeland—like Hassan—are a clear and present threat to our national security. They will be held to account.”
“The FBI will continue to aggressively use all of our authorities to investigate and arrest anyone who assists foreign terrorist organizations,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Hassan allegedly attempted to travel to Somalia to join ISIS on two occasions and publicly shared support of ISIS on his social media accounts. Such acts are wholly unacceptable, and the FBI will work tirelessly with our partners to hold accountable those who attempt to support terrorists.”
Hassan was arrested by authorities yesterday on a criminal complaint charging him with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. He made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung and was ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing which will take place on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, in St. Paul, before Magistrate Judge Douglas L. Micko.
The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar, and National Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorneys Ryan White and Charles Kovats, Jr., are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
25-mj-104_complaint_packet.pdfFederal Jury Finds Minneapolis Felon Guilty of Fentanyl and Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury found a Minneapolis man guilty of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and illegal possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to evidence presented at trial, on February 24, 2023, law enforcement executed multiple search warrants on Kevin Deandre Bennett, 46. Law enforcement officers recovered more than 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl, over $10,000 in cash, and a Glock model 19 9mm semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine from Bennet’s apartment, storage lockers, and on his person. Law enforcement also recovered drug related paraphernalia including a narcotics press, scale, and individual baggies containing smaller, distributable quantities of fentanyl.Following a three-day trial before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court, a jury found Bennett guilty on two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew C. Murphy and Andrew Dunne tried the case.
Minneapolis Non-Profit Executive and Business Consultant Pleads Guilty in $6 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis non-profit executive and business consultant pleaded guilty to leading a scheme to defraud a number of federal, state, local, private programs and other sources of funding, resulting in a loss of over $6 million, and also to illegally possessing a firearm after a felony, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, from 2020 until 2024, Tezzaree El-Amin Champion, 28, engaged in a fraud scheme through two Minneapolis-based entities he founded and controlled: a marketing company he owned, Futuristic Management LLC, and a non-profit organization he led, Encouraging Leaders.
Encouraging Leaders, under Champion’s direction, submitted at least 42 grant and public-contract applications with related follow-up correspondence containing material false misrepresentations, in order to obtain funding. Fraudulent applications were submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice, Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, the Center for Disease Control Foundation, the Minnesota Department of Education, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Otto Bremer Trust, the Greater Twin Cities United Way, and others. False statements included false rosters of Encouraging Leaders’ board of directions; false assertions that Encouraging Leaders had been independently audited; false claims that certain local governments, companies, and community organizations had agreed to partner with Encouraging Leaders; requests for payment based on overstated hours of work; and false claims that Encouraging Leaders administered events that either never occurred or were organized by others. Champion misused significant portions of the funds that Encouraging Leaders received in response to the applications, for example by transferring funds to himself and using organizational funds for personal matters. Based on the fraudulent applications, Encouraging Leaders sought more than $3.8 million in funding through 42 grants and was awarded 27 grants for more than $2.7 million in funding. Encouraging Leaders actually received approximately $1.5 million in funding as part of the scheme.
Through Futuristic Management, Champion recruited and assisted clients in submitting fraudulent applications to Hennepin County’s Small Business Relief grant program as well as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection and Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs. The applications dramatically overstated applicant incomes and expenses, and were supported by fake tax records and fake lease documents that Champion obtained. Champion also submitted nine fraudulent applications on his own behalf. Simultaneously, Champion defrauded Hennepin County, for whom his company was serving as a business advisor under the County’s Elevate Business program. As part of the program, Champion agreed to provide free marketing services to local small businesses. But rather than provide free services, Champion billed and received payments from the County for services for which he had already been paid by his clients. Many of these clients were the same businesses and individuals Champion had assisted with false PPP, EIDL, and SBR applications. Champion also used his company to fraudulently obtain loans marketed by PayPal Business Loan and issued by WebBank. In the PayPal applications, Champion overstated his company’s gross sales and attached fake Wells Fargo bank statements inflating his bank balances and deposits. In total, the part of the scheme relating to Futuristic Management resulted in a loss of more than $2.1 million.
During the investigation of Champion’s offenses, law enforcement searched Champion’s home. Officers found Futuristic Management financial records, a safe containing $127,000 in U.S. currency, and a Ruger LCR .357 revolver with Champion’s DNA on it. Due to a 2018 conviction in Hennepin County for second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, Champion is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Champion pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court yesterday before Judge Katherine M. Menendez to one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. Champion agreed to pay restitution of at least $3,479,575 to the victims of his offenses. Earlier this month, Champion’s co-defendant Marcus A. Hamilton pleaded guilty to participating in the Futuristic Management part of the scheme. Sentencing hearings for both defendants will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minneapolis Police Department’s Special Crimes Investigations Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Forbes and Joseph H. Thompson are prosecuting the case.
plea_agreement_24-cr-112.pdf indictment_24-cr-112.pdf search_warrant_application_23-mj-358.pdfMinneapolis Man Pleads Guilty in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud for his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, from April 2020 through January 2022, Abdikadir Ainashe Mohamud, a.k.a. “AK,” 33, claimed to be operating a child nutrition site in Willmar, Minnesota, a small town with a total population of approximately 21,000. Mohamud ran his food site, Stigma-Free Willmar, under the sponsorship of Feeding our Future. In October 2020, Mohamud approached the owner of FaaFan restaurant and offered to pay him monthly so that he could claim the small storefront restaurant as a Stigma-Free Willmar food site. By October 20, 2020, less than a month after registering the Stigma-Free Willmar site, Mohamud claimed to be serving meals to 3,000 children per day, seven days a week from FaaFan. Mohamud created a shell company, Tunyar Trading, and claimed it was a meal vendor for the Stigma-Free Willmar food site. Between November 2020 and December 2021, Mohamud and his co-conspirators claimed to have served approximately 1.6 million meals to children through Stigma-Free Willmar.
