District of Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury has found three defendants guilty in a $300 million nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to evidence presented at trial, Amondo Antoine Miller, 47, of Littleton, Colorado, Tashena Laverna Crump, 39, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Ballam Hazeakiah Dudley, 37, of Plymouth, Minnesota, knowingly conspired with at least 40 other defendants to carry out a telemarketing scheme that began in at least 2000 and victimized numerous individuals across the United States, many of whom are elderly and vulnerable. 

“This was one of the largest elder fraud schemes in our nation, with over 150,000 elderly victims across the country,” said United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. “We are pleased with the verdict. Combating elder fraud and abuse is one of the Justice Department’s top priorities, and we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to combat systemic fraud of our most vulnerable citizens.”

Miller, Crump, and Dudley accomplished their scheme by calling victim-consumers who had one or more existing magazine subscriptions and offering to "renew" the existing magazine subscriptions, often at a reduced cost. In reality, the defendants tricked the victim-consumers into signing up for entirely new magazine subscriptions, which they did not want and often could not afford. Some victim-consumers were fraudulently billed by as many as ten companies at a time and received more than $1,000 in monthly magazine subscription charges. Over the course of the scheme, the co-conspirators defrauded more than $300 million from over 150,000 victims nationwide. 

Following a month-long trial before Judge John R. Tunheim in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Dudley, Crump, and Miller, were found guilty of multiple counts of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud. Their sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date.

“The perpetrators of this reprehensible scam exhibited a ruthless level of deception and manipulation by targeting vulnerable victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. “This verdict sends a strong message that those who seek to exploit vulnerable Americans will be brought to justice.”

“Yesterday’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,” said Denver Division Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove. “The bold egregious nature in which these fraudsters victimized our elders and stripped them of their hard-earned money 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 FBI law enforcement partners can work side by side in an effort to bring these fraudsters to justice.”

The case was the first in Minnesota charged under the Senior Citizens Against Marketing Scams Act of 1994, which ensures enhanced penalties for persons convicted of mail or wire fraud in connection with the conduct of telemarketing. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

Based on the evidence obtained in this investigation, authorities believe there may be additional victims of the alleged conduct. Report suspected fraudulent activity to MagazineVictims@FBI.GOV.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, Garrett S. Fields, and Melinda A. Williams tried the case.
 

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

According to evidence presented at trial, on August 28, 2022, a Bloomington police officer 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 girlfriend’s purse.  

Following a three-day trial before Judge Kate M. Menendez in U.S. District Court, Hallmon was found guilty on one count of possessing ammunition as a felon. He will be sentenced at a later date.

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).

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary S. Riverso and Ruth S. Shnider tried the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A former medical doctor has been sentenced to four months in federal prison, a six-month term of home confinement, two years supervised release, and a requirement to pay full restitution following an extensive tax-evasion scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to the plea agreement and other court documents, from at least 2000 until 2018, Joseph David Meyer, 62, of Roseau, Minnesota, earned significant taxable income as a licensed medical doctor as well as income and interest from his ownership of rental properties. Meyer repeatedly challenged his tax obligations in court, concealed his taxable income, and even sued his rental tenants for complying with legitimate IRS levies. Meyer’s evasion resulted in a total tax loss of $484,164.

Meyer pleaded guilty on June 29, 2022, to one count of tax evasion. Meyer was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Donovan W. Frank.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Sing prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – Four Minnesota men have been indicted for their roles in a multi-million dollar scheme to transport stolen catalytic converters across state lines, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, from May 2020 through October 2022, John Charles Kotten, 41, of Hutchinson, Justin Tyme Johnson, 32, of St. Paul, Soe Nye Moo, 31, of St. Paul, and James Dillon Jensen, 34, of Minneapolis, and others knowingly participated in a lucrative scheme in which they acquired stolen catalytic converters and transported them across state lines to buyers who paid large sums of money for the stolen car parts. Catalytic converters are emission control devices that contain valuable, precious metals—including palladium, platinum, and rhodium—in their center or “core” to reduce the toxic gas and pollutants from a vehicle’s engine and filter them into safer emissions.

As part of the conspiracy, individuals who operated as street-level cutters stole catalytic converters from vehicles throughout the state of Minnesota and transferred them to Kotten or Johnson. At times, Kotten and Johnson met with cutters directly to buy stolen catalytic converters, other times they instructed cutters to transfer the catalytic converters to intermediary buyers acting on their behalf, such as Jensen and Moo. After receiving stolen catalytic converters, the defendants concealed and stored the inventory in preparation for shipment across state lines. After sorting, categorizing, and pricing out the anticipated loads, the defendants transported the stolen catalytic converters across state lines using rented U-Haul trailers and personal vehicles. Payments for the stolen catalytic converters were typically in the form of wire transfer, cash, check, or a combination thereof.

In order to conceal their scheme, Kotten and others purchased scrap or junk cars from individual sellers or at auction to make it appear as though they were involved in a legitimate automotive scrapping and recycling business in the event they were audited or investigated.

In total, the conspiracy yielded approximately $21 million in payments to the defendants, most of which came from a small number of high-volume buyers based in New Jersey, Oklahoma, Colorado, and New York.

The indictment charges Kotten, Johnson, Moo, and Jensen with conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate. Kotten and Johnson are charged with interstate transportation of stolen property, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and false statements to a financial institution. Johnson was also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering – concealment, and Moo was charged with possession of a machinegun. All four defendants made their initial appearances earlier today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright.

This case is the result of a joint investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS – Criminal Investigations, Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, St. Paul Police Department, Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, Blaine Police Department, Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office, Brown County Sheriff’s Office, Carver County Sheriff’s Office, Coon Rapids Police Department, Eagan Police Department, Fridley Police Department, McLeod County Sheriff’s Office, Montevideo Police Department, Plymouth Police Department, Roseville Police Department, and Sleepy Eye Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey E. Middlecamp and Emily A. Polachek are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig Baune and Quinn Askew are handling the forfeiture of assets.

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 registered nurse has been indicted for fraudulently obtaining prescription opioid pain medications from a hospice clinic, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Cambie Elizabeth Broker, 33, was a registered nurse case manager at a hospice clinic in Baxter, Minnesota. Broker entered false prescription requests into the clinic’s e-prescribing software to fraudulently obtain oxycodone, hydromorphone, and fentanyl for illegal sale and personal use.

Broker made her initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Micko.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the DEA and the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott is prosecuting the case.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – A Shakopee man has been sentenced to 51 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $3.1 million in restitution for operating a fraudulent investment scheme, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.  

According to court documents and his guilty plea, between 2014 and 2021, Jason Dodd Bullard, 59, and others working at his direction solicited funds from individuals, entities, and trusts purportedly to invest in a foreign currency investment program. In reality, Bullard was operating a Ponzi scheme. The funds collected from investors over time were used to fund other entities owned or controlled by Bullard, which were not part of the purported investment plan, and to make payments back to investors to falsely portray the appearance of actual returns.  Bullard also used investor funds to support his and his family’s lifestyle. Bullard lied to investors in reports and statements sent to investors that purposed to describe the balances and activity in investors’ accounts. These statements were meant to encourage further investment and to keep investors from learning the truth and to allow Bullard to continue the fraudulent scheme. In total, Bullard defrauded approximately 100 victims in several states, including Minnesota, out of $3,108,312.24 over the course of the scheme.

Bullard pleaded guilty on April 25, 2023, to one count of wire fraud. Bullard was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M. Menendez.

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

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

MINNEAPOLIS – An associate of the Highs, a Minneapolis street gang, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.  

According to court documents, on November 15, 2022, Deon Necole Williams, aka Ghost, 28, was in possession of a Smith & Wesson model M9 9mm semiautomatic pistol. Because Williams has prior felony convictions, including aggravated robbery and firearms violations, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition.

Williams pleaded guilty on June 5, 2023, to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. Williams was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF, FBI, St. Cloud Police Department, Minneapolis Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to this investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha H. Bates, Justin A. Wesley and Trial Attorney Brian W. Lynch of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section are prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Pine City man has pleaded guilty to five counts of producing, receiving, and distributing images of child pornography, and coercing and enticing minors to engage in illegal sexual activity, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to his plea agreement and court documents, beginning in or about January 2019, Caleb Vincent McLaughlin, 26, created and used multiple social media accounts and communications applications to solicit and direct at least 14 minor girls between the ages of 11 and 16 years old in Minnesota, and a number of girls as yet to be identified in Minnesota, North Dakota, and elsewhere, to create sexually explicit images and videos to send to him. McLaughlin used a variety of aliases and Snapchat IDs including “Jake Benson,” “Lift11” or “Tech4cm,” in his scheme, and sometimes purported to be 17 years old to prey on minor girls he met online in order to entice and coerce them to create sexually explicit images and videos. In addition to producing child sexual abuse material, McLaughlin offered the minors drugs, alcohol, cash, and gift cards in exchange for sex acts.

