District of Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Twin Cities man has been sentenced to 95 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for aiding and abetting a 2023 Hobbs Act robbery of a tobacco store in Apple Valley, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, on January 23, 2023, 32-year-old David Devor Harris aided and abetted Deshawn Terrell Johnson in the robbery of a tobacco store. After the robbery, Harris and Johnson fled in a black Dodge Charger, which Apple Valley Police officers were quickly able to locate in the vicinity. Johnson fled from the car and continued on foot, but Harris was immediately apprehended. Initially, Harris lied to law enforcement and positioned himself as the victim of a carjacking, but officers were quickly able to determine the two had been acquainted for years. A subsequent search of the black Dodge Charger revealed further evidence of their planned robbery scheme, including identification cards left behind, plastic gloves, and license plates that had been removed from the vehicle.

Harris was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Jerry W. Blackwell. On January 9, 2024, Harris pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting interference with commerce by robbery.

On September 27, 2023, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, one count of attempted bank robbery, one count of interference with commerce by robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm during an in relation to a crime of violence. He will be sentenced at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Apple Valley Police Department, the Lakeville Police Department, and the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan L. Sing and Evan B. Gilead prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A man from Guatemala has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on September 27, 2021, as part of an ongoing investigation, law enforcement conducted a controlled operation, meeting Ramiro Guerra, 67, at a previously designated Twin Cities location. Guerra arrived in a semi-truck bound from California. The semi-truck was searched, and law enforcement recovered approximately 72 pounds of methamphetamine and 80 kilograms of cocaine from inside the cab of his semi-truck.

Guerra pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine yesterday in U.S. District Court before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and several other supporting agencies.

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

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Winona man has pleaded guilty for his online sextortion scheme that victimized more than 60 minor girls across the country and abroad, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, between April 2022 and June 2023, Valentin Silva Quintana, 30, 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, 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 pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell 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 is prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Burnsville man has been charged with three counts of wire fraud after defrauding an electronics manufacturing business out of more than $1.2 million, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, between 2019 and 2020, Thomas Thanh Pham, 52, devised a scheme to defraud a California based company of approximately $1.2 million. Pham, who was the CEO of Enterprise Products, LLC, purported to provide consulting and financial services to commercial clients involved in engineering and manufacturing. Pham held himself out as a broker with supposed business relationships with large, well-known companies. As a supposed broker, Pham claimed he could arrange service agreements between an electronic manufacturing services company based in San Jose, California, (identified as Victim A) and his ostensible business affiliates in the electronics and technology sectors.

According to court documents, starting in June 2019, Pham began a series of discussions with Victim A, in which Pham pitched that Enterprise Products could facilitate multi-million-dollar manufacturing and repair contracts between Victim A and large electronics companies. Pham supplied Victim A with bogus documents, including fabricated contracts, correspondence, and business proposals. As part of the scheme, Pham first required Victim A to pay a “deposit bond” in the amount of $1,278,000. Pham’s fraudulent tactics resulted in Victim A agreeing to enter into a contract in September 2019, through which Victim A ostensibly would receive millions of dollars in exchange for repair services. Pham unsuccessfully pitched other phony deals to Victim A that purportedly involved even larger financial contracts deals with other companies.

As part of the scheme and to give the impression that he was fulfilling the fraudulent contract, Pham caused the initial delivery to Victim A in California of approximately 20 samples of electronic devices that supposedly required repairs by Victim A. However, Pham failed to disclose to Victim A that these 20 “sample” devices were, in fact, stolen property. It was additionally part of the scheme that Pham tried to lull Victim A into a false sense of security by offering a series of excuses and promises when Victim A either inquired about its money or demanded a refund. Rather than maintain the money securely in a refundable escrow as promised, Pham fraudulently misappropriate Victim A’s funds for a series of unauthorized uses and transactions.          

The indictment charges Pham with three counts of wire fraud. Pham made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Douglas L. Micko.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert and Rebecca E. Kline are prosecuting the case.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – A Twin Cities man has been sentenced to 55 months in prison and three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a firearm, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to his plea agreement and court documents, on October 7, 2022, a Minnesota State Patrol officer stopped Salvador Anthony Pacheco, 46, for multiple traffic violations. During the interaction, the officer smelled marijuana in the car and requested a drug-sniffing dog, which alerted officers to additional drugs in Pacheco’s vehicle. A search of the car and its contents revealed a Kahr .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol inside the defendant’s backpack. Because Pacheco has prior felony convictions, including murder, assault, and weapons violations, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. 

Pacheco was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy E. Brasel. The sentence reflects an upward variance from the advisory sentencing guideline range Pacheco pleaded guilty on April 15, 2024, to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minnesota State Patrol.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – Five defendants have been indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to provide a $120,000 bribe to a juror in the Feeding Our Future trial, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on April 22, 2024, seven defendants went to trial before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. During the trial, Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, 35, of Savage, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, 23, of Shakopee, Said Shafii Farah, 42, of Minneapolis, Abdulkarim Shafii Farah, 24, of Minneapolis, and Ladan Mohamed Ali, 31, of Seattle, Washington, conspired with each other to provide a cash bribe to one of the jurors in exchange for the juror returning a not guilty verdict in the trial.

As part of the scheme, the conspirators decided to target Juror 52 because she was the youngest juror and they believed her to be the only juror of color. The conspirators conducted online research to obtain Juror 52’s personal information, including her home address and information about her background and family members. They conducted surveillance of Juror 52 to confirm her home address and obtain information about Juror 52’s daily habits. One of the conspirators followed Juror 52 home as she left the courthouse during the trial, and they purchased a GPS tracking device to covertly install on Juror 52’s car in order to track her movements.

As part of the scheme, the conspirators obtained approximately $200,000 in cash to be delivered and paid to Juror 52 as a bribe in exchange for a not guilty verdict in the trial. The conspirators drafted a list of instructions for Juror 52 that included directions for her to vote “NOT GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS FOR ALL DEFENDANTS” and to “convince all the remaining jurors to mark NOT GUILTY for all defendants and all counts.” The conspirators compiled a list of “arguments to convince other jurors,” many of which appeared designed to convince Juror 52 that the prosecution was motivated by racial animus.

According to court documents, on May 30, 2024, Ali flew from Seattle to Minneapolis to carry out the bribery scheme. On May 31, 2024, Ali attempted to follow Juror 52 home as she left a downtown Minneapolis parking ramp at the conclusion of the first day of closing arguments in the trial. On June 2, 2024, Abdiaziz Farah instructed Nur to meet him at Said Farah’s business, Bushra Wholesalers, to pick up the bribe money. Later that day, Nur met with Ali and gave her a box containing the bribe money he had received from Said Farah. Ali took the money and put it inside a Hallmark gift bag. At approximately 8:50 p.m. that evening, Abdulkarim Farah and Ali drove to Juror 52’s house. Ali approached the house and handed the gift bag containing $120,000 in bribe money to a relative of Juror 52 and explained that the money was a present in exchange for a not guilty verdict. Ali promised that there would be more money if Juror 52 voted to acquit all the defendants. Abdulkarim Farah remained in the car and took a video recording of Ali dropping off the bribe money at Juror 52’s house. Abdulkarim Farah sent the video to his co-conspirators using an encrypted messaging app.

According to court documents, on June 3, 2024, after being ordered by Judge Brasel to surrender their phones to law enforcement, Abdiaziz Farah conducted a factory reset of his iPhone in order to delete the messages, video, and other evidence of the bribe attempt. Nur and Said Farah also deleted evidence of the bribe attempt from their phones.

The indictment charges all five defendants with conspiracy to bribe a juror, bribery of a juror, and corruptly influencing a juror. Abdiaziz Farah was also charged with obstruction of justice. The defendants will begin making their initial appearances this afternoon in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Douglas L. Micko.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI with assistance from IRS – Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew Ebert, Harry Jacobs, Chelsea Walcker, and Daniel Bobier are prosecuting the case.