To accomplish their scheme, Mohamud and his co-conspirators prepared and submitted fake meal counts, invoices, and attendance rosters. Mohamud ultimately transferred more than $2.5 million from Tunyar Trading to himself and other co-conspirators. He also created another shell company called Five A’s Projects LLC, where he transferred more than $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. These proceeds were used to purchase the former location of Kelly’s 19th Hole, a bar and restaurant in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
According to court documents, Mohamud paid more than $225,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Tunyar Trading LLC to Abdikerm Eidleh, a Feeding Our Future employee who served as the site support manager for the Stigma-Free Willmar site, in exchange for sponsoring and facilitating Stigma-Free Willmar’s fraudulent participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. In exchange, Feeding Our Future received nearly $500,000 in administrative fees for sponsoring the Stigma-Free Willmar site’s participation in the program. In December 2021, the defendant paid $5,750 to a GoFundMe account for Feeding Our Future created by Aimee Bock.
In total, Stigma-Free Willmar received over $5.3 million in payments from Feeding Our Future based on fraudulent claims. As part of his sentence, Mohamud was ordered to forfeit the Kelly’s 19th Hole property, and $378,207.20 in fraudulent funds seized from his Tunyar Trading LLC bank account.
Mohamud pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Former School District Employee Charged with Using AI Technology to Produce Sexual Abuse Images of Children in his Care, and Possession and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Defendant William Michael Haslach, 30, a former employee of Independent School District #622 (North St. Paul—Maplewood—Oakdale) and ISD #834 (Stillwater), has been charged with receipt and possession of child pornography as well as production of an obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, defendant Haslach, of Maplewood, Minnesota, occupied several positions of trust with children. From August 2021 until January 2025, Haslach, 30, served as a lunch monitor and traffic guard for Independent School District #622 (North St. Paul—Maplewood—Oakdale). From 2021 through 2024, Haslach also served as a paraprofessional and later as a youth summer programs assistant for Independent School District #834 (Stillwater). Haslach used his access to children to take non-explicit photos of children in his care. Haslach then used those images to produce morphed/AI photos of those minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. As detailed in the indictment, Haslach also possessed and received child pornography involving children that were abused by others.
“Prosecuting the predators who walk amongst us—in our neighborhoods, our communities, and particularly in our schools—will always be the top priority in the District of Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “My thoughts are with the many Minnesota parents who will be horrified to learn how Haslach used AI advances to victimize schoolchildren in his care. Rest assured, my office will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Every child is entitled to a secure upbringing, and this case highlights the powerful collaboration among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in their mission to safeguard them,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Cybert, U.S. Secret Service – Minneapolis Field Office.
The federal indictment charges Haslach with five counts of receipt of child pornography, five counts of possession of child pornography, and one count of production of an obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse. Haslach made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Judge Tony N. Leung. He was ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing on Monday, March 3, before Judge Douglas L. Micko.
Investigators believe there may be other victims relevant to this investigation. If your child has been in close contact with Haslach, and/or if you or your child is aware of Haslach taking a photo of your child, please contact the Minnesota BCA’s Tip Line at 651-793-2465 or email [email protected].
If you are a parent of a child that has at any point been under the care of Haslach, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has set up a website to provide you with resources and further information about this case: Haslach Child Exploitation Case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Maplewood Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla J. Baumel 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.
haslach_indictment_2.26.25.pdf
Minneapolis Woman Pleads Guilty in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis woman has pleaded guilty for her role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, Najmo M. Ahmed, 35, helped her husband Said Ereg run a small storefront grocery store in Minneapolis called Evergreen Grocery and Deli. In April 2020, Ereg enrolled Evergreen Grocery and Deli in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as a food distribution site under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Under the direction of her husband, Ahmed signed falsified meal count sheets, including one dated December 31, 2020, claiming Evergreen Grocery and Deli served 3,250 children – twice a day – during the week of January 24, 2021. Between April 2020 and April 2021, Evergreen Grocery and Deli claimed to have served over 1.4 million meals to children.
According to court documents, Evergreen Grocery and Deli received over $4.2 million in payments from Feeding Our Future based on fraudulent claims. Ereg transferred funds from Evergreen’s business accounts into personal accounts in his name and Ahmed’s name, and Ahmed knew that the large sums of money her husband deposited into her account were proceeds from illegal activity. Ahmed transferred at least $1,147,348 in funding from her personal bank accounts to foreign textile and trading companies such as Shaoxing Aifan Textile Co. She also used the money to fund her lavish lifestyle and made purchases from Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Canada Goose. Ltd. In total, Ahmed laundered $1,381,048 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds through her personal bank accounts.
Ahmed pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs, Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Indictments of Three Felons on Illegal Reentry ChargesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick announced several indictments bringing illegal reentry charges against defendants who were previously convicted of serious and dangerous felonies, including convictions for child molestation and criminal sexual conduct.