On July 17, 2023, McLaughlin was charged in a federal criminal complaint with soliciting, producing, receiving, and distributing images of child pornography, and enticing a child to engage in illegal sexual activity. McLaughlin pleaded guilty today before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schlitz in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 13, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. 

Law enforcement officials are still working to identify and confirm the identity of many of the minor victims involved. If you believe you or your minor dependent(s) have been victimized by Caleb McLaughlin, please contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.

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, with substantial assistance from the St. Paul Police Department, Pine County Sheriff's Office, and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hillary A. Taylor and Rachel L. Kraker are prosecuting the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – An Anoka County man has been sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, on December 29, 2022, officers with the Coon Rapids Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Lewis Edward Byrd III, 46. Byrd, a felon with a prior sexual assault conviction, was arrested for violations related to his status as a predatory offender. After the arrest, officers searched Byrd’s vehicle and found a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun in a pillowcase behind the driver’s seat. Further investigation revealed that Byrd purchased the firearm from a private seller earlier in December 2022. Law enforcement contacted the seller who confirmed the sale of the firearm and said that Byrd stated he was not a felon.

Because Byrd has prior felony convictions, including first degree criminal sexual conduct, stalking, and false imprisonment, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

Byrd pleaded guilty on May 8, 2023, to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. Byrd was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Coon Rapids Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp prosecuted the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Chanhassen psychologist has been sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for fraudulently billing for counseling services never actually rendered, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Charles Howard Jorenby, 57, was a licensed psychologist and owner of Life Dynamics, Inc., a counseling center located in Prior Lake. From at least January 2013 through February 2020, Jorenby orchestrated a scheme to defraud the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC), which is responsible for funding its own tribal members’ health care costs. In order to administer its own self-funded costs, SMSC contracted with Blue Cross Blue Shield Minnesota (BCBS) as its health care administrator and processor for provider billing. Jorenby realized that, within the relationship between SMSC and BCBS, billed services were fully covered, and no individuals received any mailings or “explanation of benefits” paperwork, and that he could therefore submit fraudulent bills for counseling services he claimed to have provided to dozens of SMSC members without any notice to the individuals. In reality, Jorenby never provided counseling services to those individuals, and he used their names and dates of birth without their knowledge or permission. As a result of his false billing practices, SMSC suffered a loss of at least $819,020.83.

According to court documents, in 2017, Jorenby also submitted an additional fraudulent insurance claim to State Farm Insurance following a fire at his business office. In that claim, Jorenby knowingly provided false information regarding lost income, inflating his claimed income to include earnings associated with his fraudulent billings. Jorenby received a settlement of $104,930 as a result of his misrepresentation. In sentencing Mr. Jorenby, the District Court ordered him to pay SMSC $819,020.83, and State Farm Insurance $104,930, as restitution.

“When criminals commit health care fraud it can negatively affect the health care system in the form of increased fees and lower wages,” said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Secretary Investigations (HSI) Saint Paul Jamie Holt. “These crimes are further exacerbated when they are committed by individuals, like Jorenby, who hold positions of trust throughout a community, particularly for those who relied upon him for their, or their family members’ mental well-being.”

On November 29, 2022, Jorenby pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud. He was sentenced on September 22, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Blaine man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after devising an employment opportunity scheme to defraud hundreds of jobseekers out of approximately $600,000, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Charles Edward Fields, 44, was the owner and operator of a series of companies through which he pitched employment opportunities to prospective workers throughout the United States. The employment opportunities that Fields purported to provide were through his businesses, some of which included HOMESoft Systems Incorporated, WaterTek Marketing Corporation, Water Innovations Group, Inc., W I G Holdings Corporation, Mile High H20 Corporation, and the NEW H20. Fields, claimed that, after job applicants paid him an upfront deposit of approximately $3,000 to $5,000, he would hire them as sales contractors to sell products nationwide to the public, primarily home security or water filtration systems. As part of the scheme, Fields also misrepresented his affiliation with, and his authority to act on behalf of, Company A, a long-standing international company that designs and distributes various models of water machines and filtration systems.

According to court documents, Fields routinely posted nationwide online employment advertisements promising job seekers training, sales leads, and $6,000 in guaranteed monthly profit. Despite paying Fields the required upfront deposit, many of his victims never received the product or the training that they paid for as a condition of their employment. In reality, the employment opportunities never materialized as promised by Fields. In addition, Fields misrepresented to job applicants that their deposits would be securely held in escrow and subsequently refunded to them upon request. However, rather than provide victims with the promised equipment or employment opportunities, Fields instead used much of the victims’ funds for his own personal use and benefit or to refund some victims using other victims’ money. In order to conceal his fraud and stave off scrutiny, Fields lulled his victims with bogus excuses as to why he was unable to fulfill his promises or return their funds. In total, Fields defrauded at least 250 victims of at least $600,000.

Fields pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge David S. Doty. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert is prosecuting the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A St. Louis Park man has been sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for cyberstalking two victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and court documents, between September 2020 through December 2021, Julyen Alonzo Martin, 30, cyberstalked and threatened to kill, injure, and harass his victims. In violation of orders of protection issued against him, Martin sent numerous threats and unwanted messages via text message and social media applications directed at the victims and their families. Martin stated in one series of threats, “I will [expletive] up your life as long as I live. Someone better come kill me right now. Before I kill somebody. You know what I wanna do.” As a part of his cyberstalking scheme, Martin created social media accounts posing as one of the victims online and posted harmful allegations about both victims. According to court documents, Martin also contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”), falsely alleging that one of the victims was using their work computer to view child pornography. Martin emailed and called the victim’s employer several times claiming the victim was a pedophile being investigated for child endangerment. Martin also posed as a federal agent in furtherance of his cyberstalking scheme and claimed to be an FBI Special Agent intending to search the victim’s place of work for evidence.

Martin was sentenced on September 22, 2023, in U.S. District Court before Judge Susan Richard Nelson on two counts of cyberstalking. Judge Nelson described the case as “one of the most vicious and cruel cyberstalking cases” she’s ever encountered. Judge Nelson reflected on the impact of Martin’s actions on the victims, stating that Martin committed acts “capable of destroying the lives” of his victims.

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

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

MINNEAPOLIS – A Georgia woman has pleaded guilty to her role in a $300 million nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea, from 2016 through February 2020, Rita Antoinette Albritton, 59, of Stockbridge, Georgia, knowingly conspired with others to devise a telemarketing scheme that victimized numerous individuals across the United States, many of whom are elderly and vulnerable. Albritton worked as a telemarketer for World Wide Publication Inc., a Georgia-based company involved in fraudulent magazine sales. The company, owned by co-defendant Ronald Coleman, used fraudulent sales scripts to defraud victim-consumers, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable, out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The fraudulent sales scripts were designed to induce consumers, through a series of lies and misrepresentations, into making large or repeat payments. When acting as a telemarketer, Albritton at times used the alias of “Cynthia Alvarez.”

According to the defendant’s guilty plea, among other misrepresentations she made as directed by the scripts, Albritton falsely claimed that the victim-consumers owed a large outstanding balance for existing magazine subscriptions and fraudulently offered to pay off that balance in exchange for a one-time payment of $199.99. In reality, the victim-consumers did not have any existing subscriptions with World Wide Publication, they did not owe the company any outstanding balance, and the company did not have the ability to cancel the victim-consumers’ ongoing magazine subscriptions. In the course of the scheme, Albritton, Coleman, and their co-conspirators defrauded thousands of victims of approximately $1,749,959.

Albritton pleaded guilty yesterday before Judge John R. Tunheim to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 23, 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 Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, Garrett S. Fields, and Melinda A. Williams are prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Duluth man has pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on July 26, 2021, Jason Lamount Burns, 38, possessed a magazine loaded with 9mm ammunition that Duluth Police Department officers found stored on a shelf in Burns’ bedroom closet while executing a search warrant at his home.

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

Burns pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim to one count of felon in possession of ammunition. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

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

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

DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth man has been sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $27,000 in restitution for receipt of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, law enforcement received a CyberTip from Kik that a Duluth resident had uploaded over 20 separate images and videos between February 23 and March 3, 2020 on the Kik app. They investigated and obtained a search warrant for the residence and vehicles of Eric Scott Sherman, 37, and discovered multiple images and videos depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. A Motorola cell phone seized during the search confirmed the association between Sherman and the phone number and social media account usernames that started the investigation. 