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

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Woodbury man has been indicted for the production and possession of child pornography and coercing minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on multiple occasions between approximately July 10, 2021, and March 11, 2022, Timothy Lennard Gebhart, 37, 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.

The indictment charges Gebhart with two counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of interstate communications with intent to extort. Gebhart made his initial appearance on June 21, 2024, in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Douglas L. Micko.

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.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – A Hutchinson woman has been sentenced to 41 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in full for embezzling over $2 million from her employer, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Jennifer Lee Rath, 53, worked as the financial controller at a heavy civil construction company located in Hutchinson, Minnesota. As the financial controller, Rath was responsible for managing the company’s payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, company credit cards, and corporate bank accounts. Over a six-year period, Rath used her position to embezzle funds and convert them to her own use and benefit. Rath routinely cut checks that appeared to cover the company’s liabilities, but then manipulated the checks to instead pay her own credit card debts, tax liabilities, and other personal expenses. Rath also processed electronic fund transfers from the company’s bank accounts to pay personal expenses and improperly charged personal expenses to company credit cards. Rath manipulated the company’s accounting software to conceal the money she stole, avoid detection, and prolong her fraud scheme. 

In total, between August 2013 and December 2019, Rath knowingly and willfully embezzled $2,061,328.67 from her employer.  Because of Rath’s embezzlement, the company’s business and reputation suffered, as employees lost their jobs, it could not pay vendors on time, and its credit suffered.  

On September 7, 2023, Rath pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. She was sentenced on June 18, 2024, in U.S. District Court by Judge Jerry W. Blackwell.  In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Blackwell commented that he was particularly troubled that Rath exploited a longtime family friend who had put her in a position of trust over a small business. 

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Secord and Paralegal Specialist Jessica Scott handled the asset investigation and restitution enforcement.

MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has been sentenced to 77 months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, and to a consecutive 10 months in prison for violating his conditions of federal supervised release, followed by three years of additional supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on July 5, 2023, Nakia Marquire Martin, 31, a female acquaintance, and her seven-year-old daughter, went to a sporting goods store in Woodbury, MN. While at the store the female purchased a semiautomatic .40-caliber firearm, while Martin walked into the ammunition section, took a 50-round box of.40-caliber ammunition from the shelf, and left the store with the ammunition without paying for it. Martin was on federal supervised release at the time for a 2018 firearms conviction.

Because Martin has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. 

Martin pleaded guilty on January 4, 2024, to one count of felon in possession of ammunition. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Ann D. Montgomery. Martin was also sentenced to an additional 10 months, to be served consecutively to his 77 months in prison, for violating his supervised release terms and conditions resulting from the 2018 federal conviction.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A St. Paul man has been sentenced to 240 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release for producing a video depicting his sexual abuse of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and court documents, beginning in July 2019 through February 2023, Chedor TV, 40, created multiple online personas on apps such as Discord and Snapchat to cyberstalk a minor victim. He used aliases such as “Chang Vang” and “Hailey Ly” to pose as a minor and communicate with the minor victim, sending her sexually explicit pictures. During this time, while the minor victim was unaware that TV was cyberstalking her using these online aliases, TV also secretly recorded the minor victim while she was naked in the shower at his residence. TV also recorded a sexually explicit video depicting the minor victim while she was asleep at his residence. When the minor victim tried to cease contact with TV’s online persona “Chang,” TV threatened to share publicly explicit videos and images he took of the minor victim without her knowledge, causing her substantial emotional distress.

TV was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud. During sentencing, Judge Tostrud remarked that all of TV’s conduct towards the minor victim “is just appalling” and that the produced sexual abuse imagery “reflects depravity.” Judge Tostrud also reflected that TV’s conduct was “likely to have a grave, lifelong impact” on the minor victim and her family. TV pleaded guilty on January 10, 2024, to one count of production of child pornography and admitted to cyberstalking the minor victim in his plea.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the St. Paul Police Department and the FBI. 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 Hillary A. Taylor prosecuted the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Robbinsdale man has been indicted for illegally possessing machineguns, firearms, and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on or about November 2, 2023, Ronnie Bila Shaka, 42, knowingly possessed three 9mm pistols and two pistols equipped with a machinegun conversion device commonly known as a “switch” or “auto sear,” which enables the weapon to be fired as a fully automatic by a single pull of the trigger. Shaka also possessed multiple rounds of ammunition.

Because Shaka has prior felony convictions in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

The indictment charges Shaka with one count of possessing firearms as a felon, one count of unlawful possession of machineguns, and one count of possessing ammunition as a felon. Shaka was arraigned yesterday in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Douglas L. Micko.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Robbinsdale Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and the Crystal Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth S. Shnider is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MINNEAPOLIS – Ten members of a south Minneapolis street gang have been charged in federal court for various crimes including illegal possession of firearms, possession of a machinegun, and drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

“Violent criminals who carry guns pose a deadly threat to communities and, as recent tragedies show, to the law enforcement officers and first responders who are sworn to protect us all,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “Our federal resources are focused on holding accountable those who threaten the safety of our communities. My message to the community: We are working for you, for your families and your children, to make sure violent crime continues to drop and we can all enjoy our beautiful cities this summer.”

The Minneapolis street gang known as the 10z are involved in narcotics and firearms trafficking in south Minneapolis, as well as violent crime throughout the Minneapolis metropolitan area. The focal point of the 10z criminal activity is the area around Peavey Park at the intersection of Franklin and Chicago Avenues. The 10z are affiliated with another gang, the 20z, which operate in the same south Minneapolis territory.

The following ten members of the 10z/20z gang are charged with firearms violations and fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine trafficking:

• Don Buddie Austin, 32, is charged with possessing a firearm as a felon.
• Albert William Bratton, 28, is charged with possession a firearm as a felon.
• Paul Antonio Early, 32, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
• Toraus Marquis Eason, 44, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and MDMA, and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
• Billy Ismael Hawkins, 34, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
• Jaquan Lavelle Jackson, 29, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
• Bernard Augusta Mack, 29, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
• Joshua Benjamin Scott, 37, is charged with possession of a firearm.
• Austin Joevon Toy, 22, is charged with possession of a machine gun.
• Armond Quinton Wright, 33, is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

These cases are the result of investigations conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and the FBI.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian C.S. Weir.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – A Ponemah man has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and owes $500 in restitution for attempted robbery occurring within the boundary of the Red Lake Indian Reservation.

According to court documents, on September 24, 2022, Justice Edward Desjarlait, 27, attempted to rob a residence on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. Carrying an unloaded rifle, Desjarlait knocked on the front door of the residence, raised the rifle and demanded, “Give me all of your [expletive].” Desjarlait then attempted to open the storm door in order to enter the house, but the door was locked so he fled without taking anything from the home.

On February 5, 2024, Desjarlait pleaded guilty to one count of attempted robbery. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Joan N. Ericksen on June 5, 2024.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Red Lake Tribal Police Department and the U.S. Border Patrol with assistance from the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Polachek prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Louis Park man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, in June 2015, Abdelhamid Al-Madioum, 27, departed the United States with his family to Casablanca, Morocco, to visit extended family. Once in Morocco, Al-Madioum surreptitiously fled to Syria to join and fight for ISIS. During the following several months, Al-Madioum was administratively enrolled into ISIS, received military training from its members, and assigned to a battalion. Al-Madioum served as a soldier for ISIS until late 2015 when he was injured while conducting military activities on behalf of ISIS. Following his injury, Al-Madioum continued to provide assistance to ISIS as a personnel database administrator. He remained a member of ISIS until he was captured by Syrian Democratic Forces in March of 2019.

On September 16, 2020, Al-Madioum made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in the District of Minnesota on an indictment charging him with providing material support to ISIS. On January 13, 2021, Al-Madioum pleaded guilty to one count of providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery. Based on the defendant’s cooperation, the government asked the court to give the defendant credit for providing substantial assistance.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

A Minnesota man was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Based on the defendant’s cooperation, the government asked the court to give the defendant credit for providing substantial assistance.