A federal grand jury returned indictments on the following individuals:
- Luis Gerardo Gomez-Esteban a.k.a. Luis Gerardo Gomez-Esteban, 35, for being in the United States after removal from the country on May 8, 2019, following his conviction for several child molestation charges in Thurston County, Washington. Gomez-Esteban also failed to register as a sex offender upon his return to the U.S.
- Jose Alfredo Ojeda-Garcia, 33, for being in the United States after his conviction on criminal sexual conduct in Faribault County, Minnesota. Ojeda-Garcia was removed three times on April 23, 2012, May 26, 2021, and January 29, 2022.
- Sotero Ortiz-Sanchez, 37, was found in the United States after his conviction for attempted burglary in Lancaster County, Nebraska, and had been initially removed on January 28, 2009.
All of these cases are the result of investigations conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tower Woman Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling over $300K from ClientsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Tower woman has been sentenced to 28 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay nearly $430,000 in restitution to more than two dozen former payroll clients and the IRS, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, Jeana Lautigar, a.k.a. Jeana Lautigar-McGowan, 58, owned and operated an accounting and payroll service headquartered in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, where she managed payroll for various small businesses. To facilitate the payroll service, Lautigar-McGowan was granted access to client bank accounts. On multiple occasions between 2016 and 2020, Lautigar-McGowan embezzled funds from her clients’ bank accounts and used the money to cover personal expenses, or to pay back money she had previously embezzled from other clients. To accomplish her scheme, Lautigar-McGowan would electronically transfer funds from a client account into an account she controlled – in an amount appearing to be consistent with clients’ payroll – and spend the money for unapproved purposes. In total, she embezzled $344,813 from her clients over a period of five years.
According to court documents and her guilty plea, on February 6, 2020, Lautigar-McGowan tried to cover her scheme by transferring money from an account she controlled and that had been funded with embezzled money into the account of another payroll client. Lautigar-McGowan also filed false income tax returns in which she failed to report the embezzled income, resulting in a $84,746 tax loss to the United States.
On September 27, 2024, Lautigar-McGowan pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property and one count of filing a false income tax return. She was sentenced last week by Judge Donovan W. Frank.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Lewis and Esther Soria prosecuted the case.
Federal Jury Finds St. Paul Felon Guilty of Fentanyl and Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury found a St. Paul man guilty of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and illegal possession of a firearm as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to evidence presented at trial, on April 19, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at an apartment in St. Paul, Minnesota, that Eric Marcel Turner, a.k.a. Xavier Thomas, 39, rented using an alias. In the apartment, officers found over 300 grams of fentanyl and a loaded firearm.
Because Turner has multiple prior felony convictions, including a federal drug trafficking offense, for which he served several years in federal prison, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Following a three-day trial before Judge Katherine M. Menendez in U.S. District Court, a jury found Turner guilty of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the West Metro Drug Trask Force, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and Allen A. Slaughter tried the case.
Saint Paul Man and Mounds View Woman Sentenced to Prison for Armed Carjacking in MinneapolisRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Saint Paul man has been sentenced to 51 months in prison, and a Mounds View woman will serve 41 months in prison for their respective roles in aiding and abetting a Minneapolis carjacking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on October 6, 2023, Carvon Antonio Saine, 19, and his co-defendant Isis Martinaz Brent, a.k.a. Jayda Marie White, 20, approached an elderly victim who had just parked a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu on the street in South Minneapolis. Brent brandished a Carl Walther 9mm semiautomatic pistol and demanded the victim’s keys. During the carjacking, an associate of Brent’s forcefully snatched the victim’s bags, causing the victim to fall and suffer bodily injury on their hands and knees. The Malibu experienced mechanical issues and was later found abandoned. A short time later, Brent and Saine approached a second victim in a parking lot on Chicago Avenue South. Brent knocked on the window, demanded the victim’s keys, and again brandished the Walther semiautomatic pistol at the victim. The second victim was able to escape the attempted carjacking.
Saine and Brent were sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim, each on one count of aiding and abetting a carjacking.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green prosecuted the case.
- Michigan Man Indicted on Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft Charges
Duluth Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Prison in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy CaseRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Duluth man has been sentenced to 210 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, Johnathan Eric Thompson, a.k.a. “Remy,” 34, conspired with others to obtain and distribute large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Thompson regularly traveled to Chicago to obtain methamphetamine and fentanyl to sell throughout the Duluth, Minnesota region. On October 27, 2023, Thompson sold 1,830 grams of methamphetamine to one individual, and on November 16, 2023, he sold 2,280 grams of methamphetamine to another individual. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at an apartment being used by the defendant and his co-conspirators to store and package methamphetamine and fentanyl for sale and found 858 grams of methamphetamine and 568 grams of fentanyl. Thompson was arrested on November 30, 2023. At the time of arrest, he was found in possession of 268 grams of fentanyl and 100 counterfeit fentanyl pills. Between October and November 2023, it is estimated that Thompson possessed 7,321 grams of methamphetamine and 863 grams of fentanyl.
Thompson was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. In handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud noted the sentence was due in part to Thompson’s negative impact to the city of Duluth, and that his crimes “fed existing addictions and destroyed lives and families.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Duluth Police Department, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole J. Carter prosecuted the case.