In his plea agreement, Sherman acknowledged that he was charged with and pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a four-year-old child in St. Louis County in 2011. In 2012, he was sentenced to 90 months in custody and 10 years of conditional release. Sherman was still under supervision when he received and possessed the child pornography in this case.  

On May 16, 2023, Sherman pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Kate M. Menendez.

This case was the result of an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Duluth Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury found a Richfield man guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

Following a five-day trial before Judge John R. Tunheim in U.S. District Court, Andrew Jerome Bigbee, 57, was convicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

The defendant conspired to distribute methamphetamine between approximately September 2019 and October 2021. On September 4, 2019, law enforcement searched the defendant’s house in Richfield, Minnesota, on a warrant. Law enforcement found more than 520 grams of methamphetamine in the defendant’s house. Law enforcement also found numerous trappings of drug trafficking, including a digital scale, more than $8,000 in cash, a money counting machine, drug packaging materials, and two firearms.

On October 16, 2020, law enforcement searched the defendant’s RV in Bloomington, Minnesota. Law enforcement found more than 5,000 grams of methamphetamine throughout the RV as well as drug trafficking paraphernalia, including a vacuum sealer machine, plastic bags, digital scales, a money counting machine, and more than $300,000 in cash.

On May 6, 2021, law enforcement searched the defendant’s residence in Elko, Minnesota. Law enforcement found almost 8,000 grams of methamphetamine in the residence. Law enforcement also found drug trafficking tools, including a digital scale, a money counter machine, almost $18,000 in cash, and a firearm. 

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Bloomington Police Department, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Edina Police Department, Richfield Police Department, Southwest Hennepin Drug Task Force, and the Springerville Police Department in Arizona. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan H. Nelson and Chelsea A. Walcker prosecuted the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Two Nigerian nationals have been sentenced to prison, probation, and and ordered to pay $356,671 in restitution for their involvement in the theft of thousands of dollars from victims in romance fraud schemes, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, beginning in 2016 through 2019, Charles Emeka Obije, 40, served as a “money mule” for a group of individuals who used fictitious identities to contact victims throughout the United States via email, social media, and online dating applications. The group pursued these romantic relationships online with the intent of using the relationships to defraud his victims.

Obije’s sister-in-law and co-conspirator, Ijeoma Miriam Chanthavong, 36, helped launder the financial proceeds of these schemes. Together, they conspired to transfer the proceeds of the online romance fraud scams to bank accounts under the group's control in Nigeria. In total, Obije and Chanthavong pleaded guilty to defrauding victims out of $356,671.

Obije, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit international money laundering, was sentenced on September 13, 2023, by Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank to 14 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $356,671.00 in restitution. Chanthavong also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit international money laundering and was sentenced on April 19, 2023, to three years of probation and ordered to pay $148,500.00 in restitution. 

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by IRS Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case.

ST PAUL, Minn. – Two Minneapolis men have been sentenced for carjacking, kidnapping, and holding a victim at gunpoint for several hours, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on the evening of February 14, 2023, T’Shawn Teon Palton, then 20, Jamal Timothy Funchess, 18, and a then-juvenile at the time of the offence posted an advertisement on Facebook Marketplace to purportedly sell an iPhone. The victim responded and made arrangements to buy the phone. The victim and the purported seller agreed to meet at a location in Columbia Heights. When the victim arrived at the location and was still in the car, Palton and the juvenile approached. The juvenile had a gun and hit the victim in the face with the firearm. The men ordered the victim to the backseat of the car. The men then got into the victim’s car, drove a short distance, and picked up Funchess.

For several hours, the three men drove the victim’s car around the Twin Cities, holding the victim at gunpoint in the backseat. Each of the three men at some point held the firearm and pointed it at the victim. During this time, they demanded that the victim surrender his cell phone, wallet, credit cards, and banking information. They drove to several gas stations around the Twin Cities in an attempt to use the victim’s cards to withdraw money. Toward the end of the ordeal, the three men discussed what to do with the victim and openly talked about murdering him. Eventually, they dropped the victim on a road in St. Paul and drove away in the victim’s car. The victim ran to a nearby gas station and borrowed an employee’s cell phone to call 911. Officers were able to use the location of the victim’s stolen cell phone to find Palton, Funchess, and the juvenile, along with the victim’s stolen car and possessions.

Palton and Funchess pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on May 22, 2023, to one count each of carjacking.

On September 15, 2023, Palton and Funchess were sentenced by Senior Judge Susan Richard Nelson. Palton received 108 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Funchess received 100 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bloomington Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Forbes prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Bloomington fugitive has been arrested and extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on child pornography, child enticement, and identity theft charges, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, between October 2020 through September 2022, Ibrahim Ghassan Sleyman, 30, used Snapchat and other messaging apps to solicit sexually explicit material and sex acts from minors, 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 ongoing investigation, he fled to Abu Dhabi, UAE, on September 6, 2022.

On September 15, 2023, upon his return to the United States, Sleyman was taken into federal custody by the FBI. The indictment charges Sleyman with production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, enticement of a minor, transfer of obscene material to a minor, and identity theft. He made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Jon Huseby and was ordered to remain in custody pending trial.

To date, law enforcement has identified several minor victims, and is actively attempting to confirm the identity of many others. If you believe you or your minor dependent(s) have been victimized by Ibrahim Sleyman, please contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.

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 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.

A White Earth man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, in June 2022, the White Earth Police Department received information that Redfeather Sturdevant, 44, was selling drugs from his house. On June 23, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant of the defendant’s residence. At his residence, law enforcement seized approximately 167 grams of methamphetamine, 210 fentanyl pills, and a loaded handgun. Law enforcement also found approximately $1,268 in cash drug proceeds at the defendant’s residence.

On April 13, 2023, Sturdevant pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced today by Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force and the White Earth Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M Endicott prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – Three Twin Cities men have been arrested and charged after law enforcement disrupted a social media-based machinegun distribution ring, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

Rafael Carter Wesley, 19, Kyrees Darious Johnson, 22, and Avont Akira Drayton, 21, have been charged in three separate criminal complaints with one count each of unlawful possession of machineguns.

According to court documents, in March 2023, law enforcement became aware of a Snapchat group called “BLICCS&STICCS3.” Law enforcement suspected the group was used to facilitate the trafficking of machineguns, firearms, and controlled substances in the Twin Cities and outlying areas. Law enforcement obtained screenshots and videos of several individuals in the group selling, promoting, and operating machinegun conversion devices (MCD) that convert a semi-automatic firearm—either a pistol or a rifle—into a fully automatic machinegun. These devices are classified as machineguns and are regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA).

According to court documents, on March 20, 2023, an undercover law enforcement officer began monitoring the group. The undercover officer posted a picture of prop firearm to the BLICCS&STICCS3 group. Shortly thereafter, a user of the group, later identified as Wesley, reached out to the undercover officer and asked if he wanted to trade the firearm for what is commonly referred to as a Glock “switch” or a “button.” On or about March 26, 2023, the undercover officer continued conversations with Wesley on Snapchat about potentially purchasing Glock “switches.” Wesley indicated “switches” would cost $700 for two or $900 for three. The undercover officer agreed to purchase three switches for $900 and indicated he would pay an extra $100 if Wesley drove up to St. Cloud to deliver the switches. On March 27, 2023, Wesley met the undercover officer in St. Cloud and sold him three switches for $1,000.

On April 4, 2023, a second transaction was arranged through Wesley with a St. Paul meeting location. Wesley and another member of the BLICCS&STICCS3 Snapchat group—later confirmed to be Johnson—sold an additional three switches to the undercover officer for $900.

On April 13, 2023, undercover officers met with Wesley in Minneapolis to purchase an unserialized Glock 17 for $700. Following the transaction, the undercover officers asked Wesley to install the switch previously purchased from Wesley onto the Glock 17. Wesley agreed and installed the switch.

That same day, Wesley separately coordinated a meeting during which undercover officers met with Drayton, another member of the BLICCS&STICCS3 Snapchat group, to purchase a 3D-printed drop-in MCD for an AR-style rifle for $550. During the transaction, Drayton showed the undercover officers a video on his phone of Drayton shooting a firearm with a drop-in MCD inserted. Drayton commented to the undercover officers that the drop-in made the firearm shoot “way too [expletive] fast.” On May 11, 2023, an undercover officer directly arranged to meet with Drayton at a location in Eagan to purchase two drop-in MCDs for $800. However, when Drayton arrived at the meeting location, he stated that he had only had one MCD and sold it to the undercover officer for $400. On June 9, 2023, undercover officers again met with Drayton and purchased a Glock pistol and a “switch” for $1,300.