According to court documents, in June 2015, Abdelhamid Al-Madioum, 27, of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, departed the United States with his family to Casablanca, Morocco, to visit extended family. Once in Morocco, Al-Madioum surreptitiously fled to Syria to join and fight for ISIS. During the following several months, Al-Madioum was administratively enrolled into ISIS, received military training from its members and assigned to a battalion. Al-Madioum served as a soldier for ISIS until late 2015 when he was injured while conducting military activities on behalf of ISIS. Following his injury, Al-Madioum continued to provide assistance to ISIS as a personnel database administrator. He remained a member of ISIS until he was captured by Syrian Democratic Forces in March of 2019.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota and Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch made the announcement.  

The FBI investigated the case.

Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter for the District of Minnesota prosecuted the case. 

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Woodbury man has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $140,000 from his employer, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, Timothy Michael Hill, Jr., 36, was employed by Company A to manage a fast-food franchise restaurant at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport. In his position as manager, Hill was responsible for collecting and making daily cash deposits into a safe deposit box.

According to court documents, between September 2022 and October 2023, Hill collected the daily cash receipts from the restaurant and instead of depositing it into the safe deposit box, pocketed some or all of the cash. Hill attempted to conceal his embezzlement by using future cash receipts to cover his theft, creating a false impression that the cash deposits were delayed rather than stolen. To further conceal his embezzlement, Hill sent regular emails to Company A’s accounting personnel representing that he was belatedly depositing cash from earlier dates, when, in fact, he was using cash collected during the ensuing time period to conceal his embezzlement.

According to court documents, Hill spent the stolen cash on jewelry, online sports betting, and the adult website Only Fans, among other things. He also transferred thousands of dollars through CashApp to various individuals, including several female colleagues in exchange for personal photos and videos.

In total, Hill knowingly and willfully embezzled approximately $144,000 from Company A over a period of 13 months.

Hill pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Paul A. Magnuson to one count of wire fraud. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Murphy is prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – Five 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 U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

“I am extraordinarily proud of the prosecution team and our law enforcement partners who have spent years investigating this highly complex and widespread fraud scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger.

“With today’s convictions, a total of 23 individuals have been held accountable for their roles in this egregious conspiracy to steal millions of taxpayer dollars.”

“Exploiting a program designed to feed underserved children during the COVID pandemic is reprehensible,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston of FBI Minneapolis. “Today's verdict is a clear warning to those who exploit the most vulnerable for personal gain. Justice will be swift and severe. The FBI, alongside our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney's Office, stand united in condemning such acts and ensuring that those who prey on others face the consequences they deserve.” 

“This verdict highlights the meticulous work of IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and their fellow law enforcement partners who brought to justice individuals who took advantage of food programs when children and families needed them the most,” said Jason Bushey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “This investigation is not over, and today’s verdict highlights the fact that a large-scale fraud of this scope and nature will not be ignored, and those who engage in fraud schemes like this will not evade justice.”

Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove of the Denver Division stated, “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 government financial aid programs. The bold egregious nature in which these fraudsters abused government financial assistance programs designed to feed low-income children during the Covid pandemic illustrates their callous disregard for human decency and overall greed. This investigation is a tremendous example of how the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our federal law enforcement partners can work side by side in an effort to bring these fraudsters to justice.”

Following a six-week trial in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel, a federal jury convicted Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, 35, Mohamed Jama Ismail, 51, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, 23, Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff, 33, and Hayat Mohamed Nur, 27, for their roles in the $250 million Feeding Our Future Fraud scheme. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date.

As proven at trial, the convicted defendants devised and carried out a $40 million fraud scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program. The convicted defendants obtained, misappropriated, and laundered millions of dollars in program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to children. The convicted defendants exploited changes in the program intended to ensure underserved children received adequate nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic. The convicted defendants also created and submitted false documentation. They submitted fraudulent meal count sheets purporting to document the number of children and meals served at each site and false invoices purporting to document the purchase of food to be served to children at the sites. The convicted defendants also submitted fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names and ages of the children receiving meals at the sites each day. These rosters were fabricated and created using fake names. 

The Federal Child Nutrition Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a federally-funded program designed to provide free meals to children in need. The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers the program throughout the nation by distributing federal funds to state governments. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) administers and oversees the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Meals funded by the Federal Child Nutrition Program are served by “sites.” Each site participating in the program must be sponsored by an authorized sponsoring organization. Sponsors must submit an application to MDE for each site. Sponsors are also responsible for monitoring each of their sites and preparing reimbursement claims for their sites. The USDA then provides MDE federal reimbursement funds on a per-meal basis. MDE provides those funds to the sponsoring agency who, in turn, pays the reimbursements to the sites under its sponsorship. The sponsoring agency retains 10 to 15 percent of the funds as an administrative fee.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 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.

In total, seventy defendants have been charged across 14 indictments and six criminal informations. To date, eighteen defendants have entered guilty pleas. The following five defendants, named in the United States v. Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, et al., 22-CR-124 (NEB/TNL) indictment, were found guilty by a federal jury: 

• Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, of Savage, Minnesota, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, two counts of federal programs bribery, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, 11 counts of money laundering, and one count of false statements in a passport application. Abdiaziz Farah was an owner and operator of Empire Cuisine and Market LLC, a for-profit restaurant that participated in the scheme as a site, as a vendor for other sites, and as an entity to launder fraudulent proceeds. Empire Cuisine and Market and other affiliated sites received more than $28 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Mohamed Jama Ismail, of Savage, Minnesota, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of money laundering. Ismail was an owner and operator of Empire Cuisine and Market LLC, a for-profit restaurant that participated in the scheme as a site, as a vendor for other sites, and as an entity to launder fraudulent proceeds. Empire Cuisine and Market and other affiliated sites received more than $28 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, of Shakopee, Minnesota, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and four counts of money laundering. Abdimajid Nur created Nur Consulting LLC to receive and launder Federal Child Nutrition Program funds from Empire Cuisine and Market, ThinkTechAct, and other entities involved in the scheme.
• Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff, of Bloomington, Minnesota, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of money laundering. Shariff was the chief executive officer of Afrique Hospitality Group, a company used to fraudulent obtain and launder Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Hayat Mohamed Nur, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud. Hayat Nur, the sister of Abdimajid Nur, participated in the scheme by creating and submitting fraudulent meal count sheets, attendance rosters, and invoices.

United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger thanks the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their collaboration and skilled investigative work on this case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, Chelsea A. Walcker, and Daniel W. Bobier tried the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
 

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury found a Bois Forte man guilty of two counts of assault resulting in serious and substantial bodily injury, respectively, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, beginning on or about March 13, 2023, Mark Allen Isham, 61, repeatedly and violently assaulted an intimate partner staying at his residence within the exterior boundaries of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Indian Reservation. The physical assault escalated on March 19, 2023, when Isham became angry and started punching the victim with a closed fist. Isham kept his victim trapped inside the house for days without access to the victim’s wheelchair. On March 24, 2023, the victim managed to call 911 while Isham was outside chopping firewood. Two officers arrived at Isham’s home shortly afterwards. Isham initially denied the victim was inside, prompting the victim to eventually call out to responding officers. The victim’s visible injuries included a split lip, black eye, and bruising on their arms, legs, and head. An ambulance was called to transport the victim to a local hospital. The victim’s injuries required surgery to repair a broken jaw resulting from the violent assault at Isham’s residence. 

Following a five-day trial in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M. Menendez, Isham was found guilty on one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla J. Baumel and Nichole J. Carter tried the case.
 

MINNEAPOLIS – Bluestone Physician Services of Florida LLC, Bluestone Physician Services, P.A. and Bluestone National LLC, operating in Florida, Minnesota and Wisconsin, respectively, have agreed to pay $14,902,000 to resolve allegations that they knowingly submitted claims for certain Evaluation and Management (E&M) codes for services related to the management of chronic care patients in assisted living and other care facilities that were not provided in conformity with applicable Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE requirements. 