Member of Mexican Cartel and Prison Gang Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison in Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Mexican national has been sentenced to 300 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine throughout Minnesota and the surrounding region, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, Charly Cruz-Jimenez, 40, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in 2018 after serving a 74-month sentence for a first degree controlled substance violation imposed by the Hennepin County District Court. Beginning in at least October 2021—following his deportation to Mexico—Cruz-Jimenez organized and led a drug trafficking organization that distributed mass amounts of methamphetamine in Minnesota, while remaining safely outside of the jurisdiction of the United States in Matamoros, Mexico. Specifically, drug customers inside the United States contacted the defendant by electronic messaging applications and place orders for illicit drugs. Cruz-Jimenez then used a large network of “runners” inside the United States to store the drugs, make deliveries to his customers, and funnel money back to Mexico.
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating Cruz-Jimenez after arresting one of his customers, Nicholas Horak. Investigators learned that the defendant had sold approximately 32-34 pounds of methamphetamine to Horak between October 2021 and March 2022. Officers obtained Cruz-Jimenez’s phone number from Horak’s phone and used his number to introduce an undercover (UC) police officer to him. Over the course of the next 16 months, the UC had repeated contact with Cruz-Jimenez and ordered drugs from him on 15 different occasions. In his communications with the UC, Cruz-Jimenez admitted that he was a member of the Sureños, a national prison gang with connections to organized crime in Mexico. He also admitted to being a member of the Gulf Cartel (Cartel del Golfo or CDG), a major drug trafficking cartel in Mexico. Cruz-Jimenez sent the UC photographs of himself fighting a war over territory with a rival cartel (Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación or CJNG). Included among the photographs was a photo of the defendant posing with a rifle in front of a bound and blindfolded captured member of the rival cartel. Cruz-Jimenez stated that he and his team had captured the man, that he was the “enemy,” and he was “confessing.”
In August 2023, Cruz-Jimenez illegally reentered the United States by crossing the Rio Grande into Texas. From Texas, the defendant continued to discuss methamphetamine deals with the UC and informed them that they would need to increase the quantity of purchases to multiple pounds in order to keep working together. Given the defendant’s return to the United States, investigators arrested him on the current indictment. Before his removal to the District of Minnesota, Cruz-Jimenez was charged and pleaded guilty to illegal reentry into the United States in the Southern District of Texas.
Cruz-Jimenez was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team (VCET), the Maplewood Police Department, the Mounds View Police Department, the New Brighton Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the Saint Paul Police Department, and the White Bear Lake Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan H. Nelson and Bradley M. Endicott are prosecuting the case.
Brainerd Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl in the Brainerd Lakes AreaRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Brainerd man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute tens of thousands of fentanyl pills, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on August 1, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a storage unit in Brainerd that belonged to Dazaughn Ellis West, 28. Inside the unit, officers found between 13,000 and 15,000 pressed fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 2.8 pounds. Law enforcement also executed a search warrant at West’s home in Brainerd, where they found an additional 150 grams of fentanyl pills, a loaded semi-automatic pistol, a .22 caliber rifle, and distributable quantities of cocaine.
On February 6, 2025, West was sentenced in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim to 120 months’ imprisonment.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office, Brainerd Police Department, and the Lakes Area Drug Investigative Division (LADID).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren O. Roso prosecuted the case.
Winona Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison After Targeting More Than 60 Young Girls in Online Sextortion SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Winona man has been sentenced to 324 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release in an online sextortion scheme that victimized more than 60 minor girls across the country and abroad, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, between April 2022 and June 2023, Valentin Silva Quintana, 31, used social media apps, including Snapchat and Instagram, to threaten, sexually manipulate, and exploit more than 60 young girls primarily between 9 and 12 years old in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Zealand and elsewhere. Quintana, who knew that most of the girls were between 9 and 12 years of age, used fake identities and lied about his age in communications with the girls, often posing as a minor girl himself. He used images and videos of youthful appearing girls to make his communications with other victims more believable.
According to court documents, Quintana used a wide range of tactics to coerce his victims, sometimes by convincing young girls that he was their friend or romantic partner, or by offering them money. But most frequently, he convinced young girls to send him a sexual photo or video or covertly recorded them engaging in sexually explicit conduct and then threatened to send the first image to their friends and family unless the girls produced ever more graphic sexual images and videos for him. He continued this type of sextortion even as his victims wept and begged him to stop.
Quintana was sentenced on February 5, 2025, in U.S. District Court before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell after previously pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Winona County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McBride prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry after an Aggravated FelonyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Mexican national has pleaded guilty to illegal reentry to the United States after an aggravated felony conviction for a crime of violence, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, Jonathan Chavez-Galarza, 28,was removed from the United States on July 15, 2020, following his 2018 conviction in Hennepin County for second degree assault with a dangerous weapon. In that matter, Chavez-Galarza was convicted of stabbing a victim multiple times with a knife. The defendant was sentenced to – and served – a term of 36 months imprisonment for that offense, prior to his removal. On December 20, 2022, the defendant was removed a second time, following his conviction in the Southern District of Texas for illegal reentry. Following this last removal to Mexico, Chavez-Galarza knowingly, voluntarily, and unlawfully returned to the United States. Beginning on or around May 24, 2024, and several times afterwards, the defendant was observed near his residence in Minneapolis and around the Twin Cities Metro Area.
Chavez-Galarza pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court before Judge Donovan W. Frank on one count of illegal reentry to the United States after commission of an aggravated felony.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green is prosecuting the case.
