District of Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that five defendants were collectively sentenced to over 500 months of imprisonment for their roles in a large-scale drug trafficking case out of Wadena County.

The following individuals were sentenced:

• Robert Joseph Anderson, 40, of Wadena, Minnesota, 132 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine
• Aaron Thomas Heifort, 30, of Clitherall, Minnesota, 122 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine
• Bill J. Rude, 63, of Wadena, Minnesota, 120 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine
• Carlos Deyvi Valdovinos‑Trejo, 39, 84 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine
• Jesus Alarcon Valdovinos, 44, 60 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine

On July 9, 2026, Aaron Heifort, the final of five these defendants, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim in Minneapolis.

According to court documents, beginning in or about December 2023, and continuing through in or about February 2024, Valdovinos‑Trejo, Valdovinos, Anderson, Heifort, and Rude knowingly and intentionally conspired with one another and others to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine in Minnesota. 

On November 10, 2023, law enforcement responded to a death at a residence in Wadena County, Minnesota that was caused by a methamphetamine and fentanyl overdose. Investigators identified Rude as one of the decedent’s methamphetamine suppliers. Through further investigation, law enforcement successfully uncovered the broader distribution network. Anderson, a prominent regional distributor in the Wadena area, procured bulk quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from Valdovinos-Trejo and Valdovinos, which he in turn sold to downstream distributors in Greater Minnesota, including Heifort and Rude.  

Between December 2023 and January 2024, law enforcement seized more than 2.6 kilograms of methamphetamine and 29 grams of cocaine from the Wadena-based members of the conspiracy, including Rude, Heifort, and Anderson. In January 2024, law enforcement conducted two separate controlled buys from Valdovinos-Trejo, resulting in the seizure of an additional 1.35 kilograms of methamphetamine. On February 6, 2024, law enforcement conducted a third controlled buy from both Mr. Valdovinos-Trejo and Carlos Valdovinos for 2.3 kilograms of methamphetamine. That same day, law enforcement searched two residences associated with the trafficking conspiracy and seized an additional 5.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1.1 kilograms of heroin, and 1.3 kilograms of cocaine. 

“Methamphetamine and fentanyl continue to destroy countless lives and communities throughout Greater Minnesota. The sentencing of these five individuals demonstrates the strong partnership across federal and local law enforcement to hold accountable those who distribute dangerous drugs into our communities,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“Aaron Heifort and his methamphetamine-trafficking conspirators face a combined 43 years in federal prison for the significant amount of poison they brought into and distributed around our Minnesota communities,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “As a result of their actions, an individual lost their life. It’s an unfortunate tragedy seen all too frequently across the state, region and country. Drug traffickers like Heifort line their pocket with proceeds turning a blind eye to the lives lost and families left behind.”

“This case reflects a strong partnership between the Wadena County Sheriff’s Office and our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and our shared commitment to holding drug traffickers accountable. We remain committed to pursuing those who distribute dangerous drugs in our communities and seeking justice for the victims and their families,” said Wadena County Sheriff Michael D. Carr.

“What started out as a local drug related overdose death, resulted in the federal indictments and convictions of several people. The investigation by deputies of the West Central Minnesota Violent Crime and Drug Task Force discovered a large-scale drug trafficking ring. This case outlines the importance of multi-jurisdictional task forces and relationships with state and federal partners and its impact on public safety,” said Otter Tail County Minnesota Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons.

“Drug trafficking doesn’t stop at city or county lines,” said Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. “Cases like this demonstrate why strong partnerships across Minnesota are so important. By working together and following the evidence wherever it leads, law enforcement agencies can better disrupt the networks bringing dangerous drugs into our communities.”

“The Minnesota State Patrol remains committed to supporting our law enforcement partners by contributing our unique capabilities and resources to initiatives that enhance public safety. While each agency plays a distinct role, our shared commitment to cooperation, information sharing, and coordinated enforcement allows us to remain steadfast in our collective mission to protect the communities we serve,” said Minnesota State Patrol Colonel Christina Bogojevic.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wadena County Sheriff’s Office, Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, West Central Drug Task Force, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota State Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other federal and local law enforcement partners.

United States Assistant Attorney Garrett S. Fields prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Timothy Ryan Gregg, 53, of Eagan, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment for his role in transporting and producing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

According to court documents, Gregg admitted to knowingly producing child pornography that depicted Gregg engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a minor. At the time of his conduct, Gregg was a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations based in Minnesota and served as a Task Force Officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“My office will always pursue these cases with unwavering resolve. Protecting children is one of our highest priorities, and we will hold accountable anyone who exploits them. This case reflects a critical mission across federal and local law enforcement. The United States Attorney’s Office remains committed in our duty to protect children and will aggressively investigate and prosecute those who violate that trust,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“No badge, title or position places anyone above the law. The conduct in this case is appalling and wholly inconsistent with the values of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations,” said ICE Director David J. Venturella. “We have zero tolerance for crimes against children, and anyone who commits these offenses will be held fully accountable. ICE remains steadfast in its mission to protect children, support victims and pursue those who seek to exploit the most vulnerable.”

“This defendant knew better than almost anyone that what he was doing was illegal and wrong, yet he chose to do it anyhow,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “The sexual exploitation of children in any context is reprehensible. This defendant’s crimes while employed as a law enforcement officer are doubly disgraceful. We hope this sentence provides some sense of justice and safety for the victim and their family. This sentence should also serve as a warning to others who think they might get away with sexually exploiting a minor—regardless of who you are or the position you hold, the FBI will always take swift action to protect children and hold offenders accountable.”

“Protecting children and vulnerable members of our Rochester community is among our highest priorities,” said Rochester Police Department Chief Jim Franklin. “The Rochester Police Department takes these crimes extremely seriously, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to dedicating the resources necessary to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who prey upon the most vulnerable. This case also demonstrates the critical importance of strong partnerships with our federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. We are grateful for their vigilance, professionalism, and shared commitment to protecting our community and ensuring justice is served.”

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Rochester Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney LeeAnn Bell prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s 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.

Note: The previous press release detailing the case is available here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Joseph Robert Thompson, a Crookston man, has pleaded guilty to one count of attempted production of child pornography.

According to court documents, on October 13, 2024, Thompson took a series of photos of sexually explicit conduct of a then-six-year-old minor for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct.

Thompson had previously come to law enforcement’s attention after soliciting illicit images from an undercover officer posing as a 14‑year‑old on August 28, 2024. On October 15, 2024, Thompson was arrested, and during a search of his home, investigators seized multiple electronic devices which included additional evidence, including child sexual abuse material and communications between Thompson and an adult male in Missouri. Thompson and the Missouri male exchanged child sexual abuse material and discussed abusing minors. Thompson admitted to distributing and receiving illegal material between August and October 2024.

Thompson pleaded guilty to attempted production of child pornography before United States District Court Judge Nancy E. Brasel on June 29, 2026. This federal felony offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison, along with a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. 

“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates the unwavering commitment of federal, state, and local partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who prey on children,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “Our office will continue to use every available resource to protect vulnerable victims and bring those who harm them to justice.”

“I am extremely proud of the outstanding collaboration between the Crookston Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI's Minnesota Child Exploitation Task Force, which culminated in the successful arrest and charging of a dangerous child predator.  Protecting our children is one of our highest priorities. We will continue to pursue these offenders relentlessly to hold these offenders responsible to ensure our community is a safer place for our most vulnerable residents,” said Crookston Police Chief Darin Selzler.

“Joseph Robert Thompson's conviction in this case is just one example of how strong law enforcement partnerships keep our communities safer,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Christopher D. Dotson. “FBI resources, paired with tenacious work from our Task Force Officers from Crookston Police and detectives from Polk County Sheriff's Office, have combined to take another child predator off of our streets. The Minnesota Child Exploitation Task Force continues to work throughout the state to keep our kids safe online and in our neighborhoods.”

This case was investigated by the Crookston Police Department and Polk County Sheriff's Office with assistance from the FBI's Minnesota Child Exploitation Task Force.

Assistant United States Attorney Kristian Weir is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's 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.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Juan Carlos Felix, 47, the lead defendant in a large-scale drug trafficking case that involved an extensive undercover operation, was sentenced to 200 months’ imprisonment. 

On November 18, 2025, Felix pleaded guilty for his role in an expansive methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking operation responsible for moving large quantities of narcotics from California into the Midwest.

According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating in September 2023 after learning that Felix was trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine from California to states in the Midwest, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. Investigators infiltrated Felix’s network, and from September 2023 through May 2024 an undercover officer coordinated nine controlled narcotics transactions with Felix that collectively contained nearly 20 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than a kilogram of fentanyl. 

Felix was formerly convicted of transporting controlled substances in Los Angeles in both 2015 and 2019, serving two and five years in prison, respectively. And here, Felix was not simply a member of a large drug trafficking organization responsible for facilitating shipments of illicit narcotics. Rather, Felix supervised and directed the activities of multiple Midwest-based members of the trafficking operation, including directing co‑defendants to collect payments and conduct drug exchanges on his behalf. 

“The scale of Juan Felix’s operation was staggering,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “Had these drugs reached Minnesota, the impact would have been devastating. Yesterday’s sentencing reflects our commitment to safeguarding the people of Minnesota by keeping dangerous drugs off our streets.”

“Juan Carlos Felix, a known Sinaloa Cartel affiliate, was operating out of Minneapolis with a network that spanned several Midwest states,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “There is truly no portion of the country immune to the threat of these drug trafficking organizations and the fentanyl, methamphetamine and other deadly drugs they are moving into our communities. The DEA is committed to dismantling these organizations cell-by-cell as we work toward eliminating these threats from the heartland.”

“This case highlights the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s commitment to keeping our communities safe from the scourge of methamphetamines and fentanyl,” said Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove. “Every day, Postal Inspectors work to protect the mail from being misused by criminals, including large scale Drug Trafficking Organizations. The sentence handed down today should serve as a reminder to other perpetrators that we remain vigilant, along with our law enforcement partners, to swiftly bring anyone who engages in this activity to justice.”

“Drug trafficking reaches far beyond those involved in the illegal drug trade,” said Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. “Traffickers fuel addiction, which victimizes families and threatens the safety of entire communities. The outstanding work of our agents and law enforcement partners ensured that Mr. Felix can no longer prey on the people of the Iron Range and Duluth areas. Their dedication and commitment to protecting Minnesotans have made those communities safer today.”

“The Carlton County Sheriff’s Office is proud to have assisted our DEA partners in removing a repeat drug trafficker from our community, protecting our residents from the large quantities of dangerous narcotics he had spent time and effort transporting and distributing,” said Chief Deputy of Carlton County Sheriff’s Office Dan Danielson.

“This case reflects the strength of our partnerships across every level of law enforcement. Mr. Felix’s operation pushed significant quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl into our communities, and this sentence reflects the seriousness of that harm,” said Chief of Police of Cloquet Police Department Derek Randall. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal, state, and local partners for their relentless work to hold him accountable and keep these drugs off our streets.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, US Postal Inspection Service, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, Cloquet Police Department, and other federal and local law enforcement partners.

Assistant United States Attorney Garrett S. Fields prosecuted this case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today the unsealing of an indictment and superseding indictment charging members and associates of two Minnesota-based drug trafficking organizations with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, firearms offenses, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and causing death through use of a firearm.  As a result of these investigations, 25 members and associates of these gangs have been charged. Agents and officers, including multiple S.W.A.T. Teams, executed several arrest and search warrants this morning, resulting in the arrest of 12 of the defendants. 

“Violent drug trafficking will not be tolerated in Minnesota,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “When individuals flood our streets with dangerous narcotics and arm themselves to protect their illicit activity, they put everyone at risk. Through our strong partnerships across federal, state, and local law enforcement, we are committed to disrupting these networks and holding offenders accountable.” 

“The indictments announced today are the result of a shoulder-to-shoulder partnership between the FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, and the DEA,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Together, our message to every violent gang member and drug dealer is clear—our streets are not your ‘territory,’ they are a part of our communities. These streets belong to the families and residents that make up our neighborhoods. The FBI and our partners will ensure the safety of our streets by bringing anyone spreading poison and violence in our neighborhoods to justice.”

“The Family Mob and those who associate with this violent organization are responsible for staining our streets with bloodshed and drug use,” said DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie. “Over a span of five months, the individuals indicted today attempted to traffic no less than 333,000 deadly doses of fentanyl into our Minneapolis communities. There is no room for this type of behavior in Minnesota and today’s indictments are not the end of the story. Our agents and law enforcement partners will continue working to dismantle this organization, if necessary, one person at a time.”

“Today's arrests represent another significant step in our shared effort to dismantle the criminal organizations responsible for trafficking illegal narcotics, fueling gun violence, and terrorizing our neighborhoods. These results demonstrate the power of strong law enforcement partnerships,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Bill Peterson.

“My Office is committed to combatting violent crime. This investigation demonstrates what is possible when law enforcement agencies from all levels work together with a shared commitment to public safety. Drug trafficking organizations and drug dealers bring violence, addiction, and fear into our communities. By combining our resources and expertise, we are disrupting criminal networks and holding those responsible for causing harm to our community accountable,” said Dawanna Witt, Sheriff of Hennepin County.

The Family Mob Drug Trafficking Organization

According to the allegations in the superseding indictment and court documents the defendants were members or associates of the Family Mob gang, which is based in south Minneapolis and originated in approximately the late 1990’s to early 2000’s. The Family Mob conspires to distribute fentanyl, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances. In the past year, the area in the Family Mob’s territory has seen an increased prevalence of open-air drug trafficking, weapons violations, shootings, and homicides.