“Improperly billing federal health care programs depletes valuable government resources used to provide medical care to millions of Americans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will pursue health care providers that defraud the taxpayers by knowingly submitting inflated claims.”

The settlement resolves allegations that, during the period from Jan. 1, 2015, through Dec. 31, 2019, Bluestone knowingly submitted claims for two E&M codes, the domiciliary rest home visit code for established patients (99337) and the chronic care management code (99490), that did not support the level of service provided. The federal government’s share of the settlement is $13,842,482 and $1,059,518 will be paid to the States of Florida and Minnesota.

“Fraudulent billing undermines the integrity of government healthcare programs and diminishes legitimate services and resources for Minnesotans,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota. “Healthcare companies that institute a practice of upcoding and unnecessary billing will be held accountable for their misconduct.”

“The submission of false claims to Medicare for chronic care services will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “This resolution sends a message to the provider community and to our district that we will actively investigate and prosecute this kind of conduct whenever it appears.”

“When health care providers submit false claims to taxpayer-funded federal health care programs, including inappropriately inflating claims to boost profits, the public’s trust in our nation’s medical providers and the integrity of federal health care programs are put at risk," said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office. “We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who engage in conduct as alleged in this case are held accountable. Furthermore, the OIG’s five-year compliance agreement is designed to ensure that the alleged behavior will not be repeated.”

In connection with the settlement, Bluestone has entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG, which requires Bluestone, among other obligations, to establish and maintain a compliance program meeting certain requirements and to submit to an Independent Review Organization’s review of Bluestone’s Medicare claims to determine whether such claims were medically necessary, appropriately documented, and correctly coded.

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Lisa Loscalzo, the former General Manager for Bluestone’s Florida market. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Loscalzo v. Bluestone Physician Services of Florida, Bluestone Physician Services, P.A., Bluestone National, LLC et al., 20-cv-295-FtM-38NPM (M.D. Fla). The civil settlement also includes the resolution of related allegations investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota. Ms. Loscalzo will receive $2,831,380 in connection with the settlement.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Minnesota and the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from HHS-OIG, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and FBI.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

Trial Attorneys Erin Colleran and Joanna Persio of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen E. Rau and Emily Peterson for the District of Minnesota and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen for the Middle District of Florida handled the matter.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury found a former commercial airline pilot guilty of tax evasion, filing false tax returns, failing to file tax returns, and making false claims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Charles Randall Sorensen, 72, of Minnetonka, was a commercial airline pilot who retired in 2016. In January 2017, Sorensen filed a fraudulent tax return for the 2015 tax year, falsely claiming that he was entitled to a $55,365 tax refund. In reality, Sorensen owed more than $49,000 in income taxes that year. In March 2017, Sorensen filed a fraudulent tax return for the 2016 tax year, falsely claiming that he was entitled to a $123,370 tax refund. In reality, he owed more than $175,000 in taxes that year. The IRS conducted an audit of Sorensen’s 2015 and 2016 tax returns and found that Sorensen fraudulently received more than $150,000 in tax refunds to which he was not entitled and owed more than $290,000 in taxes, interest, and penalties for those tax years.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Sorensen refused to pay his tax debt and took steps to actively evade the IRS’s collection efforts by hiding his income and assets in bank accounts in the name of shell religious non-profits and by liquidating his retirement accounts and converting the funds into cryptocurrency. Sorensen also failed to file federal income tax returns for 2017, 2018, and 2019. Sorensen owes the United States more than $300,000.

Following a four-day trial before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court, Sorensen was found guilty today on two counts of filing a false tax return, one count of tax evasion, three counts of failing to file a tax return, and one count of making a false claim. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by IRS – Criminal Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. McBride and Campbell Warner tried the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Bloomington man has been sentenced to 480 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for attempted production and production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, between October 2020 through March 2023, Ibrahim Ghassan Sleyman, 31, used Snapchat and other messaging apps to solicit sexually explicit material and sex acts from minor girls and boys, some as young as nine years old. Additionally, Sleyman groomed and enticed a minor victim to produce child pornography and engage in sexual activity with Sleyman by providing the minor with drugs and gifts. Once Sleyman became aware of law enforcement’s investigation, he fled to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on September 6, 2022. While Sleyman was a fugitive in the UAE, he continued to use Snapchat to engage in sexually explicit conversations with minors in the United States, and he attempted to obstruct justice by contacting minor victims to influence their actions in the ongoing investigation.

On September 15, 2023—one year after Sleyman fled to the UAE—UAE authorities returned Sleyman to the United States. Upon his return, he was taken into federal custody by the FBI. To date, the United States has identified at least 22 minor victims who Sleyman solicited and used to produce and receive child pornography and attempted to entice to engage in unlawful sexual acts.

On December 14, 2023, Sleyman pleaded guilty to one count of attempted production and production of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of enticement of a minor. As a part of his plea, Sleyman admitted to criminal conduct relating to 22 minor victims. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Donovan W. Frank, who remarked that he has presided over “hundreds of child pornography cases,” and that Sleyman’s case was “distinguishable” from many of those prior cases, in part, due to the severity of the offenses and hands-on sexual abuse.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.  

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Elk River Police Department, and the Pleasant Hill, Missouri Police Department, with assistance from the St. Paul Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the State Department, the Ministries of Justice and Interior of the United Arab Emirates, UAE Interpol, Abu Dhabi Airport Police and Abu Dhabi International Airport – Airport Security provided significant support and assistance in Sleyman’s extradition from the United Arab Emirates.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Twin Cities man has pleaded guilty to the robberies of five gas stations throughout the Twin Cities, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, between June 26, 2023, and July 11, 2023, Mohamed Zaki Mohamed Elsayed, 28, participated in the robbery of five gas stations across the Twin Cities, including in Mounds View, Roseville, New Brighton, Fridley, and Eagan. On June 26, 2023, Elsayed aided and abetted the robbery of a gas station in Mounds View. Elsayed’s accomplice entered the gas station, approached the cashier, flashed what appeared to be a semiautomatic pistol, and demanded money from the cashier. The accomplice stole $354 from the business and fled the gas station to a vehicle where Elsayed was waiting.

According to court documents, over the following two weeks, Elsayed robbed four more gas stations. In each incident, Elsayed entered the business wearing a mask, he flashed a real-looking semiautomatic pistol at the cashier and demanded the business’s money. On July 13, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Elsayed’s residence and recovered a Glock replica airsoft handgun that Elsayed admitted to using in each of the gas station robberies.

Elsayed pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge David S. Doty to five counts of Hobbs Act robbery. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Mounds View Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the New Brighton Police Department, the Fridley Police Department, the Eagan Police Department, and the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Texas man has pleaded guilty on the eve of trial to his role in a $4.8 million nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Jeremy Wade Wilson, 42, of Fort Worth, Texas, owned and operated Publishers Elite, a Texas-based company involved in fraudulent magazine sales. From 2013 through 2019, Wilson ran a telemarketing call center in Arlington, Texas, where Wilson provided his telemarketers with scripts containing fraudulent sales pitches for use in defrauding victim-consumers out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Wilson knew that many of the consumers on these lists were elderly or otherwise susceptible to fraudulent and deceptive sales tactics. Nevertheless, Wilson directed his telemarketers to call the people on these lists and trick them, through a series of lies and misrepresentations, into signing up for expensive magazine subscription packages.

During the course of the scheme, Wilson and his company defrauded more than 14,000 victims across the United States, including more than 200 victims in Minnesota. Between 2013 and 2019, Wilson’s company received more than $4.8 million from victims of his scheme.