Four More Defendants Plead Guilty to $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Four additional defendants have pleaded guilty for their roles in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
First, according to court documents, at times between October 2020 and January 2022, Abduljabar Hussein, 44, of Shakopee, Minnesota, knowingly and willfully conspired with others to participate in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misappropriate millions in federal child nutrition funds.
According to court documents, in October 2020, Abduljabar Hussein’s wife, Mekfira Hussein, enrolled her non-profit, Shamsia Hopes, in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future, at the direction of one of its employees, Abdikerm Eidleh. Mekfira Hussein submitted her application to Aimee Bock, Feeding Our Future’s executive director. In December 2020 and also at the direction of Abdikerm Eidleh, Abduljabar Hussein registered his company, Oromia Feeds LLC, with the State of Minnesota. Oromia Feeds LLC also participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as a vendor for food to be served by Shamsia Hopes sites run by his wife.
Together, the Husseins submitted fraudulent claims that sought reimbursement for far more meals and food than they actually prepared. Hussein and his wife submitted fraudulently inflated invoices for reimbursement—including inflated meal counts and false attendance rosters. As part of this scheme, Hussein and his wife paid at least $140,000 in kickbacks to Eidleh and least $12,000 in kickbacks to Aimee Bock, in exchange for Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship of Shamsia Hopes. In some instances, these kickback payments were disguised as “consulting fees,” when, in fact, neither Eidleh nor Aimee Bock provided any service to justify these payments.
According to his plea agreement entered today, the Husseins ultimately obtained up to $8.8 million in federal child nutrition program funds some of which they used to pay for personal expenditures unrelated to feeding children. For instance, the defendant used $173,438 of the proceeds to pay off the mortgage on his home in Shakopee, Minnesota, and also purchased a 2021 Porsche for $93,250, as well as a 2022 GMC truck for $61,722. As part of his sentence, Hussein was ordered to forfeit those vehicles as well as a 2021 Tesla, and the fraud money he applied toward his home mortgage.
Next, according to court documents, Zamzam Jama, 50, and Mustafa Jama, 48, of Rochester, Minnesota, and Asha Jama, 42, of Lakeville, Minnesota, each pled guilty to laundering fraudulent proceeds that were paid by Feeding Our Future through the Federal Child Nutrition Program to Brava Restaurant. In October 2020, Brava Restaurant, which was located in a retail strip mall in Rochester, Minnesota, enrolled as a distribution site in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future.
The Jamas and their conspirators coordinated the establishment of shell companies through which they received and disbursed funds from the federal child nutrition program to make expenditures that had nothing to do with feeding children. Specifically, on January 7, 2021, Salim Said, a co-owner of Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, paid to register six different shell companies with the state of Minnesota for the Jamas and others.
In 2021, Zamzam Jama, Mustafa Jama, and Asha Jama deposited at least $491,245, $1,429,730, and $449,933, in misappropriated Federal Child Nutrition Program funds into their respective shell entities’ bank accounts. The Jamas then used those funds for various personal expenditures that had nothing to do with feeding children.
Zamzam Jama spent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds on a home in Rosemount, Minnesota, and to purchase a 2021 Toyota RAV4 vehicle. With her guilty plea, Zamzam Jama has forfeited that vehicle, her interest in the Rosemount property, as well as $114,482 from her bank accounts in 2022 by federal investigators.
Mustafa Jama used Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to buy a home in Columbus, Ohio. He also spent $394,000 in program money toward a home in Lakeville, Minnesota, and to purchase Mediterranean coastal property in Alanya, Turkey. With his guilty plea, Mustafa Jama has forfeited any interest in the Ohio and Lakeville properties, as well as $239,500 from his bank accounts in 2022 by federal investigators.
Asha Jama spent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds toward a home in Lakeville, Minnesota, and another in Rochester, Minnesota. With her guilty plea, Zamzam Jama has forfeited her interest on those two properties any interest in that vehicle, the Rosemount property, as well as $149,880 seized from her bank accounts in 2022 by federal investigators.
In separate proceedings in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel, Abduljabar Hussein pleaded guilty on February 5, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Zamzam Jama pleaded guilty on February 5, 2025, to one count of money laundering; Mustafa Jama pleaded guilty on February 6, 2025, to one count of money laundering; and Asha Jama pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025, to one count of money laundering. Sentencing hearings for all four defendants will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Feeding Our Future Defendant Sentenced to 43 Months in Prison for Her “Flagrant” Role in $250 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Sharon Denise Ross, 54, of Willernie, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 43 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for her role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. Ross was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,434,360. Ross was further ordered to forfeit to the United States all property derived from fraud proceeds, including her house in Willernie.
Ross was charged in a 12-count indictment on March 7, 2023, with wire fraud and money laundering for her role in devising and carrying out a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program. On January 10, 2024, Ross pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.
According to court documents, Ross was the executive director of House of Refuge Twin Cities, a St. Paul-based non-profit which she enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Partners in Nutrition. Ross claimed that House of Refuge operated distribution sites at a dozen locations throughout the Twin Cities that served food by a vendor called Brava Café, a restaurant in Minneapolis run by Hanna Marakegn. Between September 2021 through February 2022, Ross falsely claimed to be serving thousands of children each day at her House of Refuge sites, which included fraudulently claiming to feed children at multiple area churches. In total, Ross fraudulently claimed to have served nearly 900,000 meals and she received approximately $2.4 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Ross distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to family members and used the rest of the money to fund her lifestyle, including to pay for vacations to Florida and Las Vegas, to purchase a suite at a Minnesota Timberwolves game, and to purchase her house in Willernie.