The members of this fentanyl trafficking conspiracy maintained an open‑air drug market near Lake Street and Park Avenue. They enforced their territory with violence, including a murder in September 2025. The defendants distributed large quantities of fentanyl and carried out shootings that endangered the community. Members and associates of the Family Mob gang collectively distributed kilograms of fentanyl every month during the course of the conspiracy. Suppliers within the drug trafficking organization procured fentanyl in kilogram-level quantities before passing it to street-level dealers. 

The superseding indictment also charges multiple acts of violence related to a September 14, 2025 shooting near Lake Street and 15th Avenue. 

The following individuals are charged in the superseding indictment:

• Kiron Jamoll Williams, aka “Killer,” 44, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Silk Lamond Davis, aka “Do Good,” 48, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Lakendrick Darnell Gilliam, aka “Bay Bay,” 38, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Rashshon Jamahl Taggett, aka “Dread,” aka “Lay Low,” 45, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
• Trevon Harris, aka “Tracy,” aka “Tray,” 28, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and murder during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
• Maricus Antonio Leroy Moore, aka “Slug,” 45, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
• Larnell Douglas Wren, aka “LA,” 51, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
• Emmett Duane Williams, aka “FuFu,” 45, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
• Garyegus Lealexandra Cooper, aka “Pig,” 47, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
• Deangelo Martez Davenport, aka “Rock” or “Kenny Davenport,” 50, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and with murder during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
• Mortez Crumble, 34, is charged in two counts with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; and in a separate count with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Eddie Dersaill Brown, aka “Mike Mike,” 34, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
• Richard Payton, III, aka “Poison,” 52, is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

Amani Hudson Drug Trafficking Organization

The members in this drug trafficking organization—some members of whom are associated with the G Block and Bogus Boys gangs—base their operations near 19th and Nicollet in Minneapolis. The organization distributes large amounts of fentanyl and cocaine throughout South Minneapolis and across the Twin Cities. The flow of narcotics contributed to an escalation of violence and shootings in the area of 19th and Nicollet.      

The following individuals are charged and have been held in custody:

• Amani Xavier Hudson, Sr., aka “Doughboy,” 35, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Kelley Christine Hudson, 24, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Jerry Wayne Jones, 70,  is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Fronta Lontrell Miller, aka “Bam,” 50, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Tanell Kinte Prempeh, 32, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Ryan Andrew Boston, aka “Marquese,” 41, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Hezekiah Micah Fields, 26, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Tawaun Lewis, Sr., aka “T-Lane,” 46, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Darquel Markease Rockymore, aka “Sleepy,” 35, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Malcolm Dashuan Peoples, 33, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Daren Leemont Rutledge, 53, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Fronta Lontrell Miller remains at large for his alleged involvement in drug activities in Minneapolis.

These cases were investigated by the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Minneapolis Police Department, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and other local partners.

Assistant United States Attorneys William C. Mattessich, Garrett S. Fields, Raphael B. Coburn, and Jack R. Leon are prosecuting the cases.

The investigation leading to today's announcement is part of Operation Summer Heat, 2026. For the second year in a row, the FBI is deploying Summer Heat to target violent crime on a nationwide scale. By surging resources alongside federal, state, and local partners, executing federal warrants on violent criminals and fugitives, and dismantling violent gangs nationwide, the FBI is aggressively seeking to restore safety in communities across the country.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Alexio Miranda, 32, has pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm, an offense that could carry a maximum of 10 years in prison.

According to court documents, on January 14, 2026, Miranda participated in a violent civil disturbance in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in which he and others broke into a vehicle belonging to the FBI. When Miranda and an accomplice arrived, the FBI vehicle was already badly damaged, covered in graffiti, and the rear hatch was open. Miranda then broke into a vault in the cargo area and took a rifle bag and a satchel of ammunition. The bag contained a semiautomatic rifle and a silencer.  Two days later, police arrested Miranda and recovered the rifle and silencer.

A grand jury indicted Miranda for one count each of possessing a stolen firearm, possessing an unregistered firearm, and theft of government property. On June 26, 2026, Miranda pled guilty before U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim to one count of possessing a stolen firearm.  Miranda’s sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2026.

“This case shows that actions which endanger the public and interfere with federal law enforcement operations carry serious consequences,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “Our office remains committed to pursuing accountability for those who lack respect for the law.” 

“This defendant made a series of deliberate choices that put a stolen firearm into the hands of a prohibited person: Raul Gutierrez, an alleged Latin Kings gang member. Today Miranda is taking responsibility for those choices,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Spence Burnett of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “ATF and our law enforcement partners stayed committed to seeing this case through, and we will continue to hold accountable anyone who chooses to endanger public safety. That accountability is how we keep our neighborhoods safe.”

“Today’s guilty plea reflects ATF’s dedicated efforts in addressing this dangerous criminal conduct that threatens community safety and undermines the lawful exercise of First Amendment rights. The FBI is proud to have assisted ATF in this case, and together with the USAO, DEA, and our state and local law enforcement partners, we remain committed to ensuring individuals are held accountable through the federal justice system,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson.

Assistant United States Attorney Campbell Warner and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Semivan are prosecuting this case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota—one of the orchestrators of the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme—was taken into custody on June 25, 2026, in Mogadishu, Somalia. 

Eidleh was among the defendants originally charged by indictment in the Feeding Our Future scheme on September 13, 2022. The indictment alleges 31 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.

According to court documents, Eidleh was an employee of Feeding Our Future who was responsible for recruiting and supporting Federal Child Nutrition Program sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship. He and other Feeding Our Future employees solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies seeking approval to operate fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program sites. The indictment describes Feeding Our Future as operating a pay‑to‑play scheme in which operators of fraudulent meal sites kicked back a portion of their illicit proceeds to employees, including Eidleh, often disguised as “consulting fees” through shell companies.

The indictment alleges that Eidleh created his own Federal Child Nutrition Program sites in the name of nominee owners and fraudulently claimed that the sites were serving meals to thousands of children per day. He also created shell companies purporting to be meal vendors for those sites and created and submitted fraudulent invoices to obtain, misappropriate, and defraud federal nutrition program funds. Eidleh deposited more than $5 million in kickbacks, bribes, and other fraud proceeds into accounts associated with his shell companies, using them to conceal the true nature and source of the illegally obtained funds.

“This defendant was a central figure in one of the largest fraud schemes in Minnesota history,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “He not only stole taxpayer dollars, but he also robbed vulnerable children of critical resources they desperately needed. Rather than answer for his crimes in the United States, he fled to Somalia in a futile attempt to evade justice. That attempt ended thanks to the exceptional work of our FBI partners. The Department of Justice will continue to track down and prosecute fraudsters wherever they run and wherever they hide.”

“Eidleh’s capture shows that, if you commit fraud against the American taxpayer, and try hiding across the globe, the long arm of justice will find you,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “We salute the FBI’s work in finding Eidleh, and are grateful to all our federal and international partners that help us hold accountable those who defraud our government.” 

“With the apprehension of Abdikerm Eidleh, the FBI's partnerships with law enforcement worldwide again send a message – the FBI’s reach is far and wide, we will track down and bring to justice any fugitive, from anywhere,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “According to the indictment, Eidleh's alleged fraud took millions of dollars from programs designed for children and families in need. When the alleged fraud was uncovered, he unwisely tried to hide from justice on the other side of the world. The FBI and our partners will shine a light on fraudsters wherever they may try to hide. The FBI extends its sincere appreciation to the National Intelligence and Security Agency of Somalia for their outstanding partnership in locating and apprehending Eidleh so he may be brought to justice.”

“Every dollar stolen from the pockets of hardworking Americans emphasizes the Postal Inspection Service’s commitment to protecting our communities,” said Bryan Musgrove, Inspector in Charge, Denver Division. “This arrest shows that criminals who abuse the financial system and exploit innocent people for their own gain will not escape their day in court. They are not above the law. Postal inspectors continue to be relentless in their pursuit of justice.” 

This case is a result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Austin Bowyer are prosecuting these cases.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

Note: Previous press release on federal charges against Eidleh and other defendants here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that James Andre Banks, 39, was sentenced to a decade in prison for his role trafficking methamphetamine and cocaine in South Minneapolis while also illegally possessing several firearms.

According to court documents, local, state, and federal law enforcement surged resources to a known problem area in Minneapolis to conduct a Focused Enforcement Detail. During the Detail, a law enforcement surveillance officer detected Banks conducting suspected narcotics transactions in South Minneapolis near Park Ave and East Lake Street. Officers from multiple agencies, including the Minneapolis and Metro Transit Police Departments, surrounded Banks and carried out a search of his person and vehicle.

When approached by officers, Banks fled on foot and tossed a firearm. The firearm Banks dropped was recovered by officers and identified as a Taurus G2C semi-automatic pistol equipped with an extended magazine with 18 rounds of ammunition and another round loaded in the chamber. On Mr. Banks’ person, officers found a second firearm, a Glock Model 17, also equipped with an extended magazine with 24 rounds of ammunition. 

At the time of his arrest, Banks was prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time, due to prior convictions under Minnesota law for Second-Degree Intentional Murder and Second-Degree Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Banks was on state parole for his previous murder and assault convictions when he was arrested. 

On Banks’ person and in his vehicle, officers found distribution quantities of crystal methamphetamine and cocaine. 

“The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to prosecute the most serious violent felons who illegally possess firearms and traffic dangerous drugs,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

According to Chief Bill Peterson of the Minneapolis Police Department, “Taking dangerous offenders involved in drug trafficking and illegal firearm offenses off our streets makes our communities safer. We appreciate the work of everyone involved in bringing this case to the sentencing stage, and we remain committed to continuing our work to hold violent offenders accountable.”

“James Banks had already served roughly 15 years for murder and a violent assault. Within months of his release, and while still under court supervision, he chose to return to the streets armed with two loaded pistols and a stash of drugs,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Spence Burnett of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “Banks had every opportunity to walk away from that life and made the opposite choice at every turn. ATF and our partners will keep holding repeat violent offenders accountable, because that is how we protect our community.”

Banks pleaded guilty on January 21, 2026, to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine.

This case was the result of collaboration and investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Metro Transit Police Department, with forensic science laboratory support from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Sentencing took place today before U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim in Minneapolis.

Assistant United States Attorneys David B. Green and Mary S. Riverso are prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota recognized four members of the Eden Prairie Fire Department as “Hometown Heroes” for their courageous rescue of an infant from a burning townhome on May 31, 2024.

Assistant Fire Chief Justin Johnson, Assistant Fire Chief Matt Worthington (then a Captain), Firefighter Joshua Privette, and Firefighter Michael Do were recognized at a ceremony in Eden Prairie on June 25, 2026.

United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen, Assistant Chief Justin Johnson, Assistant Chief Matt Worthington, Firefighter Joshua Privette, Firefighter Michael Do, and Chief Scott Gerber

On May 31, 2024, Johnson, Worthington, Privette, and Do were among the first responders dispatched to a heavily involved structure fire on the 8500 block of Cardiff Lane. With conflicting reports about whether anyone remained inside, Chief Johnson directed the crew to conduct an immediate search. Entering without a hose line, the firefighters completed a primary search of the first floor before moving upstairs through high heat and low visibility. During the search, Firefighter Privette located an infant in a playpen. The crew quickly carried the child outside and transferred her to Hennepin EMS for transport to Children’s Hospital. The child survived and continues to thrive today.

“These four men entered a burning home with no certainty of what they would encounter and emerged carrying a child to safety,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “Their actions reflect the spirit of liberty, service, and civic responsibility that Freedom 250 was created to celebrate.”

The recognition was given as part of the Department of Justice’s Freedom 250 initiative, a national campaign through which United States Attorneys’ Offices highlight individuals whose dedication, bravery, and leadership have made a significant difference in their communities as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.

Freedom 250 is a nationwide initiative recognizing public servants whose actions exemplify the founding values of the United States. More information is available at freedom250.org.

ST. PAUL – U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Denzel Christopher Meeks, 33, was sentenced yesterday, June 23, 2026, to 148 months in federal prison for his role in a fentanyl trafficking operation uncovered during a 2023 investigation.

According to court documents, investigators with a drug task force identified Meeks as a wholesale narcotics trafficker operating throughout the Twin Cities and Minnesota. During the fall of 2023, officers observed Meeks accessing multiple stash locations, including two apartments and a storage unit, to store fentanyl, drug proceeds, and firearms.

On October 18, 2023, law enforcement executed multiple court‑authorized search warrants. Officers conducted a traffic stop of Meeks’ vehicle and discovered a loaded Glock 29 pistol with an extended magazine in a hidden compartment in Meeks’ vehicle, along with approximately 25 grams of fentanyl concealed on his person. 

Searches of Meeks’ stash locations revealed:

• Inside a Minneapolis storage unit, approximately 500 grams of fentanyl, along with two Glock pistols equipped with “switch” devices—which enabled the pistols to function as fully-automatic machineguns—and extended magazines, and more than $32,000 in cash drug proceeds.

• In a Minneapolis apartment, approximately 4,500 fentanyl pills weighing approximately 370 grams, drug packaging materials, and digital scales.

• Over $48,000 in cash drug proceeds inside an apartment in St. Louis Park.

In total, Meeks admitted to possessing between 1,200 and 4,000 grams of fentanyl with the intent to distribute it, and that he possessed several firearms in furtherance of his drug activity. In the government’s sentencing position, the United States argued that “Meeks was not a small-time or sporadic drug distributer,” and noted that the “volume of cash found at locations he controlled, more than $80,000, demonstrates the scope and profitability of Meeks’ drug trafficking enterprise.”

“Fentanyl continues to take lives across Minnesota, and those who choose to traffic this lethal drug while armed with illegal firearms will meet justice,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “This sentence is necessary to protect the public and to send a clear message that fentanyl trafficking will not be tolerated.” 

“The deadly fentanyl Denzel Meeks trafficked around the Twin Cities put our community members at risk,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie. “Fentanyl is lethal in extremely small amounts and each dose removed by law enforcement, without a doubt, saved lives. Meeks peddled poison in our communities and for that, he now faces several years in a federal prison with no opportunity at parole.”