According to court documents, between March and June 2023, undercover law enforcement officers conducted approximately six controlled buys with multiple members of the BLICCS&STICCS3 group.

According to court documents, Johnson is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time because he has prior felony convictions and both Wesley and Drayton are subject to court-imposed restrictions that prohibit them from possessing firearms.

Johnson and Drayton made their initial appearances in today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty. Wesley made his initial appearance on September 14, 2023.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force, the St. Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Dakota County Drug Task Force.

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

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

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Bayport man has been sentenced to 68 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting a mail carrier, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on October 26, 2018, a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier was delivering mail in St. Paul. As the mail carrier was crossing the street, Kevin Demetri Blocker, 27, driving a Nissan Altima, approached the intersection at speed and had to brake quickly to allow the mail carrier to continue crossing the street. The mail carrier shouted to Blocker that he was required to yield. Blocker parked his vehicle and confronted the mail carrier. Blocker forcibly assaulted the mail carrier by striking him in the face. The mail carrier fell to the ground and hit his head on the concrete. The mail carrier was taken to the hospital and required 12 stitches to close a wound on the back of his head. Blocker attempted to hide his involvement in the offense by reporting the Nissan Altima stolen and selling it to another individual.

On May 15, 2023, Blocker pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a federal employee. He was sentenced on September 11, 2023, by Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank.

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

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

MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul woman has been sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release and restitution to the victims for her role in a sex trafficking conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, from May 2020 through December 2020, Gisela Castro Medina, 21, conspired with co-defendant Anton Joseph Lazzaro, 32, to recruit and solicit six minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts.

The prosecution team, led by Assistant United States Attorneys Melinda Williams, Laura Provinzino and Emily Polachek, said, “Anton Lazzaro and Gisela Castro Medina have been held accountable for their crimes. This case has shown the reality of modern-day sex trafficking: wealth, privilege, and social media used as weapons to target and manipulate vulnerable youth. It’s been a long road and we are grateful to the victims for their strength and resilience throughout.”

According to court documents, in May 2020, Castro Medina met Lazzaro through the Seeking Arrangement website, which is known as a “sugar daddy” website. Lazzaro began communicating with Castro Medina and a minor victim and invited them to his condo at the Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis. Before arriving at the Hotel Ivy, Castro Medina told Lazzaro that the minor victim was only 16 years old. Lazzaro provided Castro Medina and the minor victim with alcohol and paid them $600 for commercial sex acts with him. Lazzaro continued to engage in commercial sexual acts with the minor victim and, on each occasion, Lazzaro paid her in the form of an envelope of cash. Half of each cash payment was for Castro Medina.

According to court documents, Castro Medina and Lazzaro continued to communicate via Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Signal. Lazzaro directed Castro Medina to use WhatsApp and eventually Signal because of the applications’ encryption and deletion features. Castro Medina used social media and her school, friend, and community networks to identify other minor girls for Lazzaro. Castro Medina would show Lazzaro photographs of minor girls and if Lazzaro “approved” Castro Medina would reach out to the minor and provide the minor’s contact information to Lazzaro. Castro Medina told the minors that Lazzaro was an older guy with a lot of money, and that he wanted to be a sugar daddy to younger girls.

Castro Medina admitted that, at the time of recruitment, she knew that the victims were minors and that Lazzaro paid the minor victims money in exchange for sex acts. Castro Medina also admitted that Lazzaro provided the minor victims with alcohol, vapes, food, smartphones, high-end purses, rooms in the Hotel Ivy, and transportation. For her role of identifying, recruiting, and introducing minors, Lazzaro compensated Castro Medina with cash and Venmo payments, as well as rent and utility payments for her apartment, tuition payments to the University of St. Thomas, car payments, travel expenses, and other items.

According to court documents, Castro Medina and Lazzaro discussed which of the minor victims spoke to law enforcement following the execution of federal search warrants in December 2020. Castro Medina admitted that in March 2021, she and Lazzaro aided and abetted one another to obstruct law enforcement by agreeing to pay off a 15-year-old victim to prevent her from talking to law enforcement about engaging in commercial sex with Lazzaro. Castro Medina picked up the minor victim at her place of employment, drove the minor victim around in her Mini Cooper, and provided her with hundreds of dollars in cash, gift cards, vapes, and alcohol from Lazzaro. Castro Medina also told the minor victim not to text Lazzaro anymore.

On December 19, 2022, Castro Medina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and one count of obstruction. She was sentenced today by Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz who stated that Castro Medina helped Lazzaro at “every step of the way.”

This case is the result of a joint investigation by the FBI and the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force – led by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Minneapolis Police Department, the West Hennepin Public Safety Department, and the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda A. Williams, Laura M. Provinzino, and Emily A. Polachek are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – A Marshall County man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, Keith Allen Barsness, 64, of Grygla, possessed multiple images and videos depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Acting on a tip, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Barsness’s residence and found the pornographic images of minors on cell phones, tablets, and computers. Barsness voluntarily admitted to investigators that he had been searching the internet for and viewing child pornography “for years.”

On January 5, 2023, Barness pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography and was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – A Maple Grove man has been sentenced to 121 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for an armed carjacking at a Blaine grocery store, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on September 24, 2022, Justin Michael Kittleson, 21, targeted two victims as they left the Cub Foods grocery store in Blaine and loaded groceries into their car. Kittleson approached one of the victims at the trunk of the car and pointed a gun at them. The second victim attempted to intervene, and a struggle ensued. The gun discharged, and the shot is believed to have grazed the second victim’s ear. Kittleson took control of the car and drove away. A 9MM shell casing was recovered at the scene by officers with the Blaine Police Department. After reviewing surveillance video footage and with the assistance from other members of the public, officers were able to identify and locate Kittleson. On September 29, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence associated with Kittleson and recovered two 9MM firearms (the same caliber as the casing found at the scene of the carjacking) and a hooded sweatshirt that matched the sweatshirt Kittleson was seen wearing in the surveillance footage.

On April 26, 2023, Kittleson pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was sentenced on August 30, 2023, by Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced that DOW CHEMICAL CO. has agreed to pay $456,665.42 for alleged violations by its former subsidiary, POLY CARB, INC., of the federal False Claims Act and the Minnesota False Claims Act, by falsifying testing results in connection with several road construction projects administered by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, many of which were federally funded.

According to the allegations, between 2012 and 2015, POLY CARB, INC. provided enamel paint products for several road construction projects, many of which were federally funded, throughout the State of Minnesota. All such projects are required, by law and contract, to be performed in accordance with detailed terms and specifications using only approved materials subject to a rigorous testing and certification process. The government contends POLY CARB, INC. failed to follow contract specifications and applicable rules by fabricating test results and forging signatures and documentation for its enamel products, thus making materially false claims and statements in connection with its purported testing. The proceeds of the settlement will be divided by the federal and state governments according to the original funding of the projects.

“Submitting forged and fabricated documents to the government is never acceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. “In coordination with our State partners, we will continue using the False Claims Act to address fraudulent conduct by government contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers.”

“Resolving this civil case advances our efforts to keep federally funded transportation projects free from fraud, waste, and abuse,” said Andrea M. Kropf, Special Agent-in-Charge, Midwestern Region, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. “When improper activities like this come to our attention we will work with our federal, state, and prosecutorial partners to investigate and hold those involved accountable.”

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

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

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a St. Cloud man guilty of illegally possessing multiple firearms as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

Following a six-day trial before Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright in U.S. District Court, Roberto Antwan Williams, 38, was found guilty of two counts of possession of firearms as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Williams attempted to rob a man at gunpoint outside an apartment in St. Cloud on July 31, 2020. Williams was apprehended by law enforcement in a vehicle that the victim identified. Law enforcement subsequently discovered a firearm in the glovebox with Williams’ DNA on it.

According to the evidence presented at trial, in a separate incident on November 13, 2020, law enforcement was notified that a five-year-old child had been shot in the head and declared dead at a St. Cloud hospital. Williams and his fiancé, the child’s mother, were at the hospital and stated they were shopping when they got a phone call that the child had been injured. Williams claimed that they immediately returned home and took the child to the hospital together. However, law enforcement obtained surveillance video from a neighboring residence that showed the fiancé taking the child to the hospital alone while Williams placed two backpacks in a garbage bin outside of the house.

According to the evidence presented at trial, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Williams’ residence and garbage bins. Inside the bins, they discovered the two backpacks which contained a Kel-Tec model Sub .40 caliber semiautomatic rifle and a purple Taurus model G2C 9mm semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine. The Taurus had the deceased child’s blood on it. Law enforcement also searched Williams’ cell phone and found a picture of the purple Taurus 9mm semiautomatic pistol with the text “my new toy.”