In handing down the sentence today, Judge Nancy E. Brasel commented that Ross “used a position of trust in the community” for her own “flagrant personal gain.” Judge Brasel further noted that Ross’s crime was all the more aggravating because she acquired large amounts of fraudulent money in an “extremely short time span” while Ross was on probation for another fraud.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Crystal Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Counts of Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Crystal man has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of production of child pornography that victimized minor teenage girls in Minnesota and across the country, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, between April 2022 and September 13, 2023, Dapree Richard Christlieb-Peterson, 22, used internet apps, social media, and text messages to engage minors in sexually explicit conversations in order to entice and coerce them to in engage in illegal sexual encounters with him. Christlieb-Peterson specifically targeted at least five minors between the ages of 12 and 17 years old in Minnesota, Florida, and elsewhere, to create images and videos of their sexually explicit conduct. Christlieb-Peterson knew the minor girls’ ages because the minor victims either disclosed them, or they were apparent on their social media profiles. Christlieb-Peterson enticed and coerced his minor victims to engage in sexually explicit activity with him, recorded it on a cell phone, and then distributed the child pornography he created to others.
Christlieb-Peterson pleaded guilty on February 4, 2024, in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud to five counts of production and attempted production of child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Classen and Robert M. Lewis are prosecuting the case.
Steele County Man Sentenced to over 17 Years for International Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Blooming Prairie man has been sentenced to 210 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, beginning in April 2022, Steven John Sokel, 61, began communicating over the internet with the mother of a pre-pubescent minor victim in Thailand. On September 1, 2022, Sokel traveled to Thailand and stayed with the victim and the mother for almost a full month. During his time abroad, Sokel produced images of the minor victim engaging in sexually explicit activity.
According to court documents, on September 29, 2022, Sokel left Thailand and had a layover in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Abu Dhabi airport has a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance facility for passengers flying to the United States. After finding items like sexual pleasure devices, handcuffs, and condoms in Sokel’s luggage, CBP officers conducted a search and found the child sexual abuse material on Sokel’s password-protected laptop.
Sokel was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric T. Tostrud on one count of sexual exploitation of children.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.
Shakopee Woman Pleads Guilty in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Shakopee woman pleaded guilty for her role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, at times between October 2020 and January 2022, Mekfira Hussein knowingly and willfully conspired with others to participate in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misappropriate millions in federal child nutrition funds. Specifically, Hussein and her husband, Abduljabar Hussein, fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in federal child nutrition program funds by falsely claiming to have served meals to thousands of children per day.
According to court documents, in October 2020, the defendant enrolled her non-profit, Shamsia Hopes, in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future, at the direction of one of its employees, Abdikerm Eidleh. The defendant submitted her application to Aimee Bock, Feeding Our Future’s executive director. In December 2020, and also at the direction of Abdikerm Eidleh, the defendant’s husband registered his company, Oromia Feeds LLC, with the State of Minnesota as a food vendor. Abduljabar Hussein’s company, Oromia Feeds, had a contract to prepare meals to be served by Shamsia Hopes sites run by Mekfira Hussein.
According to the plea agreement entered today, Hussein submitted fraudulently inflated invoices for reimbursement—including inflated meal counts and false attendance rosters. As part of their scheme, the defendant and her husband paid at least $140,000 in kickbacks to Eidleh and least $12,000 in kickbacks to Aimee Bock. In some instances, these kickback payments were disguised as “consulting fees,” when, in fact, neither Eidleh nor Aimee Bock provided any service to justify these payments. In other instances, Feeding Our Future billed hundreds of thousands of dollars in Federal Child Nutrition Program claims under the name of the defendant’s organization, Shamsia Hopes, without the defendant’s knowledge or authorization, and Feeding Our Future siphoned those funds to others involved in the conspiracy.
Throughout the fraudulent conspiracy, the Husseins obtained up to $8.8 million in federal child nutrition program funds some of which they used to pay for personal expenditures unrelated to feeing children. For instance, the defendant and her husband used $173,438 of their proceeds to pay off the mortgage on their home in Shakopee, Minnesota, and also purchased a 2021 Porsche for $93,250, a 2022 GMC truck for $61,722.
Hussein pleaded guilty last Friday in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Her sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Joseph H. Thompson, and Harry M. Jacobs are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Rochester Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Money Laundering in Feeding Our Future SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Rochester woman pleaded guilty for her role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, from approximately December 2020 through January 2022, Ayan Jama, 45, knowingly participated in a scheme to defraud a federal child nutrition program designed to provide free meals to children in need. Rather than feed children, the defendants took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic—and the resulting program changes—to enrich themselves by fraudulently misappropriating millions of dollars in federal child nutrition program funds.
According to court documents, Jama was one of the principals of Brava Rochester in Rochester, Minnesota. In September 2020, Jama’s Brava Restaurant and Aimee Bock applied for enrollment in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Bock’s non-profit, Feeding Our Future. A co-conspirator enrolled Brava Restaurant in the Federal Child Nutrition Program after the co-conspirator first prepared application paperwork at the direction of Salim Said, the co-owner of Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, which was another business involved in the scheme to defraud the food program.