“The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office West Metro Drug Task Force, which operates with funding provided by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), played a critical role in this investigation, identifying Meeks as a suspected narcotics trafficker and executing search warrants that led to the seizure of fentanyl powder, cocaine, thousands of fentanyl pills, and illegally possessed firearms. We are grateful for the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office whose efforts helped bring this case to a successful prosecution. This sends a clear message that those who traffic dangerous drugs and endanger our communities will be held accountable for their actions,” said Dawanna S. Witt, Sheriff of Hennepin County.

Meeks pleaded guilty on November 3, 2025, to one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Sentencing took place on June 23, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank in St. Paul.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Green is prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Cameron Davon Durand, 32, was sentenced to 170 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm as a felon in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely, an armed carjacking in St. Paul, Minnesota. At the time of the offenses, Durand was serving a term of federal supervised release for a 2019 federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, for which he had been previously sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment.

U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank imposed the sentence on June 22, 2026, following Durand’s guilty plea on December 17, 2025, to two federal counts and his admission to multiple supervised‑release violations stemming from the same violent conduct. The sentence consisted of 50 months’ imprisonment for the felon-in-possession conviction, and 120 months’ mandatory minimum imprisonment for the discharge of the firearm during the carjacking, consecutive to the felon-in-possession term of imprisonment, for a total of 170 months.  The court also imposed 30 months’ imprisonment, concurrent with the 170-month term, for Durand’s supervised-release violations.

According to court-filed documents, Durand, already a multi‑convicted felon, was just one month into federal supervised release for his prior firearms federal conviction when he committed a series of new gun crimes during the summer of 2025. In June 2025, officers recovered a loaded 9mm firearm, with an attached red-dot sight, from his vehicle, later confirmed to contain Durand’s DNA. In the weeks that followed, Durand was captured on surveillance video firing another weapon in a densely populated St. Paul neighborhood outside a bar. Then, on July 18, 2025, Durand brandished a firearm, carjacked an Uber driver, chased the victim on foot, and fired a round at him as the victim ran for his life, before driving away in the carjacked vehicle.

Durand fled from responding officers at high speed, abandoned the carjacked vehicle, and escaped on foot with a firearm in his hand. Inside the victim’s car, police recovered Durand’s backpack containing multiple forms of his identification and 9mm ammunition. A discharged 9mm casing found at the scene of the carjacking matched the ammunition inside his backpack.

“This sentence ensures that a dangerous and escalating menace is no longer free to terrorize our communities,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “Durand has demonstrated, repeatedly and over nearly two decades, that no term of supervision, no prior prison sentence, and no tragic personal history will deter him from armed violence. Today’s sentence protects the public and holds him accountable.”

“Durand is a violent offender, and he has been for a long time,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Spence Burnett of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “This is the second ATF investigation to hold him accountable. He has a record of using guns to threaten and harm people, and weeks out of federal prison from a prior ATF case he did it again, arming himself and shooting at an innocent man. He will serve 170 months in federal prison, and ATF will continue to stand with our partners to hold violent offenders accountable. We appreciate the great partnership with St. Paul Police Department on this case.”

Saint Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said, “This sentencing reflects the commitment of the Saint Paul Police Department, and our federal partners, to hold those who commit violent crimes accountable. Repeated, violent crimes, must be met with serious consequences. This case demonstrates that and hopefully lets those who have been victimized know that we stand with them and for them.”

Durand’s criminal history dating back to 2007 includes numerous felony convictions involving firearms, assaults, robbery, and gang‑related violence. 

This case is the result of an investigation by the ATF, the Saint Paul Police Department, and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – On June 16, 2026, a Minneapolis man was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting a violent carjacking that resulted in serious bodily injury to one of the victims, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

According to court documents, on August 24, 2024, Havion Eddie Amaru Holmes, 24, and another male approached a parked vehicle occupied by a woman and a man in Minneapolis. The two men approached the vehicle, one on the driver’s side and the other on the passenger’s side, each armed with a handgun. Both victims were pulled from the vehicle, and the other male pointed his firearm at them. Both victims were struck with a firearm, the man in the neck and in the back, and the woman twice in the head and then in the nose. Holmes and the other man then entered the vehicle and drove away.

Minutes later, law enforcement spotted the vehicle and attempted to pull it over, but Holmes and the other man fled, leading officers on a high-speed pursuit through a residential area before crashing into another car. Both men fled the scene on foot. Officers apprehended Holmes shortly afterward, discovering a tool and screwdriver on his person. The two handguns used in the carjacking were located nearby, in Holmes’ flight path the crash site which were described as the handguns used during the carjacking.

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

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanne Semivan is prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today the unsealing of an indictment on June 11, 2026, charging a father and son with conspiracy to defraud the United States and making false claims for tax refunds. The father was also charged with felon in possession of a firearm. 

According to court documents and proceedings, between approximately June 2022 and October 2024, LaMar Javis Burgess, 44, and his son, LaMar Dazjar Burgess, 23, of the Minneapolis area, prepared and filed false federal income tax returns for themselves and others claiming refund amounts they and the other taxpayers were not entitled to receive. Tax returns containing millions of dollars in false claims were allegedly filed by the conspirators.

During the course of the conspiracy, LaMar Javis Burgess allegedly sought and obtained videos and instruction manuals educating himself on how to file false federal tax returns, including a guide titled “TurboTax Sauce the ‘Self-Employed’ Way.” He worked with his son and other conspirators to promote the tax fraud scheme. In exchange for filing false tax returns, he allegedly charged taxpayers a portion of their tax refunds as his fee. 

The defendants allegedly solicited others to provide them with their names, addresses, social security numbers, photographic identification, and bank account information to prepare and file the false tax returns. The returns allegedly included employment and tax credit information they knew to be false.

The defendants allegedly prepared and filed false 2021 tax returns claiming refundable sick and family leave tax credits available to certain self-employed individuals unable to work due to COVID-19. They also allegedly prepared and filed false 2022 tax returns claiming certain refundable tax credits.

LaMar Javis Burgess allegedly was also found in possession of a Glock model 19, 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. 

LaMar Javis Burgess has prior convictions in Hennepin County for illegally possessing a firearm as a person who is prohibited from having one and fourth degree assault of a peace officer. He also has a prior felony conviction in the District of Minnesota for felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, because of these prior convictions, LaMar Javis Burgess is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

LaMar Javis Burgess and LaMar Dazjar Burgess were both charged with one count each of conspiracy to defraud the United States and six counts each of making false claims. LaMar Javis Burgess was also charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, they face maximum penalties of ten years in prison for conspiracy and five years in prison for each count of making false claims. LaMar Javis Burgess also faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.

The Court ordered LaMar Javis Burgess detained in federal custody pending trial, following his initial appearance and detention hearing.

“Fraud against the United States is a serious offense and those who fabricate returns or misuse information to enrich themselves will be held accountable. Our office remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of federal tax programs and protecting the public from those who seek to exploit them,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“This father and son duo turned filing fraudulent tax returns into a family business,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “False refund claims steal from every honest taxpayer who follows the law and pays their fair share. IRS-CI special agents will continue using their expertise in forensic accounting to expose tax fraud schemes and bring fraudulent tax preparers to justice.” 

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI, HSI, ATF, Minneapolis Police Department, Fridley Police Department, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. 

Trial Attorney J. Parker Gochenour of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Kline of the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.

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

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

MINNEAPOLIS – A North Dakota man has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, which resulted in the accidental fatal fentanyl poisoning of a young man in the Pipestone, Minnesota, area, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. 

According to court documents, Jake Noland Northern, aka “Jake Noal Northern,” admitted that from at least February 2023 through April 21, 2023, he knowingly and intentionally distributed pressed fentanyl pills to users and distributors across southwestern Minnesota. Northern operated his distribution network from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he sold both personal‑use and bulk quantities of fentanyl pills, including to individuals who further distributed the drugs in the Pipestone community.

On April 21, 2023, Northern sold pressed fentanyl pills to an individual for roughly $200. That evening, the victim consumed Northern’s fentanyl and subsequently died due to accidental fentanyl poisoning.  

Northern admitted during his plea that he knowingly and voluntarily conspired to possess and distribute fentanyl pills and acknowledged that his conduct violated federal law. He also acknowledged a prior federal conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, for which he received a sentence of 96 months’ imprisonment. That conviction increased the penalties in this case.

 “[The victim] deserves to be remembered for the beautiful soul he was, not for the way he died. I hope that through this process, his story can bring awareness to the dangers of fentanyl and help save others from this tragedy,” said a person close to the victim.

“Fentanyl has stolen lives, fractured families, and destabilized entire communities across Minnesota,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “Northern treated addiction as an opportunity and people as profit. This office will continue to pursue federal sentences for traffickers whose actions bring deadly fentanyl into Minnesota communities. We extend our condolences to the victim’s family, friends, and community and will continue to work with partners around the state to find, investigate, and prosecute those who bring this lethal drug into our communities.” 

“This case shows the devastating reality and impact fentanyl has on our community,” said Lt. Edison Dengler, of the Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office and Buffalo Ridge Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. “A young man lost his life, a family was forever changed, and our community continues to feel the devastating effects. We are thankful for the long hours, dedication, and teamwork of all the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation, as well as the overwhelming support of the Pipestone County Attorney’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota. From the start of this investigation in April of 2023 through today’s sentencing more than three years later, this case required persistence, cooperation, and a shared commitment to justice. Jake Noland Northern’s 240-month federal sentence sends a strong message that those who traffic fentanyl into Pipestone County and poison our community will be held accountable. We will not stop working to protect our citizens, support victims and families, and hold drug traffickers accountable.” 

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Buffalo Ridge Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Additional assistance was provided by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Fargo Police Department, the Globe Police Department (AZ), and the Mid-State Organized Crime Information Center.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Evans.

MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that the Garcia brothers pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in a September 2025 armed robbery of a family in Grant, Minnesota and the theft of more than $8 million in digital assets.

This afternoon, before U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery, Isiah Angelo Garcia, 25, and Raymond Christian Garcia, 24, both of Waller, Texas, entered guilty pleas to one count each of Interference with Commerce by Robbery.

According to court documents, on the morning of September 19, 2025, the Garcia brothers, who had traveled from Texas to Minnesota for the purpose of executing the scheme, kidnapped Victim 1 and his family at gunpoint at their home.  During the offense, the defendants demanded access to the victim’s cryptocurrency accounts, zip-tied Victim 1 and his family, and held the family at gunpoint for over 8 hours. Isiah Garcia, aided and abetted by his brother, abducted Victim 1 to the family’s cabin in northern Minnesota, where he forced Victim 1 to retrieve additional cryptocurrency storage devices and transfer the funds contained therein.  The Garcia brothers ultimately forced Victim 1 to transfer more than $8 million in cryptocurrency funds in the course of the scheme. After the victim’s son called 911, the Garcias fled the area.  Law enforcement responded to the family home, where they found numerous items left behind by the defendants. Law enforcement then used those items to identify the Garcias and locate them near Houston, Texas, where they were arrested.

In their guilty pleas, both defendants admitted to using firearms to threaten the victims and facilitate the robbery. They agreed to pay over $8 million in restitution and each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date.

“Violent schemes carried out for financial gain undermine the safety and security of our communities. When individuals resort to intimidation and force, they can expect a swift and unified law enforcement response. The guilty pleas entered today reflect our commitment to holding the defendants accountable for the choices they made,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“No one should ever feel unsafe in their own home," said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "The kinds of violence and greed displayed by Raymond and Isiah Garcia will always be aggressively investigated by the FBI and our law enforcement partners. Thanks to the seamless partnership between the FBI, Washington County Sheriff's Office, and state and local law enforcement agencies from here to Texas, these defendants will now face sentencing in federal court. Home invasions, kidnapping, and robberies carry lasting impacts on victims and our communities. We hope this conviction will bring some measure of peace to the victims of this horrendous crime.”

“This crime struck close to home for many people in our area. It shook not only the victims involved, but it disrupted lives, created fear, and left residents wondering how something so violent could happen here. I’m proud of the work done by our investigators, deputies, law enforcement partners, and prosecutors who helped move this case forward. Today’s proceedings mark an important step toward accountability and justice for our community,” said Washington County Sheriff Dan Starry.

This matter is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

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

Note: A previous press release on this case can be found here.

Note: View indictment here.

MINNEAPOLIS – The Justice Department today announced that 15 members and associates of Direct Action Minnesota (DAMN) have been charged with various federal crimes, including conspiracy to impede a federal officer, multiple counts of interstate stalking, interstate threats, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, multiple counts of assault on a federal officer, and destruction of government property. 

Over the last 24 hours, federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted a coordinated law enforcement operation culminating in the arrest of 12 DAMN members. Two DAMN members are at-large, and one was previously in federal custody on separate charges. 

“As alleged, these defendants, which included members of Antifa groups, engaged in an unrelenting campaign of harassment and violence targeting federal and local law enforcement,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Their actions created a dangerous environment that threatened not only their intended targets, but the community as a whole. These arrests demonstrate the Department’s commitment to law and order and stopping organized political violence in Minneapolis and beyond.”

“The arrests of these rioters is a win for law and order. If you lay a hand on law enforcement, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. “We have ZERO tolerance for violence against our law enforcement. If you assault or obstruct law enforcement, you will face the consequences.”

“For those who choose to threaten or harm federal officers, the Department of Justice will hold you accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota. “The direct actions alleged in the indictment are un-American. And they will be met with swift justice.” 