Wilson, who is the last of 64 defendants charged in the nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme, was scheduled for trial on May 29, 2024. Wilson pleaded guilty earlier today before Judge John R. Tunheim to six counts of wire fraud and SCAMS Act. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 26, 2024.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs, Garrett S. Fields, Matthew C. Murphy, and Melinda A. Williams are prosecuting the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Minneapolis man guilty of kidnapping, bank fraud, and identity theft after robbing two women at gunpoint and stealing from another, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to evidence presented at trial, on September 13, 2022, at approximately 7:30 a.m., Raphael Raymond Nunn, 52, approached a woman in Arden Hills who had just parked her vehicle. Nunn, who was wearing a mask, gloves, and carrying a handgun, forced the victim at gunpoint to drive him to an ATM in Minneapolis and withdraw cash for his own benefit. Nunn then ordered the victim to drive to Matthews Park, where he then ordered her to give him her keys so he could get away.

According to court documents, Nunn was later captured on surveillance videos from surrounding businesses and seen exiting the victim’s vehicle, removing his hood and mask, and entering a nearby corner grocery store. Four days later, Nunn returned to the store driving a vehicle registered in his name which led to the discovery of his address. 

A search of his residence recovered evidence from the kidnapping and revealed Nunn had stolen from a second victim and robbed a third at gunpoint before fraudulently using the victims’ stolen credit cards to obtain money from their bank accounts.

Nunn was arrested on September 22, 2022, at his Minneapolis residence. 

Following a four-day trial before Judge Eric C. Tostrud, Nunn was found guilty yesterday on one count of kidnapping, two counts of bank fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.  A sentencing hearing will be held at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Oak Park Police Department, and the Hudson Police Department.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – A Dodge County woman has pleaded guilty to obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Jennifer Lee Garrison, 40, was employed as a post-anesthesia care nurse at a hospital. Garrison had access to controlled and uncontrolled substances stored within an automated dispensing cabinet (ADC). The ADC in Garrison’s unit stored multiple medicines, including oxycodone and oxybutynin. Beginning in August 2022, the defendant began diverting oxycodone pills for her own use instead of giving it to her patients. By July 2023, the defendant was diverting up to six oxycodone pills per day.

Garrison carried out her diversion scheme using two primary means. At times, patients were prescribed two oxycodone pills. The defendant would withdraw both pills from the ADC but would give the patient only one pill. The defendant would keep the other pill for her own use and falsified patient pain reports to cover up her scheme. On other occasions, Garrison would enter a transaction on the ADC for oxybutynin. When the drawer for oxybutynin opened, the defendant would remove an oxybutynin pill. She would then cancel the transaction on the ADC, making it appear that she had simply accessed the wrong drawer by accident. With the ADC still accessible, the defendant then opened a drawer for oxycodone and removed an oxycodone pill. The defendant kept the oxycodone pill for herself and gave the patient oxybutynin.

Garrison pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell to one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Fridley man has pleaded guilty for possession of ammunition as a felon after firing multiple shots from an AR-style rifle, one of which struck an 11-year-old child in the face, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, just after midnight on January 1, 2024, officers of the Minneapolis Police Department received a report of a shooting at a residence in north Minneapolis. When officers arrived at the scene a woman told them that shots had been fired outside the residence and a round had struck the woman’s 11-year-old child in the face. The minor victim was sitting in a second-story bedroom when they heard gunshots outside the residence at approximately midnight. The minor victim went to the window to observe when a round came through the window and hit them in the face.

According to court documents, officers obtained a Snapchat video of James William Turner, 44, that was filmed just prior to the shooting. The two-minute video showed Turner outside, near the victim’s residence, speaking angrily to the camera before panning it to show an AR-style rifle lying across the driver’s seat of a vehicle. A neighbor provided officers with a doorbell surveillance video that showed Turner fire multiple rounds in the direction of the victim’s bedroom window. Officers found eight live cartridges and 24 discharged cartridge casings throughout the boulevard, sidewalk, and yard.

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

Turner pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Ann D. Montgomery to one count of possession of ammunition as a felon.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department, with assistance from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian C.S. Weir is prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – Two Minneapolis-based business consultants have been indicted for defrauding COVID-19 pandemic aid programs of more than $1 million while serving as business advisors to Hennepin County, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when small businesses were suffering deep economic losses, local and federal government agencies stepped in to provide support. These defendants saw this as an opportunity to defraud the aid programs by submitting phony invoices and applications for benefits,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “I commend the skilled investigators and prosecutors who work diligently to hold accountable those who defraud the aid programs designed to support our small business community.”

According to court documents, beginning in 2020, through the present, Tezzaree El-Amin Champion, 27, and Marcus Alexander Hamilton, 27, devised and carried out a fraud scheme to obtain funds from a variety of federal, state, local, and private COVID-19 relief programs. Through their company, Futuristic Management Group LLC, a Minnesota-based small business consulting firm, the defendants submitted fraudulent applications for PPP loans, pandemic relief, and other funds on behalf of their small business clients and their own entities.

As part of the scheme, Champion, who was the founder and chief executive officer of Futuristic Management, and Hamilton, who was the chief operating officer, caused the consulting firm to enter into contracts with Hennepin County under a COVID-19 relief program called “Elevate Business,” also known as “Elevate Hennepin.”  Elevate Business is a small business assistance program designed to provide local small businesses with no-cost marketing and website assistance. Under the contracts, Hennepin County agreed to pay Futuristic Management to provide technical assistance services to client businesses that were located in Hennepin County at no cost to the clients. Instead of abiding by the terms of the contracts, Champion and Hamilton billed Hennepin County for work not actually performed, and for work for which Champion and Hamilton were being paid by their clients, when the contracts required that Futuristic Management’s work be provided at no cost.

As part of the scheme, Champion and Hamilton also submitted fraudulent PPP and EIDL loan applications and Hennepin County Small Business Relief grant applications on behalf of their clients and their own entities. When clients received the loans and grants, Champion and Hamilton transferred and misappropriated a portion of the funds for themselves.

Also as part of the scheme, Champion intimidated clients by showing them a firearm and telling them he always carried a firearm. On April 26, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Champion’s residence in Andover. Inside the home, agents found $126,000 in U.S. currency in a locked safe, and a Ruger LCR .357 revolver. Because Champion has a prior felony conviction, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

In total, Champion and Hamilton’s fraud resulted in losses of more than $1 million in COVID-19 pandemic aid and involved more than 100 fraudulent invoices and grant and loan applications.

Champion and Hamilton were charged with three counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of theft of government money, and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity. Champion was also charged with one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. The defendants made their initial appearances earlier today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung.

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.

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 300 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for coercing minors to produce child pornography over social media, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, in 2019, Nelson Thomas Harner, 41, admitted to connecting with multiple minors on Instagram and Facebook and coercing them to engage in sexual activity for the purposes of producing child pornography. Harner also possessed numerous images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material.

On July 11, 2023, Harner pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement. He was sentenced on May 15, 2024, in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. 

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.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Esther Soria Mignanelli prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 117 months in prison for the illegal possession of two firearms, and for using one of them in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on January 11, 2020, law enforcement officers observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on I-394 in Golden Valley, Minnesota. When police attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver, Dejavareah Marquise Brown, 26, fled from police at over 100 mph, jumped a median, went airborne, and shredded the front tire of the vehicle. Officers twice attempted to stop the vehicle with a PIT maneuver and ultimately disabled the vehicle, at which time Brown fled on foot across the highway. Police found Brown hiding behind a brick pillar at a nearby store and detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from him. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers recovered a 9mm pistol with an extended high-capacity magazine loaded with 31 rounds and an additional 15 rounds of .380-caliber ammunition hidden in the trunk.

In March 2022, law enforcement received information that Brown was selling narcotics from his Minneapolis apartment and executed a search warrant. During the search, officers discovered a loaded .45-caliber pistol, a box of ammunition, 3500 M30 fentanyl pills, over 18 pounds of marijuana, over $650 cash, and miscellaneous drug paraphernalia inside the apartment.