Because Williams has multiple prior felony convictions of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of weapon, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the St. Cloud Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Calhoun-Lopez and Mary S. Riverso tried the case.

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ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Rochester man has been sentenced to 216 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Muhammad Masood, 31, a licensed medical doctor in Pakistan, was formerly employed as a Research Coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, under an H-1B Visa. Between January 2020 and March 2020, Masood used an encrypted messaging application to facilitate his travel overseas to join a terrorist organization. Masood made multiple statements about his desire to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (“ISIS”), and he pledged his allegiance to the designated terrorist organization and its leader. Masood also expressed his desire to conduct “lone wolf” terrorist attacks in the United States. On Feb. 21, 2020, Masood purchased a plane ticket from Chicago, Illinois to Amman, Jordan, and from there planned to travel to Syria. On March 16, 2020, Masood’s travel plans changed because Jordan closed its borders to incoming travel due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Masood then agreed to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet up with an individual who he believed would assist him with travel via cargo ship to deliver him to ISIS territory.

On March 19, 2020, Masood traveled from Rochester to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California. Upon arrival at MSP, Masood checked in for his flight and was subsequently arrested by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Masood pleaded guilty on August 16, 2022, to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Masood was sentenced today before Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson.

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

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter, and Dmitriy Slavin and Stephanie Sweeten of the National Security Division.

A Rochester man was sentenced today to 216 months in prison, equivalent to 18 years, followed by five years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

According to court documents, Muhammad Masood, 31, a licensed medical doctor in Pakistan, was formerly employed as a research coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, under an H-1B visa. Between January 2020 and March 2020, Masood used an encrypted messaging application to facilitate his travel overseas to join a terrorist organization. Masood made multiple statements about his desire to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS), and he pledged his allegiance to the designated terrorist organization and its leader. Masood also expressed his desire to conduct “lone wolf” terrorist attacks in the United States. On Feb. 21, 2020, Masood purchased a plane ticket from Chicago, Illinois, to Amman, Jordan, and from there planned to travel to Syria. On March 16, 2020, Masood’s travel plans changed because Jordan closed its borders to incoming travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. Masood then agreed to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet up with an individual who he believed would assist him with travel via cargo ship to deliver him to ISIS territory.

On March 19, 2020, Masood traveled from Rochester to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California. Upon arrival at MSP, Masood checked in for his flight and was subsequently arrested by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Masood pleaded guilty on Aug. 16, 2022, to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Masood was sentenced today before Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case.

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

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Kandiyohi County man has pleaded guilty to producing sexually explicit images of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and court documents, in November 2022, Andrew John Groen, 35, contacted a minor victim using the messaging application TextMe. Groen, who knew the victim was a minor, identified himself in messages as a 19-year-old man named “Tyler.” On multiple occasions, Groen coerced the minor to send sexually explicit images. Groen also sent the minor victim obscene images and links to pornography, and encouraged the minor victim to have sex with an adult man identified in messages.

Groen pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell to one count of production and attempted production of child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – Two men have pleaded guilty to multiple carjacking and firearms violations, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on January 3, 2022, Jordan James Smith, 26, of Ramsey, approached an individual who was sitting in a parked vehicle. Smith opened the driver’s door of the victim’s Nissan Juke and pushed a gun into the victim’s torso. Smith then stated, “I’ve got a [expletive] gun,” and directed the victim to “give me everything you have and get out of the car.” Smith pulled the victim from the car, got into the driver’s seat, and drove off. The victim’s phone and wallet were still in the car as Smith fled. On January 10, 2022, Smith and an associate used the victim’s Nissan Juke as collateral to test drive a black Maserati. Smith and his associate abandoned the Nissan Juke and stole the black Maserati before being apprehended by law enforcement.

On February 3, 2022, Smith and his co-defendant Carson Thomas McCoy, 22, of Blaine, broke into a local car dealership. They stole several vehicles, including an unlicensed GMC Acadia. Later that morning, at 8:30 a.m., the Minneapolis Police Department responded to a hit-and-run accident. Smith was driving a blue Honda Accord while McCoy—who was driving the stolen GMA Acadia and following Smith’s blue Honda Accord—ran a stop sign and struck another vehicle. McCoy abandoned the GMC Acadia and got into the blue Honda Accord driven by Smith. However, before leaving the area, Smith approached the vehicle McCoy hit, pointed a gun at the driver, and said “give me your purse or I’ll [expletive] kill you.” Smith returned to the blue Honda Accord and fled the scene with the victim’s iPhone, housekeys, and a child’s backpack.

Shortly thereafter, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Smith and McCoy noticed the driver of a silver Honda Accord parked in a nearby residential area. Smith and McCoy exited the blue Honda Accord and approached the silver Honda Accord. Smith tapped on the driver’s side window with a black gun that had a red camouflage slide while McCoy used his hand to gesture that he also possessed a gun. The driver of the silver Honda Accord exited the vehicle and, as the driver attempted to retrieve his wallet, Smith threatened the driver with his gun. Smith and McCoy then drove off in the silver Honda Accord. Because Smith has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

According to court documents, on August 10, 2022, after stealing a black BMW sedan, McCoy broke into a residence in Ham Lake, Minnesota, stealing various items—including a firearm. Less than 30 minutes later, law enforcement responded to a road-rage incident involving a black BMW sedan. A group of motorcyclists reported nearly colliding with a black BMW sedan after which the driver—later identified as McCoy—fired a handgun into the air from the sunroof of the black BMW. Shortly thereafter, law enforcement officers located the black BMW sedan and attempted a traffic stop. McCoy fled, collided with a marked patrol car, and ultimately crashed into a tree. A search of the black BMW sedan revealed, among other things, the Springfield Armory semi-automatic pistol the defendant had stolen from the Ham Lake residence, another handgun, baggies of controlled substances, and the false identification card the defendant used to test drive the black BMW sedan before he stole it.

Smith pleaded guilty yesterday before Judge John R. Tunheim to two counts of carjacking. McCoy pleaded guilty on April 11, 2023, before Judge John R. Tunheim to one count of aiding and abetting carjacking and one count of possessing a firearm as a felon.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Blaine Police Department, the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force (VOTF), and the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office.

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

MINNEAPOLIS– A Red Lake woman has been sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for her role in an arson conspiracy on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, Dalene Roberta Fajardo, 35, Corey Leigh Stately, 40, and Lori Anna Sayers, 33, conspired and knowingly agreed to commit arson to maliciously damage and destroy personal and real property by means of fire or explosive materials. On April 30, 2021, Fajardo and her co-defendants made Molotov cocktail devices, traveled to a location on the Red Lake Reservation, and threw the Molotov cocktails at a 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe. As a result, the vehicle was destroyed and a nearby residence partially burned. The residence’s occupants, including children, were all forced to evacuate.

Fajardo pleaded guilty on March 7, 2023, to one count of aiding and abetting arson. She was sentenced on August 14, 2023, in U.S. District Court before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schlitz. Stately and Sayers were previously sentenced to five and three months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the arson.

This case is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Red Lake Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Gilead and Laura M. Provinzino.

MINNEAPOLIS – A member of the Highs gang has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with armed carjacking and illegal possession of a firearm after livestreaming the incident on social media, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on August 15, 2023, at approximately 10:30 a.m., the Minneapolis Police Department received a message from an unidentified individual who stated that a video had been posted to Facebook that showed a man, later identified as Leneal Frazier, Jr., 22, holding a gun to the driver of a vehicle as the driver bled from his head. The video showed the victim in the driver’s seat of the vehicle with a wound on his head and blood dripping down his forehead and the right side of his face. Frazier, a known member of the Minneapolis-based Highs gang, was behind the victim in the backseat of the vehicle and was wearing a sweatshirt and a scarf that covered most of his face except his forehead and eyes.

According to court documents, during the six-minute video, Frazier ordered the victim to call out certain known gang members in an insulting manner. While pointing the gun at the victim’s head, Frazier ordered the victim to say, “[expletive] all my dead homies.” Officers were able to identify the victim as an associate of the Lows gang. Frazier slapped the victim, mocked, and berated him, and stated, “You a Clown... you ain't even worth killin.” Frazier questioned the victim about how much money he had and told the victim he would use the victim’s money to buy the victim a gun in a mocking manner.

According to court documents, law enforcement later obtained a search warrant for Frazier’s residence. Inside the apartment, officers recovered a loaded Glock 19 pistol with an obliterated serial number and an extended magazine. Officers also recovered the scarf Frazier was wearing in the video as well as the victim’s identification and car keys. Frazier was inside the apartment and was placed under arrest.