“Today’s announcement is the result of a thorough investigation into a deeply troubling trend: coordinated violence targeting federal law enforcement officers in an effort to cause chaos and impede law enforcement operations,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of HSI St. Paul. “We have uncovered evidence of organized groups deliberately planning and executing criminal acts, including assaults, threats, destruction of government property, and attempts to impede federal officers. We fully respect and defend the First Amendment right to peaceful protest. However, when protest crosses the line into violence or criminal activity, it becomes unlawful and will not be tolerated. Our message is clear: you may disagree with the laws, and you have the right to protest them, but you must abide by them or face the consequences. The law is not optional, and any attempt to undermine it through violence or intimidation will be met with swift and decisive action.”

“The charges unsealed today in the District of Minnesota are directly in line with Joint Task Force Vanguard’s mission: a collaborative, whole of government effort to counter groups that use violence and the threat of violence to achieve political ends,” said Co-Director Brian Lynch of Joint Task Force Vanguard. “Acts of political violence are priority matters for federal law enforcement and will be zealously investigated and prosecuted.”

An eight-count indictment charges 15 members and associates of the DAMN for a broad range of crimes including conspiracy to impede a federal officer, multiple counts of interstate stalking, interstate threats, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, multiple counts of assault on a federal officer, and destruction of government property. 

As outlined in the indictment, DAMN is an organization dedicated and committed to direct action against federal law and immigration enforcement. Direct action refers to disruptive and obstructive tactics used by participants to forcibly challenge, block, or stop immigration raids, detentions, and deportations. DAMN describes itself as “…a decentralized coalition of working-class people engaged in various forms of community defense against the current Federal Occupation happening within the wider metro area, and against state and a far-right violence more broadly.” DAMN also trains its members in the use of shields against law enforcement, surveillance, event planning, role differentiation, and rapid mass mobilization against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement actions.

DAMN is comprised of members from several sub-groups, such as the Black Cat Worker’s Collective, Ray Rainbolt Memorial Shooting Club, and other organizations. 

Many self-proclaimed “antifascist” or “Antifa” groups in the United States exist at the local level, in small units called affinity groups. Antifa groups frequently blend anarchist and communist views. The Black Cat Worker’s Collective (BCWC) is a Minneapolis-based Antifa affinity group committed to militant class struggle, community self-defense, and revolution. Militant class struggle includes disrupting rallies, digital campaigning, community organizing, and physical confrontation, often justified as collective self-defense. BCWC members advocate, promote, and utilize militant tactics and violence. BCWC members are intricately involved in the planning and execution of direct actions. The Ray Rainbolt Memorial Shooting Club is another Minneapolis-based Antifa affinity group dedicated to “community self-defense.” 

The Black Cat Worker’s Collective Facebook page described that, “The Black Cat Worker’s Collective is a class struggle anarchist organization committed to workplace struggle, housing justice, community self-defense, internationalism, and revolution.”

On February 5, Kyle Wagner was arrested in Minneapolis for doxxing a federal agent in the Eastern District of Michigan. When he was arrested, Wagner wore a sweatshirt that had “I’m Antifa!” on the front. Law enforcement recovered several Antifa patches in Wagner’s residence. See below.

Antifa patches recovered by law enforcement at Wagner’s residence.

Wagner being arrested.

DAMN members worked closely with rapid response networks (RRNs) to identify and harass federal immigration and law enforcement officers in order to harass and prevent officers from performing their official duties. RRNs are “inherently militant” with the “explicit aim of combating and stopping a federal agent with a gun.” 

DAMN worked closely with other direct action groups, Antifa affinity groups, RRNs, and other organizations to plan for and execute certain direct actions. DAMN infiltrated and exploited lawful protests to more efficiently carry out its direct actions targeting operations involving ICE as well as supporting federal and state law enforcement. DAMN relied upon otherwise lawful protesters and “strength in numbers” to distract law enforcement and enable DAMN members to carry out its direct action operations.

DAMN members almost exclusively communicate on Signal Messenger, which is an encrypted message application. DAMN members often organize themselves into different sub-groups on Signal Messenger based on their roles and responsibilities. 

DAMN members hold meetings on a regular basis. DAMN members advocate and practice “operational security” or “OPSEC.” For example, DAMN members collect cell phones prior to meetings to prevent recordings.   

DAMN members organized and participated in direct actions against federal and local law enforcement on Jan. 23 and March 1. DAMN members deployed “hard” and “soft” blockades against federal law and immigration enforcement as well as against Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office deputies during both of the direct actions. DAMN successfully shut down operations at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building (Whipple Building), during both direct actions.

Members of DAMN’s “hard blockade” team used vehicles, trailers, Czech hedgehogs (a static obstacle made of metal angle beams), and other items to obstruct the roads used by law enforcement near the Whipple Building to impede the movement of federal law enforcement and immigration officers. See below for examples of items used for “hard blockade” during the January 23 and March 1 direct actions.

A flipped trailer used by DAMN during a blockade.

Debris and a Czech hedgehog used by DAMN during a blockade.

Members of the “soft blockade” team wield homemade shields constructed from plastic, wood, and metal to physically resist the efforts of law enforcement, and to aggressively “wedge” or break through teams of officers on foot.  See below for one of the “soft blockades” that was set up on March 1.

“Soft blockade” by DAMN on March 1.

“Soft blockade” by DAMN on March 1.

DAMN members engage in “commuting” tactics, which include identifying, following, surveilling, harassing, and confronting federal immigration enforcement with the goal of preventing, hindering, delaying, and impeding the enforcement of federal immigration law. DAMN members use the Whipple Watch Signal group chat, which facilitated the identification of federal immigration and law enforcement vehicles and documents identifying information, such as license plate numbers, in databases. The databases include information like whether a vehicle has been identified as belonging to federal law enforcement, when it was last seen, how many times it was seen, the kinds of activities it was engaged in, if it was in a caravan, and if someone saw federal agents with tactical gear inside, all to help determine how aggressive the response to that particular vehicle should be. DAMN members often rely on information and intelligence produced by the Whipple Watch and other Signal group chats to target, harass, and confront federal immigration and law enforcement officers. Once someone relays information about a federal immigration or law enforcement officer’s location, “dispatchers” relay “verified” information to “commuters,” who deploy to the identified area to interfere with, prevent, hinder, delay, impede, and directly confront federal immigration enforcement, including “de-arresting” people that federal law enforcement have arrested. 

“Commuters” follow federal immigration enforcement officers from locations, like the Whipple Building, to the officers’ residences and other locations. “Commuters” often work with “co-pilots,” who communicate with “dispatchers” in real-time. “Dispatchers” relay identifying information about immigration and law enforcement vehicles to “commuters” and “co-pilots.” DAMN members often engage in “commuting” tactics with other members. 

For example, on May 4, a federal immigration officer left the Whipple Building in his government-issued vehicle. DAMN member Isaac Sant drove a Hyundai Sonata and followed the federal immigration officer from the Whipple Building to Hudson, Wisconsin. St. Croix County deputies stopped the Hyundai Sonata in Hudson, Wisconsin, and identified Sant as the driver.

On May 18, a federal immigration officer left the Whipple Building in his government-issued vehicle. DAMN member Natasha Rakotz drove a Honda Civic and followed the federal immigration officer from the Whipple Building to the area of Minnesota State Highway 55 and Minnesota State Highway 5. Rakotz “brake checked” the officer and “side swiped” the officer’s vehicle, causing a collision. 

Below is an image of Natasha Rakotz ramming her Honda Civic into the federal immigration officer’s government-issued vehicle.

Image of Natasha Rakotz trying to ram her Honda Civic into a federal immigration officer’s government-issued vehicle.

On May 15, an unindicted coconspirator sent a message describing a HSI agent’s government-issued vehicle as well as his license plate number in the “Whipple 3.0” Signal group chat. The unindicted coconspirator described the government-issued vehicle having a “reflective hat & vest on dash.” In the same chat, an unindicted coconspirator referred a different government-issued vehicle in the area (Government Vehicle 2) and stated, “This vehicle was confirmed at whip and hasn’t been added to the DB (database) – currently near the 28th and Bloom situation.” DAMN member Isaac sant sent a message in the “DAMN” Signal group chat, stating, “Alerta alerta: There’s an ICE raid in progress RIGHT NOW at 28th and Bloomington. Ford F150…” Sant provided the license plate number for the government-issued vehicle and continued, “three agents out of vehicle. I am not on scene. Get over there if you can!” DAMN member Brian Apland responded, “Omw (on my way).” At this time, HSI agents were performing their duties and conducting interviews. DAMN member William Morgan showed up to the scene and approached one of the agents and knocked the agent’s notes out of his hand. Morgan also kicked the government-issued vehicle, causing dents. Isaac Sant was also present at the scene. Below is the damage to the government-issued vehicle. 

Government vehicle damaged by member of DAMN.

Below is an image of William Morgan and Isaac Sant on the scene.

A member of DAMN at the scene of a damaged government vehicle.

A member of DAMN at the scene of a damaged government vehicle.

DAMN members trained other direct action and Antifa affinity groups throughout the country about how to forcibly obstruct, prevent, delay, hinder, and impede federal immigration enforcement operations. These trainings were referred to as the “Anarchist Speaking Tour.” DAMN members provided training and best practice at “Anarchist Speaking Tour” events in Chicago, Ann Arbor, and Seattle in April 2026. 

On April 8, DAMN members Callum Robinet, William Morgan, and others took part in the “Anarchist Speaking Tour” in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Robinet explained to the participants that, “So this is an anarchist speaking tour. We’re all anarchists.” 

On April 18, DAMN members Isaac Sant, Cameron Kennedy, and William Morgan took part in the “Anarchist Speaking Tour” in Seattle, Washington. Kennedy described the history of violent resistance in Minneapolis. He described the looting and burning of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct as “the happiest moment of my life.” Kennedy explained, “A lot of mutual aid networks that were later characterized…this resistance to ICE came from the George Floyd uprising.” Kennedy described himself as a “revolutionary anarchist.” 

Kennedy discussed the Jan. 23 direct action at the Whipple Building, stating that DAMN utilized a “soft blockade with shields at one entrance. He continued that there were “two other deployment teams…those deployment teams had trailers that they had bought off of Facebook Marketplace for really cheap and they essentially tried to blockade the other entrances simultaneously with this blockade (pointed to soft blockade on the projector). One of those trailers was deployed and flipped and successfully shut access. The other was about 30 seconds away from successful deployment before the team was actually pepper sprayed. They managed to avoid arrest…and they managed to drive away, albeit losing the trailer in the process.”

Kennedy also spoke about the direct action at the Whipple Building on March 1. Kennedy pointed to a projector screen and said, “the one you see over here is another shield wall on March 1st.” He continued, “this demonstration had four components to it. There was a above ground march that was led by indigenous sundancers that would take up gate one of the Whipple Building and the others were designed to essentially shut down the other two points of egress…there was 3 deployment teams.  The first deployment team brought in shields.” The second deployment team “was sent in and they had something to be like tank busters…” Kennedy described these items as similar to “images of like D-Day, they’re like the metal X structures that you see and actually when the vehicles hit them, it digs back into the road and will stop the vehicle.” Kennedy explained, “I was on deploy 2 or deploy 3 and I had a 10-foot U-Haul box truck and a 30-foot trailer that I was going to use to block one of the entrances.”

Isaac Sant said, “We’re here from Minneapolis. We’re on tour to talk about our experiences resisting the ICE occupation.” He stated, “I think the Twin Cities real contributions to the field of revolutionary organization, of insurrectionary organization is these rapid response networks.” Sant stated, “I am in an anarchist, revolutionary organization. It’s called Blackcat.”

During the event, Sant discussed the logistics of “commuters,” who follow, harass, and confront federal immigration enforcement vehicles. Sant described, “…commuters were on a phone call in real time with a dispatcher who was somewhere with a dispatcher who was somewhere in the privacy of her own room reporting on like that convoys movements. That dispatcher was in a relay chat that allowed for communication between the Elliott Park and the adjacent Loring Park neighborhood…” Sant further explained, “We don’t recommend that anybody ever commute or control by yourself because it’s an inherently dangerous thing. So you always want to do that with a buddy who’s your copilot. So like you’re driving and looking for ice, your co-pilots on the phone talking to dispatch and however many other commuters on a Signal call…you might ask that dispatcher for plate checks, like they’re looking at a database of license plates and you’re not.  And you might be like, so a lot of like your day and you’re like, hey I wonder if that’s ICE…And like you see a suspicious looking white Jeep Wagoneer, your copilot like reports a dispatch…and then you follow that car until you can’t anymore.” Sant then described Whipple Watch as a “counter surveillance project,” stating, “This is a very like boring and unglamorous and unsexy side of our work, but basically what I and my comrades do is we go down to Whipple building and hang out there all day and photograph every ICE vehicle that’s coming in and out of the vehicle.” Sant continued that, “Now in April and we have it down to a science and it’s more or less instantaneous.  We maintain a searchable database in conjunction with data collection group called Defrost that’s publicly searchable on a website…Defrost is the list of every vehicle that we’ve ever seen ICE in make and model plates and like where and how many times it’s been spotted…So what we’ve started to experiment with now is we maintain a second database that’s only current plates. We erase it at the end of every night and we refresh it the next morning…and hot dishes is just a database of like all the active plates that left Whipple that day. So commuters can know like what we’re, we have confirmed on the road at the moment….What we do is, I mean we have a two fold motive of like getting their plates and blasting those out to all the neighborhoods and also just like wasting their time and resources.”

DAMN members emphasize a violent, militant approach and are highly critical of the non-violent, peaceful protests. DAMN members often advocate, promote, and celebrate violent resistance to purported fascist groups and the government.

For example, the Black Cat Worker’s Collective Facebook cover page reads “Welcome to Minneapolis!” and has an image of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct in the background. The Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct was burnt down and destroyed during the riots following the death of George Floyd. Stillshot from the Black Cat Worker’s Collective Facebook page below.

Screenshot of the Black Cat Worker’s Collective Facebook page.