Because Brown has a prior felony conviction, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

On January 16, 2024, Brown pleaded guilty to two felon-in-possession counts, and to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz. 

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Golden Valley Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis woman has been charged with embezzling over $1.5 million from her employer, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Danielle Terese Eisenbacher, 39, was an employee of a Minneapolis-based marketing firm from October 2019 through October 2023. Eisenbacher held various roles in the company, including Director of Operations, Vice President of Operations, and Chief Operating Officer, and was responsible for managing the company’s finances. From January 2020 through October 2023, Eisenbacher used her positions to embezzle more than $1.5 million from her employer. As part of the scheme, Eisenbacher made unauthorized personal transactions using company credit cards, including for designer clothing, jewelry, furniture, personal travel, and home renovations. Eisenbacher tried to conceal her embezzlement by creating false entries in company accounting records to make it look like the unauthorized personal transactions were for legitimate business expenses.

The indictment charges Eisenbacher with one count of mail fraud, six counts of wire fraud, and six counts of money laundering. Eisenbacher made her initial appearance in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Douglas L. Micko earlier this week.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Murphy 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.

DULUTH, Minn. – A Red Lake woman has been charged with murder, arson, and child neglect following the death of two young children on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on March 15, 2024, Jennifer Marie Stately, 35, attacked and killed Minor A and Minor B.  Stately slashed at Minor A and Minor B with a knife or other sharp object and then set fire to the residence. Stately fatally stabbed Minor A in the chest. Minor B suffered non-fatal stab wounds but ultimately died from smoke inhalation due to the fire Stately started. Stately fled the scene in her vehicle with Minor C. Later that night around 9:00 p.m., an AMBER Alert was issued. A motorist spotted Stately’s vehicle and contacted law enforcement. Law enforcement located and stopped Stately’s vehicle and recovered Minor C, who was suffering from visible signs of child neglect.

The indictment charges Stately with one count of premeditated murder, one count of murder in the course of committing child abuse, one count of murder in the course of committing arson, one count of arson, and one count of felony child neglect. Stately appeared today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois. Judge Brisbois ordered Stately to remain in custody pending further proceedings.

“This tragic case demonstrates the importance of close working relationships between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our state, federal and tribal law enforcement partners. Together, we are able to bring charges swiftly in cases such as this on behalf of the most vulnerable among us,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger.

“This case is another example of how AMBER Alerts save lives. They get critical information out quickly to millions of Minnesotans willing to step up to help rescue a child in mortal danger,” BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said. “We are grateful to the Minnesotan who acted quickly and bravely in this case, and to all Minnesotans who join in the search when a child needs them most.”

“The loss of innocent lives demands swift and decisive action,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Through seamless collaboration with our state and local counterparts along with the invaluable support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we are steadfast in our resolve to pursue justice for the victims. We stand united in seeking closure and healing for the affected family and their community.”

AMBER Alert is a system designed to send alert messages to the public about abducted children that are in imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death. Information about DOJ efforts to support the improvement of AMBER Alert in Indian Country is available on-line.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Todd County Sheriff’s Office, the Long Prairie Police Department, and the Red Lake Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel L. Kraker and Garrett S. Fields are prosecuting the case.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – The Justice Department joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in recognizing May 5 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day.

In recognition of MMIP Awareness Day, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted ongoing efforts to tackle the MMIP and human trafficking crises in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and other pressing public safety challenges, like the fentanyl crisis, in Tribal communities.

“There is still so much more to do in the face of persistently high levels of violence that Tribal communities have endured for generations, and that women and girls, particularly, have endured,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In carrying out our work, we seek to honor those who are still missing, those who were stolen from their communities, and their loved ones who are left with unimaginable pain. Tribal communities deserve safety, and they deserve justice. This day challenges all of us at the Justice Department to double down on our efforts, and to be true partners with Tribal communities as we seek to end this crisis.”

“MMIP Awareness Day is a time to honor and remember victims of violence. It is also a time to reaffirm our commitment to supporting the needs of our Tribal communities,” said U.S. Attorney Luger. “Here in the District of Minnesota, we are fortunate to have an MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney who is focused on strengthening partnerships and advancing public safety and engagement with Tribal communities across Minnesota and the Great Lakes Region.”

“The FBI remains unwavering in our pledge to work with our law enforcement partners to address the violence that has disproportionately harmed Tribal communities and families,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We will continue to prioritize our support of victims and will steadfastly pursue investigations into the crime impacting American Indian and Alaska Native communities.”

“DEA’s top priority is protecting all communities from deadly drugs, like fentanyl, and drug related violent crime,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.  “We know that no community has been spared from these deadly threats and we are committed to keeping Tribal communities safe.”

Justice Department Prioritization of MMIP Cases

Last July, the Justice Department announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions. Last year, Laura M. Provinzino was appointed to serve as the MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Great Lakes Region.

The MMIP Regional Outreach Program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to U.S. Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022.

Not Invisible Act Commission Response

The Department’s work to respond to the MMIP crisis is a whole-of-department effort. In March, the Departments of Justice and the Interior released their joint response to the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. The NIAC response, announced by Attorney General Garland during a visit to the Crow Nation, recognizes that more must be done across the federal government to resolve this longstanding crisis and support healing from the generational traumas that Indigenous peoples have endured throughout the history of the United States. 

Addressing Violent Crime and the Fentanyl Crisis in Indian Country

As noted in the joint response to the NIAC, research suggests that certain public safety challenges faced by many American Indian and Alaska Native communities—including disproportionate violence against women, families, and children; substance abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons.

Further, fentanyl poisoning and overdose deaths are the leading cause of opioid deaths throughout the United States, including Indian county, where drug-related overdose death rates for Native Americans exceeds the national rate.

Therefore, federal law enforcement components are ramping up efforts to forge stronger partnerships with federal and Tribal law enforcement partners to address violent crime and the fentanyl crisis, which exposes already vulnerable communities to greater harm.

Accessing Department of Justice Resources

Over the past year, the Department awarded $268 million in grants to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses. These awards have also gone toward improving the handling of child abuse cases, combating domestic and sexual violence, supporting Tribal youth programs, and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities.

For additional information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.

Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on January 24, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the South Minneapolis residence of Andre Garner, 42, and recovered almost 800 grams of fentanyl in a van registered to Garner. During their search, law enforcement also recovered over 1,000 grams of cocaine, two firearms, and $9,400 in cash. Garner admitted that he told law enforcement that anything law enforcement found was his, including the money and the van, as part of his guilty plea.

On December 18, 2023, Garner pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced today by Judge Jerry W. Blackwell in U.S. District Court.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hillary A. Taylor and William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case.

DULUTH, Minn. – A federal jury found a Red Lake woman guilty of child neglect following the death of a child in her care, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to evidence presented at trial, Sharon Rosebear, 63, intentionally deprived a child, Minor A, of necessary food and health care over the course of 2022. The evidence at trial established that Minor A died in 2022 from the combined effects of starvation and infection. Rosebear and her co-defendant, Julius Fineday Sr., were both federally charged in 2023 following Minor A’s death: Rosebear was charged with felony child neglect resulting in substantial harm, and her co-defendant Julius Fineday Sr. was charged with second degree manslaughter. 

The evidence at trial established that Rosebear acted as one of Minor A’s caretakers in 2022. In accordance with Minnesota law, the jury was instructed that Rosebear’s lack of formal legal custody of Minor A did not alter her responsibility to the child. The evidence at trial established that Rosebear was reasonably able to provide for Minor A’s nutrition and healthcare—including evidence establishing that healthcare and transportation to healthcare is free within the Red Lake Nation, and that all of the adults and children involved in the case received nutritional and cash assistance adequate to meet their basic needs—and that Rosebear nonetheless intentionally deprived Minor A of those basic needs by withholding food, and by looking the other way while Minor A’s health deteriorated. The evidence at trial included evidence that Minor A died at the same weight she had been nearly three years earlier, and that while Rosebear was aware of Minor A’s severe lice infestation, Rosebear responded by keeping Minor A isolated rather than seeking medical attention for Minor A.  