From late 2020 through 2021, Jama and other conspirators claimed Brava Restaurant was serving approximately 2,000 to 3,000 daily breakfasts and lunches to children, for which they fraudulently claimed and received millions of dollars in federal child nutrition program funds. To accomplish his scheme, Jama and her co-conspirators submitted fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names of children who purportedly received their food at sites. These rosters were fraudulent in that the names on them were fake or did not correctly reflect the number of children that were fed.
According to her plea agreement entered today, Jama claimed Brava Restaurant had served more than 1.7 million meals in Rochester as part of the Federal Child Nutrition Program in a little over one year, a number substantially higher than the actual number of meals served. Based on these fraudulent claims, Feeding Our Future paid out over $5.3 million in federal child nutrition program reimbursements for meals purportedly served to children by the defendant and her co-conspirators. Jama knew her receipt of such funds was fraudulent because she and other conspirators intentionally submitted inflated meal counts. Jama’s Brava Restaurant ultimately received $4.3 million directly from Feeding Our Future and over $900,000 from Safari Restaurant, co-owned by Salim Said.
As part of their scheme, Jama and her conspirators coordinated the establishment of shell companies through which they received and dispersed funds from the federal child nutrition program. Specifically, on January 7, 2021, Salim Said paid to register six different shell companies with the state of Minnesota for Jama and others. For Jama, Salim Said paid to register East Africa LLC. In 2021, Jama deposited at least $407,070 in misappropriated Federal Child Nutrition Program funds into her East Africa LLC bank accounts.
Jama used the federal child nutrition funds to pay for personal expenditures unrelated to feeding children, including $254,041 to purchase a home located in Rochester, Minnesota, $168,000 to purchase a home located in Columbus, Ohio, and $356,795 to purchase property on the Mediterranean Coast in Alanya, Turkey.
Jama pleaded guilty last Friday in U.S. District Court before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Her sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Joseph H. Thompson, and Harry M. Jacobs are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Chaska Man Pleads Guilty for His Role in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Chaska man pleaded guilty for his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, from approximately November 2020 through January 2022, Mohamed Muse Noor a.k.a. “Deeq Darajo,”40, knowingly participated in a scheme to defraud a federal child nutrition program designed to provide free meals to children in need. Rather than feed children, Noor and his co-defendants took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic—and the resulting program changes—to enrich themselves by fraudulently misappropriating millions of dollars in federal child nutrition program funds.
According to court documents, Noor was specifically recruited to the Feeding Our Future scheme even though he had no background or experience in buying or providing food. In December 2020, Noor submitted his application to be enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program through Feeding Our Future employee, Abdikerm Eidleh, to Aimee Bock, former Executive Director of the Feeding Our Future non-profit organization. Under Eidleh’s direction, Noor signed forms with fake meal counts and fabricated invoices falsely claiming to be feeding supper and snack to 1,500 children every day within a few weeks of being sponsored by Feeding Our Future. However, Noor did not personally serve any meals to children and never visited the sites registered in his name by Feeding Our Future.
According to the plea agreement entered today, Noor paid kickbacks to Eidleh in exchange for Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Food distribution sites associated with Noor fraudulently obtained up to $1.3 million in federal child nutrition program funds by falsely claiming to have served meals to thousands of children per day. Almost all almost of the $1.3 million was either transferred to Eidleh or was intercepted by Eidleh without Noor’s knowledge. As part of their arrangement, Noor retained approximately $52,388 in fraudulent proceeds for himself.
Noor pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Joan N. Ericksen to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew S. Ebert, and Harry M. Jacobs are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
St. Paul Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of a Cell Phone StoreRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A man has been sentenced to 80 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for the armed robbery of a St. Paul cell phone store, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. He was also ordered to pay $4,900 in restitution.
According to court documents, on April 5, 2024, Johnnie Ward, Jr., 31, walked into a cell phone store in St. Paul, with an accomplice who was carrying a torch lighter. While the accomplice pointed the weapon at the store clerk, Ward demanded access to the safe in the back storage room, telling his victim to “hurry up or else.” Ward and his accomplice ultimately fled the store with several cell phones.
Ward was sentenced yesterday by Judge Susan Richard Nelson in U.S. District Court on one count of Hobbs Act Robbery.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Classen prosecuted the case.
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty for His Role in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Rochester man pleaded guilty for his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, from approximately October 2020 through January 2022, Sharmake Jama, 37, knowingly participated in a scheme to defraud a federal child nutrition program designed to provide free meals to children in need. Rather than feed children, the defendants took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic—and the resulting program changes—to enrich themselves by fraudulently misappropriating millions of dollars in federal child nutrition program funds.
According to court documents, in September 2020, Jama and Aimee Bock applied for Jama’s Brava Restaurant to be enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Bock’s non-profit, Feeding Our Future. Jama enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program after he first prepared application paperwork at the direction of Salim Said, the co-owner of Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, which was another business involved in the scheme to defraud the food program.
From late 2020 through 2021, Jama and other conspirators claimed Brava Restaurant was serving approximately 2,000 to 3,000 daily breakfasts and lunches to children, for which they fraudulently claimed and received millions of dollars in federal child nutrition program funds. To accomplish his scheme, Jama and his co-conspirators submitted fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names of children who purportedly received their food at sites. These rosters were fraudulent in that the names on them were fake or did not correctly reflect the number of children that were fed.