On Feb. 5, Cameron Kennedy posted on Facebook, “I swear I’m going to lose my f*****g mind if I see that ‘if 3.5% of the population is committed to peaceful revolution, they win’ bulls**t…It’s given far to (sic) many well meaning people, a fake a** idea of what it takes to win. It has folks attacking militant elements of the resistance and aiding the state against them because they think violence or even property destruction is counter revolutionary. They could not be more wrong. I want to make this as clear as I can: YOU WILL NEVER WIN WITH NON-VIOLENCE ALONE.  Ever. No one has. No one will. You absolutely need militants to win. I’m sorry the world is so cruel but this is the real world, not a f*****g fairytale…” See post below.

Facebook post by Cameron Kennedy.

On Jan. 24, Kyle Wagner posted a video on his Instagram account “kaos.follows,” while wearing a bullet-proof vest. Wagner admitted to being Antifa.  Wagner stated, “[I]f you are [caught up], it’s time to suit up. Boots on the ground. Nicollet and f*****g 26th. My house is four blocks away. Anywhere between Franklin and Nicollet, and 26th and Nicollet, show up ready to go. Okay, no, not talking about peaceful protests anymore. We’re not talking about having polite conversations anymore…This is exactly what I said was going to f****** come when we didn’t f****** go march on f****** Whipple with guns. Sorry but welcome to America 2026 where the Second Amendment is the only thing that’s going to keep you f****** protected from literal f****** Nazi gun men that are killing innocent people in the street with impunity. This is not a f****** joke. There’s nothing fun to chant about it. Get your f****** guns and stop these f****** people.” Stillshot of Wagner from the video below.

Screenshot of Kyle Wagner in a video from his Instagram page.

The following defendants are named in the DAMN indictment:

• Isaac Auman Sant, also known as “Isaac Dalto” and “Ike,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer and Interstate Stalking.
• Emmett James Doyle, also known as “Plotnikov,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Cameron Kennedy, also known as “Cam,” “Olive Knite,” and “Knite,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Callum Robinet, also known as “Juliet K,” “Juliet,” and “Cal,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Erik Davis, also known as “Errico,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Brian Stillwell Apland, also known as “Tiny,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Kyle Wagner, also known as “Kaos,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer, Solicitation to Commit a Crime of Violence, and Interstate Threats.
• Hannah Margaret Van De Water Davis, also known as “Gabriel Van De Water” and “Nube,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Treasure Cay Thoreson, also known as “Schatzi,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Nathan Junho Kim, also known as “Moon Bear,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Alec Stewart, also known as “Mac,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Douglas Misterek, also known as “Doug” and “D Munny Big Dog Orf Orf,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Dustin Scott Beisell, also known as “Sparky,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• William Morgan, also known as “Willow” and “Willow Tree,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer, Interstate Stalking, Assault on a Federal Officer, and Destruction of Government Property.
• Natasha Rakotz, also known as “Anuran,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer and Assault on a Federal Officer.

This case was investigated by HSI.

This case is part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, which is a White House directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in protecting First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence and is led by the investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard.

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

Note: View indictment here.

The Justice Department today announced that 15 members and associates of Direct Action Minnesota (DAMN) have been charged with various federal crimes, including conspiracy to impede a federal officer, multiple counts of interstate stalking, interstate threats, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, multiple counts of assault on a federal officer, and destruction of government property. 

Over the last 24 hours, federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted a coordinated law enforcement operation culminating in the arrest of 12 DAMN members. Two DAMN members are at-large, and one was previously in federal custody on separate charges. 

“As alleged, these defendants, which included members of Antifa groups, engaged in an unrelenting campaign of harassment and violence targeting federal and local law enforcement,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Their actions created a dangerous environment that threatened not only their intended targets, but the community as a whole. These arrests demonstrate the Department’s commitment to law and order and stopping organized political violence in Minneapolis and beyond.”

“The arrests of these rioters is a win for law and order. If you lay a hand on law enforcement, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. “We have ZERO tolerance for violence against our law enforcement. If you assault or obstruct law enforcement, you will face the consequences.”

“For those who choose to threaten or harm federal officers, the Department of Justice will hold you accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota. “The direct actions alleged in the indictment are un-American. And they will be met with swift justice.” 

“Today’s announcement is the result of a thorough investigation into a deeply troubling trend: coordinated violence targeting federal law enforcement officers in an effort to cause chaos and impede law enforcement operations,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of HSI St. Paul. “We have uncovered evidence of organized groups deliberately planning and executing criminal acts, including assaults, threats, destruction of government property, and attempts to impede federal officers. We fully respect and defend the First Amendment right to peaceful protest. However, when protest crosses the line into violence or criminal activity, it becomes unlawful and will not be tolerated. Our message is clear: you may disagree with the laws, and you have the right to protest them, but you must abide by them or face the consequences. The law is not optional, and any attempt to undermine it through violence or intimidation will be met with swift and decisive action.”

“The charges unsealed today in the District of Minnesota are directly in line with Joint Task Force Vanguard’s mission: a collaborative, whole of government effort to counter groups that use violence and the threat of violence to achieve political ends,” said Co-Director Brian Lynch of Joint Task Force Vanguard. “Acts of political violence are priority matters for federal law enforcement and will be zealously investigated and prosecuted.”

An eight-count indictment charges 15 members and associates of the DAMN for a broad range of crimes including conspiracy to impede a federal officer, multiple counts of interstate stalking, interstate threats, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, multiple counts of assault on a federal officer, and destruction of government property. 

As outlined in the indictment, DAMN is an organization dedicated and committed to direct action against federal law and immigration enforcement. Direct action refers to disruptive and obstructive tactics used by participants to forcibly challenge, block, or stop immigration raids, detentions, and deportations. DAMN describes itself as “…a decentralized coalition of working-class people engaged in various forms of community defense against the current Federal Occupation happening within the wider metro area, and against state and a far-right violence more broadly.” DAMN also trains its members in the use of shields against law enforcement, surveillance, event planning, role differentiation, and rapid mass mobilization against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement actions.

DAMN is comprised of members from several sub-groups, such as the Black Cat Worker’s Collective, Ray Rainbolt Memorial Shooting Club, and other organizations. 

Many self-proclaimed “antifascist” or “Antifa” groups in the United States exist at the local level, in small units called affinity groups. Antifa groups frequently blend anarchist and communist views. The Black Cat Worker’s Collective (BCWC) is a Minneapolis-based Antifa affinity group committed to militant class struggle, community self-defense, and revolution. Militant class struggle includes disrupting rallies, digital campaigning, community organizing, and physical confrontation, often justified as collective self-defense. BCWC members advocate, promote, and utilize militant tactics and violence. BCWC members are intricately involved in the planning and execution of direct actions. The Ray Rainbolt Memorial Shooting Club is another Minneapolis-based Antifa affinity group dedicated to “community self-defense.” 

The Black Cat Worker’s Collective Facebook page described that, “The Black Cat Worker’s Collective is a class struggle anarchist organization committed to workplace struggle, housing justice, community self defense, internationalism, and revolution.”

On Feb. 5, Kyle Wagner was arrested in Minneapolis for doxxing a federal agent in the Eastern District of Michigan. When he was arrested, Wagner wore a sweatshirt that had “I’m Antifa!” on the front. Law enforcement recovered several Antifa patches in Wagner’s residence. See below.

DAMN members worked closely with rapid response networks (RRNs) to identify and harass federal immigration and law enforcement officers in order to harass and prevent officers from performing their official duties. RRNs are “inherently militant” with the “explicit aim of combating and stopping a federal agent with a gun.” 

DAMN worked closely with other direct action groups, Antifa affinity groups, RRNs, and other organizations to plan for and execute certain direct actions. DAMN infiltrated and exploited lawful protests to more efficiently carry out its direct actions targeting operations involving ICE as well as supporting federal and state law enforcement. DAMN relied upon otherwise lawful protesters and “strength in numbers” to distract law enforcement and enable DAMN members to carry out its direct action operations.

DAMN members almost exclusively communicate on Signal Messenger, which is an encrypted message application. DAMN members often organize themselves into different sub-groups on Signal Messenger based on their roles and responsibilities. 

DAMN members hold meetings on a regular basis. DAMN members advocate and practice “operational security” or “OPSEC.” For example, DAMN members collect cell phones prior to meetings to prevent recordings.   

DAMN members organized and participated in direct actions against federal and local law enforcement on Jan. 23 and March 1. DAMN members deployed “hard” and “soft” blockades against federal law and immigration enforcement as well as against Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office deputies during both of the direct actions. DAMN successfully shut down operations at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building (Whipple Building), during both direct actions.

Members of DAMN’s “hard blockade” team used vehicles, trailers, Czech hedgehogs (a static obstacle made of metal angle beams), and other items to obstruct the roads used by law enforcement near the Whipple Building to impede the movement of federal law enforcement and immigration officers. See below for examples of items used for “hard blockade” during the January 23 and March 1 direct actions.

Members of the “soft blockade” team wield homemade shields constructed from plastic, wood, and metal to physically resist the efforts of law enforcement, and to aggressively “wedge” or break through teams of officers on foot. See below for one of the “soft blockades” that was set up on March 1.

DAMN members engage in “commuting” tactics, which include identifying, following, surveilling, harassing, and confronting federal immigration enforcement with the goal of preventing, hindering, delaying, and impeding the enforcement of federal immigration law.  DAMN members use the Whipple Watch Signal group chat, which facilitated the identification of federal immigration and law enforcement vehicles and documents identifying information, such as license plate numbers, in databases. The databases include information like whether a vehicle has been identified as belonging to federal law enforcement, when it was last seen, how many times it was seen, the kinds of activities it was engaged in, if it was in a caravan, and if someone saw federal agents with tactical gear inside, all to help determine how aggressive the response to that particular vehicle should be. DAMN members often rely on information and intelligence produced by the Whipple Watch and other Signal group chats to target, harass, and confront federal immigration and law enforcement officers. Once someone relays information about a federal immigration or law enforcement officer’s location, “dispatchers” relay “verified” information to “commuters,” who deploy to the identified area to interfere with, prevent, hinder, delay, impede, and directly confront federal immigration enforcement, including “de-arresting” people that federal law enforcement have arrested. 

“Commuters” follow federal immigration enforcement officers from locations, like the Whipple Building, to the officers’ residences and other locations. “Commuters” often work with “co-pilots,” who communicate with “dispatchers” in real-time. “Dispatchers” relay identifying information about immigration and law enforcement vehicles to “commuters” and “co-pilots.” DAMN members often engage in “commuting” tactics with other members. 

For example, on May 4, a federal immigration officer left the Whipple Building in his government-issued vehicle. DAMN member Isaac Sant drove a Hyundai Sonata and followed the federal immigration officer from the Whipple Building to Hudson, Wisconsin. St. Croix County deputies stopped the Hyundai Sonata in Hudson, Wisconsin, and identified Sant as the driver.

On May 18, a federal immigration officer left the Whipple Building in his government-issued vehicle. DAMN member Natasha Rakotz drove a Honda Civic and followed the federal immigration officer from the Whipple Building to the area of Minnesota State Highway 55 and Minnesota State Highway 5. Rakotz “brake checked” the officer and “side swiped” the officer’s vehicle, causing a collision. 

Below is an image of Natasha Rakotz ramming her Honda Civic into the federal immigration officer’s government-issued vehicle.

On May 15, an unindicted coconspirator sent a message describing a HSI agent’s government-issued vehicle as well as his license plate number in the “Whipple 3.0” Signal group chat. The unindicted coconspirator described the government-issued vehicle having a “reflective hat & vest on dash.” In the same chat, an unindicted coconspirator referred a different government-issued vehicle in the area (Government Vehicle 2) and stated, “This vehicle was confirmed at whip and hasn’t been added to the DB (database) – currently near the 28th and Bloom situation.” DAMN member Isaac sant sent a message in the “DAMN” Signal group chat, stating, “Alerta alerta: There’s an ICE raid in progress RIGHT NOW at 28th and Bloomington.  Ford F150…” Sant provided the license plate number for the government-issued vehicle and continued, “three agents out of vehicle. I am not on scene. Get over there if you can!” DAMN member Brian Apland responded, “Omw (on my way).” At this time, HSI agents were performing their duties and conducting interviews. DAMN member William Morgan showed up to the scene and approached one of the agents and knocked the agent’s notes out of his hand. Morgan also kicked the government-issued vehicle, causing dents. Isaac Sant was also present at the scene. Below is the damage to the government-issued vehicle. 

Below is an image of William Morgan and Isaac Sant on the scene.

DAMN members trained other direct action and Antifa affinity groups throughout the country about how to forcibly obstruct, prevent, delay, hinder, and impede federal immigration enforcement operations. These trainings were referred to as the “Anarchist Speaking Tour.”  DAMN members provided training and best practice at “Anarchist Speaking Tour” events in Chicago, Ann Arbor, and Seattle in April 2026. 

On April 8, DAMN members Callum Robinet, William Morgan, and others took part in the “Anarchist Speaking Tour” in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Robinet explained to the participants that, “So this is an anarchist speaking tour. We’re all anarchists.” 

On April 18, DAMN members Isaac Sant, Cameron Kennedy, and William Morgan took part in the “Anarchist Speaking Tour” in Seattle, Washington. Kennedy described the history of violent resistance in Minneapolis. He described the looting and burning of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct as “the happiest moment of my life.” Kennedy explained, “A lot of mutual aid networks that were later characterized…this resistance to ICE came from the George Floyd uprising.” Kennedy described himself as a “revolutionary anarchist.” 

Kennedy discussed the Jan. 23 direct action at the Whipple Building, stating that DAMN utilized a “soft blockade with shields at one entrance. He continued that there were “two other deployment teams…those deployment teams had trailers that they had bought off of Facebook Marketplace for really cheap and they essentially tried to blockade the other entrances simultaneously with this blockade (pointed to soft blockade on the projector). One of those trailers was deployed and flipped and successfully shut access. The other was about 30 seconds away from successful deployment before the team was actually pepper sprayed. They managed to avoid arrest…and they managed to drive away, albeit losing the trailer in the process.”