Medical testimony at trial established that the type of infection Minor A had when she died could have entered Minor A’s body through scratches in her scalp related to her unaddressed lice. The medical testimony also established that Minor A’s prolonged starvation may have been an independently sufficient cause of death, or may have severely compromised Minor A’s immune system’s ability to fight infection. 

Following a six-day trial in U.S. District Court before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, Rosebear was found guilty of felony child neglect. Rosebear’s co-defendant, Julius Fineday Sr., entered a guilty plea to his charge prior to trial on March 25, 2022. Their sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date. 

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey E. Middlecamp and Rachel L. Kraker tried the case. 

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – A Crookston man has been sentenced to 262 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for producing images and videos showing the sexual abuse of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to the defendant’s plea agreement and court documents, the minor victim in the case reported to school officials and to the Crookston Police that Jorge Alberto Torres, Jr., 52, had been sexually assaulting and abusing the minor victim for several years. Torres threatened and coerced the minor victim into submitting to his sexual demands, and he placed a hidden video camera in a bathroom used by the minor victim and others. The following day, law enforcement arrested Torres. Torres asked a family member to hide or destroy his Android cell phone and the hidden video camera. Law enforcement nonetheless recovered the cell phone and, after obtaining a search warrant, found that the cell phone contained multiple images and videos depicting Torres’s sexual abuse of the minor victim and other child pornography. 

Torres pleaded guilty on December 20, 2023, to one count of production of child pornography and admitted to other additional conduct constituting production of child pornography. 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 Crookston Police Department and the FBI's Minneapolis Crimes Against Children Task Force.
   
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Bejar and Emily A. Polachek prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – An Eveleth man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine with intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to the defendant’s plea agreement and court documents, between January 1, 2023, and March 9, 2023, Juan Pedro Alapisco-Ochoa, 52, knowingly conspired with co-conspirators to acquire fentanyl with the intention of distributing it. On January 7, 2023, law enforcement conducted a controlled buy and purchased over 1,000 fentanyl pills from Alapisco-Ochoa and his co-conspirators. On March 7, 2023, as part of a separate investigation, postal inspectors stopped a shipment addressed to the defendant’s apartment which contained 481 grams of methamphetamine packed inside a stereo speaker. Shortly afterwards, law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery to Alapisco-Ochoa’s apartment. Agents seized 11 grams of methamphetamine, 170 blue fentanyl pills, and miscellaneous drug paraphernalia from the apartment.

Alapisco-Ochoa pleaded guilty on October 12, 2023, to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced on April 24, 2024, in U.S. District Court by Judge Michael J. Davis.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Lake Superior Violent Crime Drug Task Force.  

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

MINNEAPOLIS – A Scandia pharmacist has pleaded guilty to unlawfully taking bottles of oxycodone from her pharmacy for her own personal use, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Kristie Marie Dezell, 46, was the pharmacist in charge at a pharmacy located in Maplewood, Minnesota. From March 2020, until June 2023, Dezell knowingly and intentionally obtained bottles of oxycodone for her own personal use from the pharmacy’s inventory. Dezell falsified the pharmacy’s records to conceal her actions.

Dezell pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Michael J. Davis to one count of obtaining possession of controlled substance by misrepresentation. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

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

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

MINNEAPOLIS – The United States Attorney’s Office along with the Drug Enforcement Administration hosted a community conversation focused on fentanyl awareness and prevention.

Stakeholders from across the Twin Cities, including healthcare advocates, elected officials, outreach workers, community-based organizations, as well as families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning, convened today to raise awareness about the fentanyl epidemic. The summit included information on current regional drug trends, myths surrounding the fentanyl crisis, and action steps to intervene and help save lives during an overdose situation.

“The goal of this summit is to raise awareness, dispel myths, identify trends and, most importantly, discuss how we as a community can collectively turn the tide on fentanyl deaths in Minnesota,” said United States Attorney Andrew Luger. “I am grateful to the addiction and recovery specialists, the outreach workers, and to the family members who have shared their expertise and their heartbreak. The work must continue. We owe it to our families, our friends, and our communities.”

“The Drug Enforcement Administration is proud to partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in an effort to amplify messaging about the dangers of fentanyl in our Minnesota communities,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “Last year, DEA investigators seized approximately 2.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl in Minnesota. It’s more important than ever that we talk with our loved ones about the consequences that can come from taking just one pill or experimentation with drugs.”

Each year in April, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recognizes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, which honors crime victims and those who serve them. This year’s theme is “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.” This theme underscores the importance of our individual and collective responsibilities to empower victims through relevant and impactful support services. It highlights the power of collaborative efforts to promote community safety and well-being. For more information please visit: https://ovc.ojp.gov/ncvrw2024/overview

MINNEAPOLIS – A Blooming Prairie man has been indicted for sexually exploiting children outside the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, between November 2021 and April 2022, Steven John Sokel, 61, by aiding and abetting other individuals, coerced three minor girls outside of the United States to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions. Sokel also possessed sexually explicit images and videos of minors.

The indictment charges Sokel with two counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. Sokel made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on April 19, 2024, before Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz. He was ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing.

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 is prosecuting the case.

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

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Ramsey man has been sentenced to six months in prison followed by one year of supervised release and restitution for operating a tax preparation business as cover for a tax fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Lyle Nierenz, 70, ran tax preparation businesses—called Fast-R-Tax and Lyle’s Tax Service—out of his home in Ramsey, Minnesota. Nierenz prepared and filed numerous income tax returns falsely claiming that his clients had significant tax-deductible charitable contributions, unreimbursed employee expenses, or unreimbursed business expenses. taxNierenz did this without his clients’ knowledge or permission to fraudulently inflate their returns.  He then diverted a portion of the inflated refunds to his personal bank accounts. 

To avoid detection, Nierenz repeatedly made it appear that his clients self-filed their fraudulent returns.  He also provided many of his clients with a doctored copy of their tax returns that matched the refund the client actually received. Between tax years 2014 and 2018, Nierenz’s fraudulent return scheme resulted in a tax loss of approximately $336,000. Nierenz also repeatedly failed to declare on his own tax returns the income he generated by charging his clients for tax preparation.

On July 28, 2021, Nierenz pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Donovan W. Frank.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by IRS Criminal Investigations and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan L. Sing and Joseph H. Thompson prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 192 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for receipt, distribution, and access with intent to view child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, beginning in August 2020, through January 2022, Michael Francis Hamer, 56, knowingly and frequently obtained, distributed, and accessed child pornography online. On multiple occasions, he used Facebook and Gmail to directly message self-identified minor victims, some as young as 11 years old, to request and distribute images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors. Hamer also joined Facebook Messenger group chats that were named “Boys sex video,” “Kids Video Sex,” and “#Good Boy?,” among others, to solicit and access child sexual abuse images.

Hamer was previously convicted in Minnesota state court for solicitation of a child to engage in sexual conduct. As a result of this state conviction, Hamer was required to register as a predatory offender with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Additionally, Hamer admitted to possessing child pornography during his 2012 conviction.  

Hamer was convicted by a federal jury on December 7, 2023, of one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and two counts of access with intent to view child pornography. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M. Menendez, who described Hamer’s conduct as “relentless behavior,” and noted that there was long-term damage to the victims depicted in the child sexual abuse material. Judge Menendez also remarked that reviewing one of the child sexual abuse videos at trial “is something I can never unsee,” and that it was something “the jury can never unsee” as well.   

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from the Minneapolis 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. Attorneys Hillary A. Taylor, Emily A. Polachek, and Chelsea A. Walcker prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Rochester man has been indicted for production and possession of child pornography and coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on multiple occasions between 2015 and 2023, Mathew Richard Adamson, 45, produced child pornography involving 12 and 13-year-old minor girls, including surreptitiously recorded videos. Adamson also possessed sexually explicit images and videos of minors and coerced a minor girl to engage in sexual conduct with him.