According to his plea agreement entered today, Jama claimed Brava Restaurant had served more than 1.7 million meals in Rochester as part of the Federal Child Nutrition Program in a little over one year, a number substantially higher than the actual number of meals served. Based on these fraudulent claims, Feeding Our Future paid out over $5.3 million in federal child nutrition program reimbursements for meals purportedly served to children by the defendant and his co-conspirators. Jama knew his receipt of such funds was fraudulent because he and other conspirators intentionally submitted inflated meal counts. Jama’s Brava Restaurant ultimately received $4.3 million directly from Feeding Our Future and over $900,000 from Safari Restaurant, co-owned by Salim Said.
As part of their scheme, Jama and his conspirators coordinated the establishment of shell companies through which they received and dispersed funds from the federal child nutrition program. Specifically, on January 7, 2021, Salim Said paid to register six different shell companies with the state of Minnesota for Jama and others. Salim Said paid to register Mumu LLC for Jama. In 2021, Jama deposited at least $872,230—almost all of which was misappropriated Federal Child Nutrition Program funds—into his Mumu LLC bank accounts.
Jama used federal child nutrition funds to pay for personal expenditures unrelated to feeding children, including at least $88,000 for a 2021 GMC Sierra 3500 Denali 4WD Crew Cab truck and over $500,000 toward real estate in Rochester, Minnesota, and Rosemount, Minnesota.
Jama pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. His sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Joseph H. Thompson, and Harry M. Jacobs are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Nebraska Man Pleads Guilty to Violent Carjackings in MinneapolisRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Nebraska man has pleaded guilty for two violent carjackings, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on June 16, 2024, Nathan Mathias Sughroue, 31, approached his first victim and told her to get out of her black Hyundai Elantra. He then reached inside to physically remove her from the vehicle and threatened her with a knife. Shortly afterwards, a Shakopee Police Department officer spotted the black Elantra and attempted a traffic stop by activating his siren, but Sughroue evaded arrest. Sughroue then drove the stolen Elantra to a gas station in Bloomington, Minnesota, where he told his second victim to give him the keys to his Nissan Murano SUV. The second victim refused, and a fight ensued. Sughroue stabbed the second victim multiple times, left him bleeding profusely on the pavement, and drove away in the Nissan Murano.
Sughroue pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury in U.S. District Court yesterday before Judge John R. Tunheim. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Shakopee Police Department, Robbinsdale Police Department, Minneapolis Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol, and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Classen is prosecuting the case.
Former Minneapolis Mayoral Aide and Safari Restaurant Co-Owner Both Plead Guilty in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS –Two more defendants pleaded guilty for their roles in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, from approximately April 2020 through January 2022, Abdulkadir Nur Salah, 38, of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, and Abdi Nur Salah, 37, of St. Paul, Minnesota, knowingly participated in a scheme to defraud a federal child nutrition program designed to provide free meals to children in need. The co-conspirators obtained, misappropriated, and laundered millions of dollars in program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to children. The defendants exploited changes in the program intended to ensure underserved children received adequate nutrition during the Covid-19 pandemic. Rather than feed children, the defendants took advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic—and the resulting program changes—to enrich themselves by fraudulently misappropriating millions of dollars in federal child nutrition program funds.
According to court documents, Abdulkadir Nur Salah was co-owner and operator of Safari Restaurant, a site that received more than $16 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Abdi Nur Salah registered Stigma-Free International, a non-profit entity used to carry out the fraud scheme with sites throughout Minnesota, including in Willmar, Mankato, St. Cloud, Waite Park, and St. Paul. Abdi Salah also worked for the City of Minneapolis as a Senior Policy Aide to the Mayor.
As part of their plea agreement entered today, each defendant agreed that a variety of assets and money were derived specifically from their fraud scheme and are thus subject to forfeiture to the United States. For Abdulkadir Salah that includes: $309,993.51 seized from Bell Bank account for Cosmopolitan Business Solutions d/b/a Safari Restaurant; $435,512.44 seized from Bell Bank account for 3017 LLC; $472,889.08 seized from Northeast Bank account for 3017 LLC; real estate property located at 2722 Park Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota. For Abdi Salah, that includes $343,418.98 seized from Star Choice Credit Union account for Stone Bridge Development, LLC; real estate properties located at 8432 Noble Avenue, North Brooklyn Park, Minnesota (known previously as Kelly’s 19th Hole) and 2529 12th Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Both pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz. Their sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Two Brooklyn Park Men Plead Guilty to Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Two Brooklyn Park men have pleaded guilty in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine throughout central and northern Minnesota, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on June 22, 2024, a Minnesota State Patrol trooper initiated the traffic stop of a white Ford Expedition on Highway 10 in Royalton, Minnesota. As the trooper approached the vehicle, he noticed several indications of drug trafficking activity including a single screwdriver, flashlight, black electric tape, loose panels and molding around the radio and center console, and a marijuana pipe, as well as a marijuana blunt roach and flakes all over the center console. The driver, Dillon Peter-Cody Clemens, 38, and his passenger, Jacob Seth Cobb, 30, both had revoked driver’s licenses. Clemens and Cobb claimed to be on their way to Motley, Minnesota, to purchase a motorcycle but could not provide the name or street address of the seller. The trooper deployed his K9 to search the vehicle, and the K9 alerted to the driver’s side door seam. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed what appeared to be a one-pound package of methamphetamine. Clemens and Cobb were subsequently arrested.
Clemens and Cobb were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Clemens pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M. Menendez to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Cobb also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine before Judge Menendez on January 21, 2025. Their sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota State Patrol and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Syngen Kanassatega is prosecuting the case.