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

The complaint charges Frazier with one count of carjacking, one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. Frazier will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IRS Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Minnesota Department of Corrections, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha H. Bates and Justin A. Wesley for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Brian W. Lynch of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section are prosecuting the case.

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

frazier_complaint_affidavit.pdf

MINNEAPOLIS – Fourteen members of Minneapolis-based street gangs have been charged in federal court for various crimes including illegal possession of firearms, possession of machine guns, and fentanyl trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

“These charges present a chilling picture of the violence inflicted by the Highs, the Lows, the Bloods and other gangs on our city’s streets,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “Violent crime levels in Minneapolis have begun to come down and I believe our strategy is playing a role in the reduction, but we still have more work to do, and we will continue to charge violent offenders.”

Fourteen members of the Minneapolis-based street gangs are charged in federal criminal complaints with firearms violations, possession of machine guns, and fentanyl trafficking.

The following defendants are alleged members of the Lows gang:

• Michael Marshawn Dalton, 29, is charged with possessing a firearm as a felon.
• Marquez Demar Hill-Turnipseed, 21, is charged with possession a firearm as a felon and possession of a machine gun.
• Shannon Aaron Kapriece Jackson, 31, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Cartrell Ismail Smith, 27, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Kaprice Richards, 22, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
• Ohagi Charles Walker, 27, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
• Clenest Demon Wells, Jr., 26, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.

The following defendants are alleged members of the Highs gang:

• Jermaine William Jackson, Jr., 26, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Adrion Kelley, 19, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
• Joe Lee Rudolph-Meeks, 28, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
• James Edward Hollman, Jr., 32, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.

The following defendants are alleged members of the 10z/20z gang:

• Devon Lamont Holt, 33, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.
• Marvin Miller, Jr., 35, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon and possession of a machine gun.

The following defendant is an alleged member of the Bloods gang:

• Dante Joseph Tyus, 29, is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.

These cases are the result of investigations conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigations, Minnesota Department of Corrections, and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Bejar, Tom Calhoun-Lopez, David Green, Harry Jacobs, Rachel Kraker, Will Mattessich, Esther Mignanelli, Mary Riverso, Jordan Sing, Ruth Shnider, Joseph Teirab, and Melinda Williams.

These charges are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ST. PAUL, Minn. –  A Bloomington woman was sentenced to 90 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4.7 million in restitution for defrauding federal pandemic programs, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, from June 2020 through January 2022, Tequisha Solomon, 40, executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic assistance money from various states, including Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and California’s Employment Development Department (EDD).

As part of the fraud scheme, Solomon sought Unemployment benefits (UI) from states where she had no lawful basis to receive them.  For example, while Solomon resided in Minnesota and Nevada, she falsely claimed to California’s EDD that she worked and resided in Los Angeles, California.  As a result, California’s EDD paid Solomon at least $37,000 in periodic UI payments between approximately in 2020 and 2021, during which time she actually resided in Minnesota or Nevada.

Solomon also unlawfully sought to obtain UI benefits from multiple states simultaneously. For instance, in October 2020, Solomon fraudulently claimed UI benefits from the Illinois Department of Employment Security when she was actually residing in Minnesota and was already fraudulently receiving UI benefits from California’s EDD.  In March 2021, Solomon fraudulently applied for UI from Minnesota’s DEED, and concealed her fraudulent receipt of UI benefits from California and Illinois. 

In addition to fraudulently obtaining pandemic-related benefits for herself, Solomon also assisted others to obtain pandemic-related funds in exchange for a fee, often as much as $2,000. Solomon submitted over 200 false and fraudulent applications for UI benefits on behalf of others.    

In total, Solomon fraudulently applied for $7,149,032 in pandemic-related funds and caused the United States and multiple state agencies to pay out at least $4,708,191 in the form of fraudulent UI benefits and small business loan proceeds.

On December 13, 2022, Solomon pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. She was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the St. Paul Police Department and the California Employment Development Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert prosecuted the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Prior Lake man guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm as a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

Following a three-day trial before Senior Judge Susan Richard Nelson, Nathan John Walz, 35, a member of the Minneapolis Bloods street gang, was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm as a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

According to evidence presented at trial, on November 1, 2022, at approximately 7:50 a.m., officers with the Minneapolis Police Department were dispatched to the Lowry Hill neighborhood after receiving a report of a “slumper” in a car. Officers approached the car and identified the individual slumped over in the driver’s seat as Walz. Officers observed a handgun in plain view on the center console of the car and took Walz into custody. The handgun was a stolen Kimber, model Super Custom Carry, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. Officers also recovered from the vehicle 28 grams of methamphetamine and a variety of other drugs, as well as a digital scale and plastic baggies.

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

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Minnesota Department of Corrections, and the Minneapolis Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Esther S. Mignanelli and Joseph S. Teirab tried the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – An Albert Lea woman has been sentenced to a year and one day in prison, three years of supervised release, and is required to pay $213,217 in restitution for stealing public housing rent payments, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, between January 2010 and July 18, 2018, Marcie Marie Thumann, 45, worked as a bookkeeper for the Albert Lea Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA), a government program that received both federal and state funding to remedy the shortage of available low-incoming housing units. Thumann, who was responsible for recording and reconciling payments to the HRA, received tenants’ rent payments via cash, check, or money order. During her tenure as the HRA’s bookkeeper, Thumann routinely embezzled HRA rent payments for her own personal use and benefit. She did so by pocketing cash payments and altering the payee information on payments made by check and money order. Thumann then manipulated the HRA’s computer system to conceal the money she stole, avoid detection, and prolong her fraud scheme. In total, Thumann stole at least $213,217 from the Albert Lea HRA.

Thumann pleaded guilty on October 12, 2022, to one count of theft from a program receiving federal funds. She was sentenced on August 9, 2023, before Senior Judge David S. Doty in U.S. District Court.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of the Inspector General and the Albert Lea 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 seizure and forfeiture of assets.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 186 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm after engaging in a shootout in north Minneapolis, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, on December 20, 2021, Dominique Marquise McCaskel, 26, was in possession of a loaded Sig Sauer, model P365, 9mm semiautomatic pistol. According to the defendant’s plea agreement and other court documents, surveillance footage from a nearby business showed a vehicle drive slowly past McCaskel, stopping momentarily in an alleyway several feet ahead of McCaskel. Upon seeing the vehicle, McCaskel pulled his Sig Sauer firearm from his pocket, ran towards the vehicle as it was pulling away, and exchanged gunfire with individuals in the vehicle. McCaskel was shot, suffering two non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, and fell to the sidewalk, while the vehicle fled the area. Officers with the Minneapolis Police Department responded to the scene and recovered two 9mm discharged cartridge casings near McCaskel on the ground, and later recovered McCaskel’s firearm. Police also found that McCaskel had several suspected fentanyl pills and cash on his person. The Minneapolis Police Forensics Division determined that the two recovered discharged cartridge casings were shot from McCaskel’s Sig Sauer firearm. The Forensics Division also found McCaskel’s thumbprint on the loaded magazine that was inserted into the firearm.

Because McCaskel has several prior felony convictions, including crimes of violence, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing any firearms or ammunition.

McCaskel pleaded guilty on March 14, 2023, to one count of possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal felon. McCaskel was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Bejar and Hillary A. Taylor prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 252 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for orchestrating a sex trafficking conspiracy in which he trafficked multiple minor girls, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

The prosecution team, led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda Williams, Laura Provinzino and Emily Polachek, stated, “Anton Lazzaro was a predator who hid in plain sight. He was a sex trafficker who camouflaged his true nature with his wealth and privilege. Today, his crimes were laid bare, and justice was served.”

“Mr. Lazzaro targeted, manipulated, and sexually exploited young and vulnerable girls for his own gain without regard for their age or safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. “Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that those who commit such heinous crimes will be held accountable. The FBI prioritizes crimes of victimization and will leave no stone unturned to protect the vulnerable and bring every perpetrator to justice.”

“While it cannot erase the harm Mr. Lazzaro has done, today’s sentence holds him accountable and sends a clear message that we do not tolerate this type of criminal behavior from anyone, regardless of their wealth or privilege,” said Superintendent Drew Evans of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

As proven at trial, Anton Joseph Lazzaro, a/k/a “Tony” Lazzaro, 32, conspired with Gisela Castro Medina, 21, to recruit young girls – 15-year-olds and 16-year-olds – to have sex with him in exchange for cash and other items of value. Lazzaro met Castro Medina in May of 2020 through the Seeking Arrangements website, which is known as a “sugar daddy” website. Lazzaro directed Castro Medina to identify girls she knew and others on social media who would have sex with him for money. Lazzaro specified that he was looking for young girls of a certain skin color, petite body type, and those who were considered vulnerable, referring to them as “broken girls.” Castro Medina would show Lazzaro photographs of minor girls and if Lazzaro “approved” Castro Medina would provide the minor’s contact information to Lazzaro. Castro Medina told the minors that Lazzaro was an older guy with a lot of money, and that he wanted to be a sugar daddy to younger girls. For her role in recruiting multiple minor girls, Lazzaro paid Castro Medina more than $50,000.