The complaint charges Adamson with three counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of coercion and enticement. Adamson was arraigned today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Rochester Police Department, the FBI, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Kline is prosecuting the case.

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

ST. PAUL, Minn. –  A federal jury found a Brooklyn Center man guilty of possessing a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to the evidence presented at trial, in the early morning hours of September 28, 2019, Dante Jospeh Tyus, 30, a member of the Minneapolis Bloods street gang, was stopped by the Minnesota State Patrol for driving erratically. Tyus, who showed obvious signs of intoxication, was arrested for driving under the influence. Tyus’s vehicle was towed and impounded. After being booked at the Hennepin County Jail, Tyus made a series of recorded calls expressing concern to his girlfriend and enlisting her assistance in recovering a firearm that was hidden inside his vehicle. Law enforcement obtained a warrant to search the vehicle and recovered a 9mm semiautomatic handgun hidden inside a door panel.

Because Tyus has prior felony convictions in Hennepin County, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

Following a four-day trial in U.S. District Court before Judge Susan Richard Nelson, Tyus was found guilty of possessing a firearm as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. 

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Minnesota State Patrol, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla J. Baumel and Allen A. Slaughter tried the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul felon has been sentenced to 74 months in prison for illegally possessing ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on August 28, 2022, Bloomington police officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Damien Kent Hallmon, 40, for multiple traffic violations and noticed several indicators of marijuana use. The occupants of the vehicle were asked to step out of the vehicle so it could be searched, and officers found a 9mm firearm with a loaded magazine and no serial number in Hallmon’s fiancé’s purse.  

Because Hallmon has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. The firearm seized in this case, a Polymer 80, is commonly referred to as a “ghost gun” or a “privately made firearm” (PMF).

Hallmon was convicted by a federal jury on November 3, 2023, on one count of possessing ammunition as a felon. He was sentenced yesterday by Judge Kate M. Menendez in U.S. District Court.  

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bloomington Police Department, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Science Lab, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary S. Riverso, Ruth S. Shnider, and Laura M. Provinzino prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A convicted felon has pleaded guilty for his role in an illegal firearm straw purchasing conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on May 26, 2023, Donald Duane Armstrong, Jr., 36, and a co-conspirator entered a Federal Firearms Licensee in Walker, Minnesota, where the co-conspirator purchased a Glock model 23 G5, 40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, intending to transfer the firearm to Armstrong, who is a convicted felon. In purchasing the firearm, Armstrong’s co-conspirator lied when filling out the ATF Form 4473, which certifies that he was the actual buyer/transferee of the firearm, when in fact the firearm was intended for Armstrong. On June 14, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Armstrong’s residence. At the residence law enforcement seized 14 firearms, including the firearm purchased on May 26, 2023. Because Armstrong has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

Armstrong pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel to one count of conspiracy to make a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Twin Cities man has pleaded guilty to the illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to his plea agreement and court documents, on October 7, 2022, a Minnesota State Patrol officer stopped Salvador Anthony Pacheco, 45, for multiple traffic violations. During the interaction, the officer smelled marijuana in the car and requested a drug-sniffing dog, which alerted officers to additional drugs in Pacheco’s vehicle. A search of the car and its contents revealed a Kahr .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol inside the defendant’s backpack. Because Pacheco has prior felony convictions, including murder, assault, and weapons violations, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. 

Pacheco pleaded guilty today to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon in U.S. District Court. He will be sentenced at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minnesota State Patrol.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury found a Red Lake woman guilty of child neglect and endangerment on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

Following a five-day trial before Judge Katherine M. Menendez, Bobbi Jo Johnson, aka Bobbi Jo Kingbird, 46, was convicted last week on one count of child neglect—deprivation of food and health care, and one count of child endangerment.

According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, between January 1, 2021, and April 29, 2022, Bobbi Jo Johnson engaged in, aided, and abetted the endangerment, neglect, and abuse of a child who was in the foster care of her sister and co-defendant, Trina Mae Johnson. The abuse included withholding food from the victim to the point of starvation, forcing the victim to stand in uncomfortable positions for long periods of time, and assaulting the victim. As a result of Bobbi Jo Johnson’s and her co-defendants’ abuse, the victim suffered serious and substantial physical, mental, and emotional harm.

Trina Mae Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of child torture, one count of child neglect—deprivation of food and health care, one count of child endangerment, and one count of assault on a minor with a dangerous weapon. Ellie Mae Johnson, Patricia Ann Johnson, and Bertram Calvin Lussier, Jr. each pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment. All five defendants will be sentenced at a later date.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, with support from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Beltrami County Sherriff’s Office, the Bemidji Police Department, and the Blackduck Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ruth S. Shnider and Evan B. Gilead tried the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury found a Red Lake woman guilty of child neglect and endangerment on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

Following a five-day trial before Judge Katherine M. Menendez, Bobbi Jo Johnson, aka Bobbi Jo Kingbird, 46, was convicted last week on one count of child neglect—deprivation of food and health care, and one count of child endangerment.

According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, between January 1, 2021, and April 29, 2022, Bobbi Jo Johnson engaged in, aided, and abetted the endangerment, neglect, and abuse of a child who was in the foster care of her sister and co-defendant, Trina Mae Johnson. The abuse included withholding food from the victim to the point of starvation, forcing the victim to stand in uncomfortable positions for long periods of time, and assaulting the victim. As a result of Bobbi Jo Johnson’s and her co-defendants’ abuse, the victim suffered serious and substantial physical, mental, and emotional harm.

Trina Mae Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of child torture, one count of child neglect—deprivation of food and health care, one count of child endangerment, and one count of assault on a minor with a dangerous weapon. Ellie Mae Johnson, Patricia Ann Johnson, and Bertram Calvin Lussier, Jr. each pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment. All five defendants will be sentenced at a later date.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, with support from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Beltrami County Sherriff’s Office, the Bemidji Police Department, and the Blackduck Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ruth S. Shnider and Evan B. Gilead tried the case.

DULUTH, Minn. – A federal jury found a Wisconsin woman guilty of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

Following a three-day trial before Judge John R. Tunheim, Shue Moua, 35, was convicted yesterday on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

According to the evidence presented at trial, a deputy with the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office executed a traffic stop after witnessing Moua’s erratic behavior behind the wheel of a Ford Taurus in the early hours of March 2, 2023. During their interaction, Moua presented an expired Wisconsin driver’s license and admitted she did not have a valid license or insurance coverage. Officers also observed signs of impairment, namely bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, and conducted a series of field sobriety tests, which she failed. After initially consenting to a search of her vehicle, Moua revoked consent and was subsequently arrested for suspected impaired driving. A search of her person prior to her arrest revealed $634 in cash, and while conducting an inventory of her vehicle prior to impoundment, officers discovered approximately two pounds of methamphetamine and unused plastic baggies.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Evans and Michael P. McBride tried the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – An Eden Prairie woman has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $1 million from her employer, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Monica Svobodny, 51, worked as the Supply Chain and Engineering Manager at a furniture manufacturing company located in Edina, Minnesota. Svobodny used her managerial position to embezzle funds and convert them to her own use and benefit. Svobodny regularly used company credit cards for unauthorized personal expenses such as designer clothing, spa services, and luxury hotel stays. To cover her fraud, she left unapproved credit card expenses as “pending” for accounting purposes. On more than 300 occasions, she used company cards to transfer funds to herself via PayPal to cover personal expenses. Svobodny also edited PayPal transaction receipts and fraudulently listed some of the expenses as payments to a defunct company.

In total, Svobodny knowingly and willfully embezzled more than $1,137,000 over a period of seven years.

Svobodny pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to one count of wire fraud before Judge Ann D. Montgomery.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Edina Police Department with assistance from the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea A. Walcker is prosecuting the case.