Kennedy also spoke about the direct action at the Whipple Building on March 1. Kennedy pointed to a projector screen and said, “the one you see over here is another shield wall on March 1st.” He continued, “this demonstration had four components to it. There was a above ground march that was led by indigenous sundancers that would take up gate one of the Whipple Building and the others were designed to essentially shut down the other two points of egress…there was 3 deployment teams.  The first deployment team brought in shields.” The second deployment team “was sent in and they had something to be like tank busters…” Kennedy described these items as similar to “images of like D-Day, they’re like the metal X structures that you see and actually when the vehicles hit them, it digs back into the road and will stop the vehicle.” Kennedy explained, “I was on deploy 2 or deploy 3 and I had a 10-foot U-Haul box truck and a 30-foot trailer that I was going to use to block one of the entrances.”

Isaac Sant said, “We’re here from Minneapolis. We’re on tour to talk about our experiences resisting the ICE occupation.” He stated, “I think the Twin Cities real contributions to the field of revolutionary organization, of insurrectionary organization is these rapid response networks.” Sant stated, “I am in an anarchist, revolutionary organization. It’s called Blackcat.”

During the event, Sant discussed the logistics of “commuters,” who follow, harass, and confront federal immigration enforcement vehicles. Sant described, “…commuters were on a phone call in real time with a dispatcher who was somewhere with a dispatcher who was somewhere in the privacy of her own room reporting on like that convoys movements. That dispatcher was in a relay chat that allowed for communication between the Elliott Park and the adjacent Loring Park neighborhood…” Sant further explained, “We don’t recommend that anybody ever commute or control by yourself because it’s an inherently dangerous thing. So you always want to do that with a buddy who’s your copilot. So like you’re driving and looking for ice, your co-pilots on the phone talking to dispatch and however many other commuters on a Signal call…you might ask that dispatcher for plate checks, like they’re looking at a database of license plates and you’re not.  And you might be like, so a lot of like your day and you’re like, hey I wonder if that’s ICE…And like you see a suspicious looking white Jeep Wagoneer, your copilot like reports a dispatch…and then you follow that car until you can’t anymore.” Sant then described Whipple Watch as a “counter surveillance project,” stating, “This is a very like boring and unglamorous and unsexy side of our work, but basically what I and my comrades do is we go down to Whipple building and hang out there all day and photograph every ICE vehicle that’s coming in and out of the vehicle.” Sant continued that, “Now in April and we have it down to a science and it’s more or less instantaneous.  We maintain a searchable database in conjunction with data collection group called Defrost that’s publicly searchable on a website…Defrost is the list of every vehicle that we’ve ever seen ICE in make and model plates and like where and how many times it’s been spotted…So what we’ve started to experiment with now is we maintain a second database that’s only current plates. We erase it at the end of every night and we refresh it the next morning…and hot dishes is just a database of like all the active plates that left Whipple that day. So commuters can know like what we’re, we have confirmed on the road at the moment….What we do is, I mean we have a two fold motive of like getting their plates and blasting those out to all the neighborhoods and also just like wasting their time and resources.”

DAMN members emphasize a violent, militant approach and are highly critical of the non-violent, peaceful protests. DAMN members often advocate, promote, and celebrate violent resistance to purported fascist groups and the government.

For example, the Black Cat Worker’s Collective Facebook cover page reads “Welcome to Minneapolis!” and has an image of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct in the background. The Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct was burnt down and destroyed during the riots following the death of George Floyd. Stillshot from the Black Cat Worker’s Collective Facebook page below.

On Feb. 5, Cameron Kennedy posted on Facebook, “I swear I’m going to lose my f*****g mind if I see that ‘if 3.5% of the population is committed to peaceful revolution, they win’ bulls**t…It’s given far to (sic) many well meaning people, a fake a** idea of what it takes to win. It has folks attacking militant elements of the resistance and aiding the state against them because they think violence or even property destruction is counter revolutionary. They could not be more wrong. I want to make this as clear as I can: YOU WILL NEVER WIN WITH NON-VIOLENCE ALONE.  Ever. No one has. No one will. You absolutely need militants to win. I’m sorry the world is so cruel but this is the real world, not a f*****g fairytale…” See post below.

On Jan. 24, Kyle Wagner posted a video on his Instagram account “kaos.follows,” while wearing a bullet-proof vest. Wagner admitted to being Antifa.  Wagner stated, “[I]f you are [caught up], it’s time to suit up. Boots on the ground. Nicollet and f*****g 26th. My house is four blocks away. Anywhere between Franklin and Nicollet, and 26th and Nicollet, show up ready to go. Okay, no, not talking about peaceful protests anymore. We’re not talking about having polite conversations anymore…This is exactly what I said was going to f****** come when we didn’t f****** go march on f****** Whipple with guns. Sorry but welcome to America 2026 where the Second Amendment is the only thing that’s going to keep you f****** protected from literal f****** Nazi gun men that are killing innocent people in the street with impunity. This is not a f****** joke. There’s nothing fun to chant about it. Get your f****** guns and stop these f****** people.” Stillshot of Wagner from the video below.

The following defendants are named in the DAMN indictment:

• Isaac Auman Sant, also known as “Isaac Dalto” and “Ike,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer and Interstate Stalking.
• Emmett James Doyle, also known as “Plotnikov,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Cameron Kennedy, also known as “Cam,” “Olive Knite,” and “Knite,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Callum Robinet, also known as “Juliet K,” “Juliet,” and “Cal,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Erik Davis, also known as “Errico,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Brian Stillwell Apland, also known as “Tiny,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Kyle Wagner, also known as “Kaos,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer, Solicitation to Commit a Crime of Violence, and Interstate Threats.
• Hannah Margaret Van De Water Davis, also known as “Gabriel Van De Water” and “Nube,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Treasure Cay Thoreson, also known as “Schatzi,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Nathan Junho Kim, also known as “Moon Bear,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Alec Stewart, also known as “Mac,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Douglas Misterek, also known as “Doug” and “D Munny Big Dog Orf Orf,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• Dustin Scott Beisell, also known as “Sparky,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer.
• William Morgan, also known as “Willow” and “Willow Tree,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer, Interstate Stalking, Assault on a Federal Officer, and Destruction of Government Property.
• Natasha Rakotz, also known as “Anuran,” is charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer and Assault on a Federal Officer.

This case was investigated by HSI.

This case is part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, which is a White House directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in protecting First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence and is led by the investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Vance Luther Boelter, of Green Isle, Minnesota, has pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple charges related to the stalking, shooting, and murdering of Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, as well as the stalking and shooting of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman, and attempted shooting of their daughter Hope Hoffman.

According to court documents in United States v. Vance Luther Boelter, No. 25‑cr-272 (JRT/DJF), on or about June 14, 2025, Boelter used GPS navigation systems, interstate wires, the Internet, and other interstate communication systems to plan and carry out a coordinated series of violent attacks targeting the Hortman and Hoffman families in Brooklyn Park and Champlin, Minnesota. Court documents allege that Boelter acted with the intent to kill, injure, harass, and intimidate the victims, and that his conduct placed them in reasonable fear of death and serious bodily injury. During these attacks, Melissa and Mark Hortman were shot and killed, and John and Yvette Hoffman suffered life‑threatening injuries.

Today, during a change‑of‑plea hearing in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim, Boelter admitted to the conduct described in the indictment and pleaded guilty to all counts, which include two stalkings, two murders through use of a firearm, and two federal firearm-shooting offenses. The plea agreement provides that Boelter is subject to the longest possible prison term allowable under law for his offenses.

This case is a result of a joint state and federal criminal investigation involving agencies across the entire state of Minnesota, including FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, ATF, Brooklyn Park Police Department, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sherriff’s Office, Champlin Police Department, and New Hope Police Department, together with several other state and local partners.

“Political violence is a scourge in our nation,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “We now expect Vance Boelter will spend the rest of his natural life in prison without parole. To all of those who would commit political violence: this Justice Department will seek and obtain the longest prison terms for your offense.” 

“Political violence is a nemesis of our democracy,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “On June 14, 2025, Vance Boelter thought he was above the law, above the Constitution, and that his personal views justified a violent crime spree unlike any other seen in Minnesota. For nearly 43 hours after his despicable crimes began, the FBI, BCA, and law enforcement partners from all over the state worked non-stop to track him down and end his campaign of political violence. I am extremely proud of the immediate, cooperative, and comprehensive response of law enforcement from all over Minnesota to quickly track down a ruthless killer. Our hearts are with the victims and their surviving families, the Hortmans, Hoffmans, and all of those other elected officials who were on Boelter's list.”

“Across the Twin Cities, families woke on June 14, 2025, to a fear they should never have had to imagine, that their public servants had been hunted and attacked in their own homes,” said ATF St. Paul Field Division Special Agent in Charge Joe Persails. “Melissa and Mark Hortman were killed, and John and Yvette Hoffman were left to recover from grievous injuries. The terror Vance Boelter set out to create reached far beyond the people he targeted and shook our entire Minnesota community. ATF joined the urgent, around-the-clock effort to locate Boelter and to develop the investigative leads that helped bring him into custody. Today's guilty plea cannot return what was taken from these families, but it makes clear that anyone who chooses to bring this kind of violence to our communities will answer for that choice.”

“The change in plea by Vance Boelter represents an important step toward accountability for the devastating acts that shook our community,” said Interim Chief Bill Peterson of the Minneapolis Police Department. “While this outcome again reflects the unwavering partnership among local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and the many others who’ve worked tirelessly on this case, no legal proceeding could undo the pain suffered by the Horton and Hoffman families. This plea brings us closer to justice, but we remain committed to honoring the victims, protecting our community, and ensuring that accountability is achieved through the rule of law."

“Mr. Boelter carried out a heinous and unprecedented act of political violence against Minnesota’s political leaders. Violence targeting public officials is an affront to our democracy. We are grateful for all the agencies that worked in partnership to bring Mr. Boelter into custody and prepare a case that forced the guilty plea accepted in court today,” said Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. “To the Hortman and Hoffman families, Minnesota continues to mourn the loss and the suffering you have endured. We hope today’s guilty plea brings you some measure of solace.”

“A guilty plea brings a legal resolution, but our focus today remains on the memory of Melissa and Mark Hortman, and the ongoing recovery of Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. No courtroom outcome can undo the devastation of that morning, but we hope this accountability offers a step toward closure. We continue to hold both families in our thoughts, offering our deepest respect and unwavering support as they heal.” Said Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley.

“As City of Champlin Police Chief, I acknowledge the profound impact the attempted assassination of Senator John Hoffman and his wife, along with the tragic loss of Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, has had on their families and our entire community. These acts of violence have deeply shaken Champlin and our surrounding communities, reinforcing both our shared sense of vulnerability and our resolve to stand united in support of all those affected. Our thoughts remain with the Hoffman family as they recover, and we mourn alongside those grieving the devastating loss of Representative Hortman and her husband. Champlin and the broader community will continue to come together with strength and compassion, ensuring that such acts do not define us but instead strengthen our commitment to one another. Today’s guilty plea represents a significant step towards recovery for the affected families, and we are grateful for all the work that has been put into this case by the law enforcement community.”

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley M. Endicott and Matthew D. Forbes are prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – Today, United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Said Abdullahi Ereg surrendered peacefully to the FBI. He was indicted on June 24, 2024, for his role in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.

According to court documents, Ereg exploited the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID-19 pandemic and was involved in obtaining, misappropriating, and laundering millions of dollars in program funds that were meant to feed children in need. He ran a grocery and deli in Minneapolis and was under the sponsorship of the nonprofit, Feeding Our Future. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Ereg after he was charged, but he was not arrested as he was living overseas and his exact whereabouts were unknown. 

The Federal Child Nutrition Program operates throughout the United States and administers the programs at the national and regional levels by distributing federal funds to state governments, which provide oversight over the Federal Child Nutrition Program. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) administered the program in the state. According to court documents, Ereg owned and operated Evergreen Grocery and Deli, a for-profit business that participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. From approximately April 2020 to April 2021, Ereg is alleged to have defrauded the program by submitting false reimbursement claims, for which he received more than $4.2 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. At times, Evergreen Grocery and Deli claimed to have served more than 3,000 meals, twice a day, seven days a week. Ereg’s wife, Najmo Ahmed, also worked at the business and received payroll payments directly from Feeding Our Future. Ahmed pleaded guilty on February 24, 2025, to one count of money laundering. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15, 2026, by United States District Court Judge Nancy E. Brasel. 

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

On June 4, 2026, the FBI announced the launch of its Most Wanted Fraudsters List, publicly identifying Ereg as a fugitive from justice. The next day, Ereg communicated through counsel his desire to return to the United States. He surrendered to FBI agents at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport earlier this afternoon.

“Today’s apprehension of Said Abdullahi Ereg, a fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters List, highlights the collective commitment of the DOJ, FBI, IRS, and USPIS, along with our USAO to bring every alleged fraudster to justice. Ereg was one of eight fugitives added to the FBI’s newly announced fraud list just six days ago and is the first to be taken into custody to face charges for his alleged actions,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson.

“We are proud to have assisted the Department of Justice in today’s surrender of a suspect accused of betraying the public’s trust and committing crimes against our community’s most vulnerable,” said HSI Minneapolis/St. Paul Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy. “This case sends a clear message: being outside the United States does not place you beyond the reach of HSI and our law enforcement partners. Our commitment is unwavering: those who exploit programs intended to support children and families will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice here in Minnesota.”

The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Kline, Matthew Murphy, and Austin Bowyer are prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen today announced the unsealing of a federal grand jury indictment charging Joseph Andrew Bragg with the January 21, 2026, alleged Kidnapping and Attempted Transportation of a minor victim. He is also charged with the alleged Production and Possession of Child Pornography involving a second minor victim.