As proven at trial, Lazzaro often sent cars, typically Ubers, to transport the minor girls to his luxury condo in the Hotel Ivy in downtown Minneapolis. At one point, Lazzaro sent a driver to pick up a group of 14-and 15-year-old girls from a slumber party in St. Michael, Minnesota. When minor girls came to his condo, Lazzaro would give them alcohol, flash stacks of cash, and offer the girls precise sums of money to perform various sex acts. Lazzaro would send the minor girls home with cash, vapes, alcohol, Plan B, cell phones, and other items of value. Lazzaro carried out this trafficking scheme from May 2020 through December 2020.

Following the execution of federal search warrants at Lazzaro’s condo on December 15, 2020, Lazzaro and Castro Medina discussed which of the minor victims spoke to law enforcement. As part of her guilty plea, Castro Medina admitted that in March 2021, she and Lazzaro agreed to pay off a 15-year-old victim to prevent her from talking to law enforcement about engaging in commercial sex with Lazzaro.

On March 31, 2023, following a 10-day trial before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, Lazzaro was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and five counts of sex trafficking of minors. Castro Medina pleaded guilty on December 19, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and one count of obstruction. She is scheduled to be sentenced on September 5, 2023.

In handing down the sentence, Chief Judge Schiltz commented on the “soulless, mechanical nature of Mr. Lazzaro’s crimes, like a sex trafficking assembly line,” adding that the only two people Mr. Lazzaro showed any remorse for were “himself and Jeffrey Epstein, who Mr. Lazzaro called ‘his brother.’”

This case is the result of a joint investigation by the FBI and the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force – led by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Minneapolis Police Department, the West Hennepin Public Safety Department, and the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda A. Williams, Laura M. Provinzino, and Emily A. Polachek are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Saint Paul man has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for his role in a string of violent armed carjackings and various firearms violations, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

“Mr. Ballard and his five co-conspirators took part in a widespread and violent crime spree, including carjackings, shootings, and robberies, while touting their criminal activity on social media. With this sentence, all six men are now serving significant federal prison sentences,” said United States Attorney Andrew Luger.

Saint Paul Police Chief Axel Henry added the following: “We will not tolerate violence in our city and will leverage our partnerships with the ATF and U.S. Attorney’s Office, when possible, to hold violent offenders accountable when they prey on our community. This case is a good example of how these partnerships worked to make our city safer.”

According to court documents, between May and December 2020, Eric Troy Ballard, Jr., 21, along with co-conspirators Isaiah Stacy Alstad, 24, James Brock Williams, Jr., 22, Clifton Germaine Walker, Jr., 25, Jordan Sydney Shamah Rhodes, 24, and Joshoamei Deangelo Richardson, 22, maintained active membership in the street gang known as the “Top 5.” The purpose of the gang was to make money for its members through criminal acts, including thefts, robberies, and distribution and sale of controlled substances. Proceeds of the money obtained through the commission of criminal acts were distributed among the Top 5 members. Top 5 members would use, carry, and possess firearms to commit these criminal acts as well as carry out acts of violence against others, including shootings and assaults. Top 5 members used social media to discuss criminal activity, recruit new members, and display cash, firearms, controlled substances, and some carjacked vehicles. As part of the investigation, police seized ten firearms from the group, various narcotics, and cash.

According to court documents, on August 25, 2020, at approximately 2:30 a.m., a victim was carjacked by members of the group at gunpoint and pistol-whipped near the 1200 block of Jackson Street, in St. Paul. That same morning, at approximately 6:50 a.m., Top 5 members, including Ballard, carjacked a second victim at gunpoint in the parking lot of a restaurant near White Bear Avenue in St. Paul. At approximately 9:00 a.m. that same day, a third victim was carjacked by the group at gunpoint on Maria Avenue near Metropolitan State University in St. Paul. All six defendants were charged for their roles in these carjackings and related illegal possession and use of firearms during these violent crimes.

Ballard pleaded guilty on April 7, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to use, carry, and brandish firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely aiding and abetting carjacking. Ballard was sentenced yesterday, August 7,2023, before Judge John R. Tunheim.

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

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Bejar and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 129 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, in August 2021, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department received information that Deandre Lashawn Robinson, 31, was dealing narcotics and was in possession of a firearm. Officers conducted surveillance and saw Robinson engage in numerous hand-to-hand transactions from his vehicle. On August 11, 2021, officers arrested Robinson on an outstanding warrant. Inside Robinson’s vehicle, officers found a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, cocaine, and MDMA pills. During the incident, Robinson was able to conceal a handful of M30 fentanyl pills. While in the backseat of the squad vehicle, Robinson swallowed the pills. Officers administered Narcan and brought him to the hospital. Robinson was treated and ultimately released.

According to court documents, officers later located Robinson as well as a vehicle he had rented. Officer obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and found plastic baggies containing powder cocaine and approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills. Officers also found a privately made firearm, or “ghost gun,” between the passenger seat cushion and the seat cover.

On April 19, 2023, Robinson pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Robinson was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys David P. Steinkamp and Justin A. Wesley prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on November 28, 2022, Minneapolis Police officers responded to a call that a person at 19 Bar, located near downtown Minneapolis, had pulled out a gun after being asked to leave. When officers arrived, several people pointed at a man, who was later identified as Conell Walter Harris, 29. Harris resisted arrest and tried to reach into the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt. Officers recovered a stolen .45 caliber Glock model 30 pistol from Harris’ pocket. Officers spoke to bar employees and customers and learned that Harris had become upset after an employee asked to see his identification, which Harris refused to show. The employee then asked Harris to leave the bar. Harris became combative and pulled out a pistol. An employee attempted to deescalate the situation but Harris became more aggressive and made multiple threatening statements. Harris then left for a short time but returned to the bar before law enforcement arrived.

On April 26, 2023, Harris pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced earlier today by Senior Judge David S. Doty.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha H. Bates prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – Two St. Paul men have pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal law enforcement officer, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on March 30, 2023, law enforcement arranged to conduct a controlled narcotics purchase using an undercover officer (UC), a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force Officer. The UC planned to purchase approximately 1,600 M30 fentanyl pills from Dion Darnell Miller, 27, and Aaron Maurice Admir Harris, 29. Instead, Miller and Harris planned to rob the UC. Later that day, Miller and Harris met the UC at a pre-determined location in St. Paul in a silver Volkswagen. They invited the UC to their vehicle. During the transaction, Miller drew a semi‐automatic handgun with an extended magazine and a laser and pointed it at the UC’s face and torso. Miller and Harris repeatedly told the UC to give up the money. The UC threw cash down inside the silver Volkswagen and got out of the vehicle. Miller and Harris fled the scene in the silver Volkswagen.

Other law enforcement officers followed Miller and Harris to a St. Paul residence where they both ultimately surrendered. Inside the residence, law enforcement recovered the loaded semi-automatic handgun as well as the $2,400 in cash taken from the UC during the robbery.

On August 1, 2023, Miller pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to assault a federal law enforcement officer. On August 2, 2023, Harris pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting assault upon a federal law enforcement officer. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ramsey County Violent Crimes Enforcement Team, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the St. Paul Police Department.

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

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to committing three violent carjackings, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, in Minneapolis on March 16, 2023, at approximately 8:00 p.m., Javon Thomas Wilson-Branch, 19, along with another individual approached two people who had just parked and exited a black Mercedes Benz SUV. Wilson-Branch pointed a Springfield Armory rifle at the victims and demanded they hand over everything they had. At gunpoint, the victims provided Wilson-Branch with the keys to the vehicle. Wilson-Branch got into the carjacked SUV and drove away.

The next day, at approximately 4:00 a.m., Wilson-Branch and another individual carjacked a blue Toyota Highlander at gunpoint in Minneapolis. Wilson-Branch and others pulled the carjacked SUV up next to the Highlander, and demanded the victim’s car keys at gunpoint. An AirTag inside the carjacked vehicle tracked the vehicle to Saint Paul, where it was left and abandoned at approximately 4:30 a.m., and Saint Paul police later recovered the carjacked vehicle.

About thirty-minutes later, at approximately 5:00 a.m., Wilson-Branch and another individual drove the carjacked SUV to Saint Paul and parked behind a black Audi A6. Shortly thereafter, when the owner approached the Audi A6, Wilson-Branch and the other individual exited the carjacked SUV armed with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Springfield Armory rifle. Both men pointed the firearms at the victim and forced him to give up his keys, wallet, and phone. The victim was also forced to unlock his cell phone, which was later used to make unauthorized money transfers from the victim’s bank account to Wilson-Branch and others. Wilson-Branch drove away in the carjacked Audi and the other individual drove away in the carjacked Mercedes Benz SUV. About 30 minutes later, officers with the St. Paul Police Department spotted the two carjacked vehicles in the area of Maryland Avenue and Western Avenue. Officers attempted a traffic stop but both vehicles fled police at a high rate of speed. Officers with the Woodbury Police Department later located the Audi A6 in a mall parking lot and apprehended Wilson-Branch in another building after a short chase. Two of the firearms used in the carjackings were located inside the Audi A6 along with the keys to the Toyota Highlander.

Wilson-Branch pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge David S. Doty to two counts of aiding and abetting carjacking, and admitted to aiding and abetting a third carjacking. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Saint Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Woodbury Police Department.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – An Olmsted County man was sentenced to 220 months in prison followed by eight years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute controlled substances and for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, in early 2021, law enforcement received information that Christopher Allen Edwards, 41, was dealing drugs in the Rochester area. Law enforcement determined that Edwards and his co-conspirator, Chloe Michelle Johnson, 25, were dealing a variety of drugs throughout Rochester and Southeastern Minnesota, from May 2021 through October 16, 2021, the date of their arrest.

According to court documents, in October 2021, law enforcement tracked Edwards’ rental vehicle as he traveled to Austin, Texas, and back to Minnesota in a quick turnaround road trip. On October 16, 2021, law enforcement stopped Edwards and Johnson in Edwards’ rental car once they drove back into Olmsted County. Edwards was caught with four kilograms of cocaine in his backpack in his rental car. That same day, law enforcement executed search warrants on Edwards’ and Johnson’s residences and found various amounts of cocaine packaged for distribution, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

Edwards was found guilty at trial on November 17, 2022, of one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Edwards was sentenced yesterday before Judge Nancy E. Brasel.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Rochester Police Department, the Lake City Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan H. Nelson and Hillary A. Taylor.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Duluth man was sentenced to 170 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, Evan Andrew Lautigar, 33, and his co-conspirators Matthew James Cuypers, 41, John Arvid Sundquist, 34, and Jacob Lee Kivela-Sandnas, 34, arranged to drive to California to buy methamphetamine from a supplier and transport it back to Minnesota for distribution in and around the Duluth area.

According to court documents, in early 2022, the DEA began investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in the Duluth area. The investigation revealed that in February 2022, Cuypers was en route from California to Minnesota after picking up a load of methamphetamine. A South Dakota Highway Patrol officer conducted a traffic stop of a 2011 Kia Sorrento for a speeding violation. Cuypers was the driver and Sundquist was the passenger. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 27 pounds of methamphetamine.

On April 7, 2022, deputies with the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of a 2009 Mercedes Benz driven by Lautigar. Officers executed a previously obtained search warrant on the vehicle and recovered approximately 15 pounds of methamphetamine.

All four defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and were sentenced by Judge Joan N. Ericksen. Lautigar was sentenced on July 25, 2023, to 170 months in prison; Cuypers was sentenced on June 13, 2023, to 150 months in prison; Sundquist was sentenced on January 11, 2023, to 60 months in prison; and Kivela-Sandnas was sentenced on May 11, 2023, to 155 months in prison.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Duluth Police Department, and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew S. Dunne and David P. Steinkamp.

MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has been sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for fentanyl trafficking and illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, in 2021 and 2022, Keonee Nasier Shaffer-Frazier, 23, and his co-conspirators were part of a drug trafficking ring that obtained “M30” or “MBox” fentanyl pills from a source of supply outside of Minnesota and transported and distributed the pills across the Twin Cities region. Shaffer-Frazier regularly distributed the fentanyl pills in quantities ranging from 100 to 1,000 or more at a time.

According to court documents, during the course of the investigation, law enforcement conducted seizure operations in March 2022 and obtained approximately 57,000 M30 fentanyl pills, more than $83,000 in U.S. currency, body armor, and firearms from Shaffer-Frazier and his conspirators. Law enforcement also recovered two loaded semi-automatic pistols from Shaffer-Frazier’s white Audi. He was arrested in March 2022, charged in Hennepin County, and obtained release on bail.

Afterward, in September 2022, law enforcement arrested Shaffer-Frazier after a short foot chase and recovered approximately $7,050 in U.S. currency from his person. Law enforcement searched Shaffer-Frazier’s new vehicle, a black Audi Q7, and recovered a Glock model 22 .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol from the driver’s side door pocket. The weapon was loaded with an extended magazine.

Because Shaffer-Frazier has a prior felony conviction, he was prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

On February 1, 2023, Shaffer-Frazier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and a separate count of possession of a firearm as a felon. He was sentenced yesterday before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Hennepin Drug Task Force, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Fridley Police Department, and the St. Paul Police Department.

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

ST. PAUL, Minn. – An Anoka man was sentenced to 77 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release for illegal possession of a machine gun and distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, in the spring of 2022, the FBI began investigating Darrian Mitchell Nguyen, 50, based on a tip from a Confidential Human Source (CHS) that Nguyen was in possession of explosive devices, firearms, and methamphetamine, and had expressed a desire to join the Three Percenter militia group, a loosely organized anti-government extremist movement. According to the CHS, Nguyen kept weapons, including rifles, shotguns, handguns, and pipe bombs, in “secret” rooms built within the walls of his residence. Nguyen was also manufacturing and trafficking methamphetamine from his residence. On August 23, 2022, during a meeting at the defendant’s residence, Nguyen sold the CHS 7.1 grams of methamphetamine for $300.

According to court documents, to correct a debt owed to the defendant, Nguyen asked the CHS to provide him with firearms, specifically a short-barreled rifle equipped with an auto sear. Through text messages, Nguyen arranged to meet with the CHS to receive four auto sears and a short-barreled rifle equipped with an auto sear. At the arranged meeting on October 4, 2022, after Nguyen took possession of the machine gun and the auto sears, law enforcement arrested Nguyen and executed a search warrant at his residence. Law enforcement recovered the auto sears and machine gun, as well as an additional 22 firearms from a hidden room inside the residence, including an unregistered short-barreled shotgun.

Nguyen pleaded guilty on March 20, 2023, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a machine gun. Nguyen was sentenced yesterday before Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank.

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

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Manda M. Sertich.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to the armed carjacking of a preacher who was handing out bottled water to the homeless, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on August 1, 2021, Dwight Keith Eaglehawk, 34, approached the victim in a parking lot near Lake Street in south Minneapolis. The victim, a preacher, was handing out water bottles to homeless individuals. Eaglehawk approached the victim and requested two bottles of water before brandishing a Marlin .22 rifle and demanding the victim’s Dodge Dart. After taking the keys from the victim, Eaglehawk fled in the Dodge Dart.

Eaglehawk pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery to one count of carjacking. 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 Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan B. Gilead and David P. Steinkamp are prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A California woman was sentenced to 66 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,791,334.81 in restitution for embezzling more than $1 million from her employer, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, Mai Houa Xiong, 47, of Fresno, California, was employed as a financial manager for a Minneapolis-based property management company that provided financial services to homeowners’ associations (HOAs) throughout the Twin Cities metro area. Xiong’s duties included bookkeeping, and as manager she had nearly unfettered access to the victim homeowner’s associations’ financials, bank accounts, vendor and contractor payments, and bookkeeping systems. Between February 2015 and February 2022, Xiong devised and executed a fraud scheme to embezzle funds directly from the accounts to which she had access. These funds were HOA fees collected from residents intended to pay for maintenance, construction, and other costs incurred by the victim associations.

As part of the scheme, Xiong repeatedly accessed the HOAs’ bank accounts and conducted electronic transfers of funds directly into her personal bank accounts. Xiong disguised these transfers by mis-labeling them to make it appear as if they were legitimate HOA expenses. Xiong also used her authority as a signatory to make cash withdrawals directly from the HOAs’ accounts, including making withdrawals after she was fired from her position in July 2021. After her termination, Xiong began collecting Unemployment Insurance (UI) funds. However, even after Xiong found new employment, she continued to wrongfully obtain public UI benefits.

Xiong pleaded guilty on March 9, 2023, to one count of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return. Xiong was sentenced today before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the IRS – Criminal Investigations, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minneapolis Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison K. Ethen.