According to state and federal court documents, on January 21, 2026, a minor child under the age of 10, Victim 1, returned home to the usual school bus drop-off at approximately 3:53 p.m. The drop-off location was a block from Victim 1’s home. Video surveillance confirmed that Victim 1 started walking toward her home, then turned around and walked back the way she had come. Victim 1 did not arrive home and Victim 1’s mother reported her missing that afternoon. 

Victim 1’s mother reported having an unusual online interaction approximately two weeks earlier with a Facebook profile username “Joseph Bragg.” The individual alleged he worked in childcare and asked if she or anyone she knew was looking for babysitting services. Victim 1’s mother reported feeling uncomfortable and ultimately blocking the individual. Further investigation identified the Facebook profile as belonging to Joseph Andrew Bragg. 

Law enforcement developed a phone number for Bragg and found that he had rented a vehicle with Tennessee (TN) license plates associated. Location tracking data showed that Bragg’s phone number and the rental vehicle were traveling together south on Interstate 35 moving toward Iowa. 

Just after midnight on January 22, 2026, a sergeant with the Albert Lea Police Department stopped a vehicle matching the description of the rental vehicle after confirming that it bore the same TN license plate as the suspect vehicle. Bragg was identified as the driver. He told police that he was driving a rental and that he was on his way to Arkansas. Police saw a minor female in the backseat of the vehicle partially covered by a red suitcase. The minor was removed and confirmed to be Victim 1. 

Further investigation revealed that the phone Bragg possessed the night of Victim 1’s kidnapping contained several video and photo files depicting child sexual abuse material of multiple minor victims. Victim 2 was positively identified in several of those files.

Bragg made his initial appearance in District Court on May 28, where the Court ordered him detained. 

“The allegations set forth in this indictment are every parent’s worst nightmare,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Joseph Bragg allegedly abducted a young child, took her from the love and safety of her home and family, and tried to take her out of the state for his own purposes. Separately, the child sexual abuse material allegedly produced and possessed by Bragg are despicable evidence of a terrifying sexual interest in children. The FBI is dedicated to stopping child predators, keeping children safe, and bringing offenders to justice. In partnership with the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office and the BCA, we did just that. I hope the fact that the alleged offender will answer for these allegations in federal court helps to restore a sense of safety to victims.”

 “As alleged in this indictment, Joseph Andrew Bragg is the very definition of a predator. When he allegedly abducted his young victim, we issued an AMBER Alert, and our agents worked urgently with local and federal investigators to find them, ultimately uncovering his scheme to access and target children,” Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said. “Minnesota’s children must be protected by all of us and we will use every tool at our disposal to bring them to safety, and to bring those who would harm them to justice.”

“The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office will never forget the unbelievable amount of assistance provided by law enforcement, fire departments, and volunteers that day,” said Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office Commander Ben Zawacki. “Our Criminal Investigative Division deserves tremendous credit for the tireless work they did that night and the multiple days after until the investigation was concluded.”

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the FBI, with assistance from the Zimmerman Fire Department, the Albert Lea Police Department, the Plymouth Police Department, and the Northstar Search and Rescue. The Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to this investigation through reports or evidence control.

Investigators believe there may be more victims relevant to this investigation. If you or your minor dependent(s) have any information regarding Joseph Andrew Bragg, please contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Albania Concepcion is prosecuting the case.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – Shadow Hawk Mallan, age 28, of Austin, Minnesota, was arraigned on an indictment charging him with three counts of Production of Child Pornography, one count of Interstate Communications with Intent to Extort, one count of Receipt of Child Pornography, one count of Possession of Child Pornography, and one count of Commission of a Felony Offenses Involving a Minor when Required to Register as a Sex Offender, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

According to state and federal court documents, Mallan owned multiple Snapchat, Discord, and other social media and email accounts that he used to solicit minor victims across the world to receive sexually explicit photographs and videos from them. Mallan also engaged in live video chats with the minor victims, which he recorded and saved. Mallan then threatened the minor victims if they refused to continue sending him sexually explicit material, including threats of physical violence and to distribute the sexually explicit material to their friends and families. To date, evidence shows that Mallan solicited hundreds of minors online over several years. Law enforcement has identified approximately thirteen minor victims. Mallan was previously convicted of Solicitation of a Child to Engage in Sexual Conduct in 2020 in Mower County, Minnesota and was required to register as predatory offender throughout the time of his charged offense.

“As alleged in this indictment, Shadow Hawk Mallan was a registered sex offender who used the worldwide reach of the Internet to continue sexually exploiting children, even after a prior conviction," said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "Not satisfied with the harm caused by the sexual exploitation of children, Mr. Mallan allegedly deepened the psychological damage caused by threatening to distribute child sexual abuse material depicting his child victims to their friends and family. The FBI and our state and local law enforcement partners work diligently every day to protect child victims and bring child predators to justice.”

Mallan made his initial appearance in District Court and was ordered detained pending trial. 

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Austin Police Department.

Investigators believe there may be other victims relevant to this investigation. As alleged in the indictment and elsewhere, the defendant used Snapchat ID “ps4programer420,” Discord ID “kushklouds420,” and several other online accounts to commit the alleged offenses. If you or your child believe you have been a victim of Shadow Hawk Mallan, we encourage you to contact 800-CALL-FBI or report to tips.fbi.gov.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrie J. Schneider 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 – Aimee Bock has been sentenced to 500 months in prison for her lead role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. 

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

As proven at trial, Aimee Bock, 44, was the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Salim Said, 36, former co-owner of Safari Restaurant, was jointly tried with Bock. Together, they oversaw a massive fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship. 

“Over forty-one years in prison is the cost this fraudster will pay for stealing from children,” said Colin M. McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Rather than using taxpayer funds intended to feed vulnerable children, the defendant instead pocketed the money to buy luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota, and finance international travel. As this prison sentence makes clear, Minnesota fraudsters should be on high alert—justice is on the move.”

"Aimee Bock and her co-conspirators orchestrated one of the largest frauds against a social service program ever in Minnesota," said FBI Minneapolis Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "The hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars stolen through Bock's scheme were meant to help children and families in need. Defrauding programs designed to feed hungry children is despicable and the sentence handed down today underscores that fact. Complex fraud investigations are at the heart of the FBI's work. Our Special Agents, Forensic Accountants, Analysts, and professional staff will continue to work tenaciously with our law enforcement partners to protect the American taxpayer and families in need from frauds like these."

As proven at trial, Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota. These sites, created and operated by Bock, Said, and others, fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed. Bock and Said created and submitted false documentation, including fraudulent meal counts consisting of fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names and ages of the children receiving meals at the sites each day. Feeding Our Future submitted these fraudulent claims to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and then disbursed the fraudulently obtained Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to their co-conspirators involved in the scheme. 

To accomplish their scheme, Bock and her co-conspirators created dozens of shell companies to enroll in the program as food program sites, and to receive and launder the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme. In exchange for sponsoring these sites’ fraudulent participation in the program, Feeding Our Future received more than $18 million in administrative fees to which it was not entitled. In addition to the administrative fees, Feeding Our Future employees solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies sponsored by Feeding Our Future. Many of these kickbacks were paid in cash or disguised as “consulting fees” paid to shell companies created by Feeding Our Future employees to make them appear legitimate. 

In total, Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota, and in doing so, went from receiving and disbursing approximately $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021. Throughout the course of their scheme, Feeding Our Future fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. The defendants used the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme to purchase luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota, and to fund international travel. 

In pronouncing sentence, Judge Nancy Brasel told Bock, “This was a fraud vortex and you were at the epicenter of it.” Judge Brasel stated that “A sentence of less than 500 months would not do justice to the people of Minnesota, who were in a very real sense the victims of this fraud.”

These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Matthew D. Evans are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

Aimee Bock has been sentenced to 500 months in prison for her lead role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

As proven at trial, Aimee Bock, 44, was the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Salim Said, 36, former co-owner of Safari Restaurant, was jointly tried with Bock. Together, they oversaw a massive fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship.

“Over 41 years in prison is the cost this fraudster will pay for stealing from children, said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald for the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Rather than using taxpayer funds intended to feed vulnerable children, the defendant instead pocketed the money to buy luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota, and finance international travel. As this prison sentence makes clear, Minnesota fraudsters should be on high alert — justice is on the move.”

“Aimee Bock and her co-conspirators orchestrated one of the largest frauds against a social service program ever in Minnesota,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “The hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars stolen through Bock's scheme were meant to help children and families in need. Defrauding programs designed to feed hungry children is despicable and the sentence handed down today underscores that fact. Complex fraud investigations are at the heart of the FBI's work. Our Special Agents, Forensic Accountants, Analysts, and professional staff will continue to work tenaciously with our law enforcement partners to protect the American taxpayer and families in need from frauds like these.”

As proven at trial, Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota. These sites, created and operated by Bock, Said, and others, fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed. Bock and Said created and submitted false documentation, including fraudulent meal counts consisting of fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names and ages of the children receiving meals at the sites each day. Feeding Our Future submitted these fraudulent claims to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and then disbursed the fraudulently obtained Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to their co-conspirators involved in the scheme.

To accomplish their scheme, Bock and her co-conspirators created dozens of shell companies to enroll in the program as food program sites, and to receive and launder the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme. In exchange for sponsoring these sites’ fraudulent participation in the program, Feeding Our Future received more than $18 million in administrative fees to which it was not entitled. In addition to the administrative fees, Feeding Our Future employees solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies sponsored by Feeding Our Future. Many of these kickbacks were paid in cash or disguised as “consulting fees” paid to shell companies created by Feeding Our Future employees to make them appear legitimate.

In total, Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota, and in doing so, went from receiving and disbursing approximately $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021. Throughout the course of their scheme, Feeding Our Future fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. The defendants used the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme to purchase luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota, and to fund international travel.

In pronouncing sentence, Judge Nancy Brasel told Bock, “This was a fraud vortex and you were at the epicenter of it.” Judge Brasel stated that “A sentence of less than 500 months would not do justice to the people of Minnesota, who were in a very real sense the victims of this fraud.”

These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Matthew D. Evans are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

ST. PAUL – Jumoke Ace Maceo Cryer, 38, was found guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and one count of possession of body armor by a prohibited person, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Cryer is the second defendant convicted as part of this conspiracy.

According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, the defendant conspired with other co-defendants to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine.  The defendant, who was previously convicted of distributing methamphetamine in 2016, was observed on video entering a St. Paul drug stash house and leaving with 140 pounds of illegal narcotics.  A subsequent search of his home resulted in the seizure of body armor, which the defendant was prohibited from possessing due to his violent criminal history.

Cryer was found guilty after a 3-day jury trial before Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the St. Paul Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and Garrett S. Fields.

MINNEAPOLIS –An Eden Prairie man has been sentenced to 180 months in prison for setting fire to a townhome while five people, including an infant, were inside, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

According to court documents, on May 31, 2024, at 11:27 a.m., the Eden Prairie Fire Department responded to a fire in a townhome. When the fire started, there were five people in the house, including one adult man and four children. When emergency responders arrived, they met the adult male occupant and three children outside, but the fourth child, a nine-month-old baby (Minor A), was still in the burning house. Eden Prairie firefighters entered the residence and found Minor A, who survived the fire but needed to be transported by ambulance to the hospital.

According to court documents and the record at sentencing, Abdirahman Abdi Abdullahi, 23, was on probation for violating a restraining order that prohibited him from contacting Minor A’s mother, who lived in the burned home. Two days before the fire, Abdullahi sent a threatening message to Minor A’s mother stating, “when I see u I’m smoke u.” On that same day, Abdullahi arrived at the door of the house and threatened to kill Minor A’s mother. The day of the fire, Abdullahi used rental car rented by a third party. He traveled to a nearby gas station with a red gas can, which he filled with gasoline. He then parked the car in a parking lot down the street from the burned home where it was hidden by a row of hedges. Wearing plastic gloves, he carried the gas can and a large plastic bag, later found to be full of clothes, through the hedges to the victim’s home. A fire investigation showed that Abdullahi used that gas can to douse the bag of clothes, which he set fire to at the entrance of the home. The flames collapsed the garage roof, melted the front doorknob, and ultimately destroyed the home. The fire damaged neighboring townhomes, as well.

Abdullahi pleaded guilty to Arson Resulting in Personal Injury as charged in the Indictment. At sentencing, the Court found that Abdullahi’s intended to cause the death of Minor A’s mother when he set the fire. The Court noted Abdullahi’s level of planning and his “calculated, cold” preparation. As a result, the sentence for Arson followed the sentencing guidelines for Attempted Murder.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minnesota State Fire Marshal, the Eden Prairie Police Department, and the Eden Prairie Fire Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys William C. Mattessich and Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, pleaded guilty today to one count of Assaulting a United States Officer in U.S. District Court.  According to court documents, on January 27, 2026, Kazmierczak sat in the front row at an official Minneapolis town hall meeting hosted by U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, when he stood up, and rapidly approached Rep. Omar as she was speaking. Kazmierczak sprayed Rep. Omar with apple cider vinegar from a syringe, which landed on Rep. Omar’s clothing and skin. Lab analysis confirmed the liquid contained acetic acid. Kazmierczak gestured and shouted at Rep. Omar before security guards subdued him. The town hall meeting was temporarily disrupted, but Rep. Omar later continued her remarks.

photo of syringe with liquid used by Kazmierczak recovered by Minneapolis Police

During his arrest by Minneapolis Police officers, Kazmierczak spontaneously stated, “I squirted vinegar.” During today’s change-of-plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen, Kazmierczak admitted that he planned the assault and that he did not agree with Rep. Omar’s political views.

“This assault is yet another example of a dangerous national trend: people channeling political hatred into criminal acts,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “The Department of Justice and this U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate such behavior.”

“Political violence is a scourge on our democracy,” said FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “The FBI will not tolerate attacks on elected officials or anyone who serves our nation. Anyone who thinks they can attack an elected official or seek to insert violence into our democratic discourse without consequence will find the FBI and our law enforcement partners in their way. Mr. Kazmierczak’s conviction today is a testament to a quick and thorough investigation and underlines the importance of interagency collaboration with Minneapolis Police and other state and local agencies.”

A sentencing date for Kazmierczak has not yet been set by the U.S. District Court.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department, led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – Defendant William Michael Haslach, 30, a former employee of Independent School District #622 (North St. Paul—Maplewood—Oakdale) and ISD #834 (Stillwater), has pleaded guilty to attempted production of child pornography and production of an obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

According to court documents, defendant Haslach, of Maplewood, Minnesota, occupied several positions of trust with children.  From August 2021 until January 2025, Haslach served as a lunch monitor and traffic guard for ISD #622.  From 2021 through 2024, Haslach also served as a paraprofessional and later as a youth summer programs assistant for ISD #834.  Haslach used his access to children to take non-explicit photos of children in his care.  Haslach then used those images to produce morphed/AI photos of those minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Haslach admitted to creating obscene visual representations of at least 91 minor victims in more than 690 morphed images through AI morphing. He also admitted to surreptitiously photographing a pre-pubescent minor’s genital area when she was wearing a swimsuit.

To date, there is no evidence that Mr. Haslach distributed or shared the images he created.

If you are a parent of a child that has at any point been under the care of Haslach, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has set up a website to provide you with resources and further information about this case: www.justice.gov/usao-mn/haslach-child-exploitation-case-school-district-employee-0

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 United States Secret Service, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Maplewood Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Mattessich is prosecuting the case.

In the last week, Tyreese Giles, 25, and Ernest Ketter, 30, both of Minneapolis, were sentenced after each was found guilty by a jury at trial. On April 23, Giles was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy, which included a gang-related murder. On April 29, Ketter was sentenced to 95 months in prison and three years of supervised release after a separate jury convicted him of a drug trafficking conspiracy.

“These defendants terrorized their communities,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Members of this gang armed themselves and hunted down suspected rivals on the streets of Minneapolis and openly sold fentanyl, an extremely deadly drug. These sentences exemplify the Criminal Division’s unwavering commitment to holding gang members and their associates accountable and to restoring safety to communities plagued by violence.”

“These sentences reflect the sustained, coordinated effort required to dismantle a violent gang that brought fear and deadly drugs into the Minneapolis community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Joseph Persails of ATF’s St. Paul Field Division. “ATF and our partners leveraged crime gun intelligence and complex investigative tools over several years to hold these individuals accountable. This outcome sends a clear message that those who drive violence and traffic fentanyl will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice. We are grateful for the continued partnership and dedication of all agencies involved in this investigation.”

“The Highs and their associates caused untold damage to our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “These defendants were part of a racketeering organization engaged in murder, gun crimes, assaults, robberies, and fentanyl trafficking. The sentences handed down in this case cannot repair the death and destruction these defendants created, but they should send a message to others seeking to glorify crime and violence at the expense of our neighborhoods. The FBI and our partners will use every available resource to stop those who seek to prey on our communities.”

“Tyreese Giles and Ernest Ketter treated entire neighborhoods like territory to control — through violence, fear, and profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Chicago Field Office. “These sentences send a clear message: if you build a criminal enterprise on bloodshed, you will be held to account. IRS-CI special agents followed the money — tracking illicit proceeds and exposing the financial lifelines behind this violence — to help our federal, state, and local partners dismantle this organization and protect the people of Minneapolis. Cases like this show how IRS-CI plays a critical role in all types of investigations.  When we expose the financial engine driving violent crime, we don’t just disrupt these groups — we help take them off the streets and make our communities safer.”

“Yesterday’s sentencing is an example of the resolve of U.S. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners to uncover and bring to justice drug traffickers who, through their network of criminal enterprise, prey on our communities” said Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Denver Division. “We will not tolerate these criminals distributing lethal substances such as fentanyl while participating in other criminal activities and destroying the lives of many who fall victim to addiction and despair. Let this be a warning that no matter where you are, you will be held accountable for your illegal activity, restoring safety to the communities we serve.”  

Giles was convicted in May 2025 for his involvement in the Highs — a violent Minneapolis street gang that controlled territory north of West Broadway Avenue, including a gang-related 2021 murder. Highs members and associates committed murders, narcotics trafficking, weapons violations, burglaries, assaults, and robberies on behalf of the enterprise. Ketter was an associate of the Highs convicted of conspiring to distribute fentanyl in June 2025.

On Sept. 9, 2021, a prominent Highs member was shot and killed at a barbershop in Minneapolis. About two hours later, suspecting that members of a rival gang ─ the Lows ─ were responsible for the killing, Giles and others traveled to Low’s territory looking for rivals to retaliate against. Surveillance footage showed Giles outside the open Pennwood Market in Minneapolis, where he found the victim and opened fire. As the victim tried to flee, Giles killed him outside of the store, shooting him in the back as he tried to hide.

At Ketter’s trial, evidence showed that he was a high-level supplier of fentanyl pills to the Highs. In October 2022, a search of Ketter’s residence turned up illegal firearms, including a machine gun, drug distribution materials, and approximately 30 grams of fentanyl pills and powder. Text messages showed that Highs members owed Ketter money for 20 kilograms of drugs he had previously supplied.

The case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Department of Corrections, and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Trial Attorneys Brian W. Lynch and Alyssa Levey-Weinstein of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Albania Concepcion and Rebecca Kline for the District of Minnesota prosecuted this case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen today announced the unsealing of a federal grand jury indictment charging Christopher Ostroushko, Deyanna Ostroushko, and Paige Ostroushko with assaulting a journalist while she was reporting on an anti-ICE protest on federal property in St. Paul Minnesota on April 11, 2026. Christopher Ostroushko and Paige Ostroushko are also charged with willfully and forcefully injuring and intimidating that journalist.

“These three individuals were indicted by a grand jury for allegedly assaulting journalist and Turning Point USA contributor Savannah Hernandez, while she was lawfully reporting on anti-ICE protests outside a federal building in St. Paul,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

“Hernandez was allegedly surrounded, physically assaulted, and shoved to the ground — simply because she was identified by the defendants as a conservative journalist. That is NOT ‘peaceful protest.’ These deplorable actions as charged in the indictment will not be tolerated in America, and this Department of Justice will always punish unhinged acts of political violence.”

“Political violence is a national scourge,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen, “and federal law enforcement will not tolerate it.”

FBI, HSI and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.

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

The Department of Justice today announced the unsealing of a federal grand jury indictment charging Christopher Ostroushko, Deyanna Ostroushko, and Paige Ostroushko with assaulting a journalist while she was reporting on an anti-ICE protest on federal property in St. Paul Minnesota on April 11, 2026. Christopher Ostroushko and Paige Ostroushko are also charged with willfully and forcefully injuring and intimidating that journalist.

“These three individuals were indicted by a grand jury for allegedly assaulting journalist and Turning Point USA contributor Savannah Hernandez, while she was lawfully reporting on anti-ICE protests outside a federal building in St. Paul,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Hernandez was allegedly surrounded, physically assaulted, and shoved to the ground — simply because she was identified by the defendants as a conservative journalist. That is NOT ‘peaceful protest.’ These deplorable actions as charged in the indictment will not be tolerated in America, and this Department of Justice will always punish unhinged acts of political violence.”

“Political violence is a national scourge,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota, “and federal law enforcement will not tolerate it.”

FBI, HSI and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.

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

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Defendant Ezell “Cash” Lucas, 34, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to 174 months in prison for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking operation responsible for transporting mass quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine from Chicago to Minnesota for sale to drug users in Duluth, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.  Lucas was the last of seven defendants in the case convicted of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances to be sentenced.

From December 2021 to February 2024, Lucas managed a large-scale drug distribution operation (the “Lucas DTO”) based in Chicago that targeted drug customers in the Twin Ports region.  Lucas worked with local drug distributors in Duluth to traffic fentanyl from Chicago and establish a customer base in Duluth.  Lucas then directed criminal associates from Chicago to travel to Duluth and conduct the organization’s operations on the ground.  Lucas, sitting in Chicago, fielded calls from drug customers and directed those customers to pre-determined locations in Duluth to meet Lucas’s drug dealers and complete the sales.  During a two-year period, law enforcement seized more than 890 grams of fentanyl and 262 grams of methamphetamine from the Lucas DTO over the course of 19 seizure events, including controlled buys, traffic stops, residence search warrants, and a seizure incident to an overdose death.

In February 2024, a federal grand jury indicted multiple defendants, including Lucas, with engaging in a Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine.  This week, U.S. District Court Judge Eric C. Tostrud sentenced Lucas to 174 months in prison for his role in the offense. 

In August 2025, Lucas’s co-defendant Carl Brown, 32, of Chicago, proceeded to trial on the charged offense.  Brown was convicted by a federal jury following a three-day trial. He was later sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment for his role in the offense.

Lucas’s remaining six co-defendants pled guilty and were sentenced to the following terms of imprisonment:

• Anthony Green, 36, of Chicago, Illinois:  120 months
• Matthew Erickson, a/k/a “EZ,” 37, of Duluth, Minnesota: 60 months
• Robert Chism, 37, of Chicago, Illinois:  48 months
• Deandre Westmoreland, 37, of Chicago, Illinois: 32 months
• Pharoo Withersoon, 37, of Chicago, Illinois:  18 months

“This case sends a clear message: individuals who profit from distributing illegal substances in our community will be identified and prosecuted,” said Lt. Jason Tanski of the Duluth Police Department and Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force (“LSVOTF”).  “For over a year, during a critical period of the opioid crisis, LSVOTF conducted a comprehensive investigation into the Lucas Drug Trafficking Organization.  This investigation included extensive undercover operations by LSVOTF Investigators to identify those individuals involved in the organization.  Numerous residences throughout Duluth were used by Lucas and his organization to distribute fentanyl to the community, preying on our community and advancing their illegal operation.

“The sentencing of this prolific drug dealer has a direct and positive impact on public safety by removing a significant source of supply and helping protect lives.  The LSVOTF would like to credit the cooperation and assistance of our state and federal partners that helped bring this case to a successful resolution.”

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Duluth Police Department, LSVOTF, the Saint Louis County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and Syngen Kanassatega prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal district court yesterday sentenced Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23, of
Minneapolis, MN, to 102 months’ (or 8.5 years’) imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for his attempts to Provide Material Support and Resources to a Designated Foreign
Terrorist Organization, namely the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, known as “ISIS,” announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. ISIS has been duly designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State since 2014.
According to court documents, Hassan began consuming information from and about ISIS and other State Department designated foreign terrorist organizations in at least 2024. For example, Hassan obtained and reposted ISIS propaganda articles and videos (some of them extremely violent) on his various social media accounts. He downloaded multiple files from a known media wing of ISIS, with names like, “The life of a Mujahideen,” “The month of Jihad,” “The return of the Caliphate,” and “The path of jihad.” He obtained online manuals written in Arabic on how to make highly explosive materials such as C4, urea nitrate, HMTD, and hexamine. He openly posted his desire for jihad and an Islamic caliphate on his various social media accounts. He also obtained manuals on ammunition-making and sniper-training skills, contacted an online school specializing in gunsmithing and drone technology, and conducted online research on topics such as gun ranges, ISIS supporter, Somalia weapons, and various articles related to ISIS-inspired attacks and terroristic acts on an interactive map.
According to court documents, Hassan had frequent and extensive social media communications with ISIS media wings and recruiters operating in Somalia. In November 2024, Hassan reached out to one such account that was spreading ISIS propaganda in Somalia and expressly calling for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate and the overthrow of the Somali government, and
Hassan requested help contacting someone in ISIS-controlled areas in Somalia. He also referred to persons he communicated with as “commander” and “uncle” and referenced the “battlefield” in Somalia.
After several weeks of regular communication with accounts operated by ISIS members, Hassan prepared to leave behind his life in the United States in December 2024 and posted “I will become
ISIS straight away.” Hassan quit his job, liquidated his savings, and bought a one-way plane ticket for travel from Minneapolis to Somalia, to join and fight on behalf of ISIS. On December
13, 2024, FBI agents surveilled Hassan attempt to fly to Somalia from Minneapolis-St. Paul
International Airport (MSP). Lacking proper travel documents, however, he was turned away.
After acquiring additional travel documents, Hassan rebooked the same one-way itinerary to
Somalia, and on December 29, 2024, he flew from MSP to Chicago, enroute to Somalia.
Prior to boarding his international flight in Chicago, Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP)
Tactical Terrorism Response Team interviewed Hassan about his intentions, which prevented his onward travel. Inside Hassan’s only carry-on bag, CBP agents found his birth certificate, naturalization certificate, and high school diploma. During the interview, Hassan initially denied any nefarious intent but later professed his belief in ISIS, his consumption of ISIS propaganda, and his hopes for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate, telling the CBP agents that he did not believe in democracy and that America’s justice was in fact terrorism.
Upon returning to Minnesota, Hassan continued researching ISIS attacks and activities and making social media posts espousing ISIS, including his praising the perpetrator of the January
1, 2025, ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, who killed 14 people and injured dozens more, referring to the perpetrator as a “Muhaajid” and “the legend that killed the
Americans.” In late February 2025, Hassan created and posted his own ISIS-inspired videos, including of him driving his vehicle at night, while holding a homemade black ISIS flag in his hand, and displaying an open, long-bladed buck-style knife on his lap.
The FBI arrested Hassan on February 27, 2025 on a Complaint-Warrant filed with the U.S.
District Court. At the time of his arrest, Hassan had the same knife described above on his person and the homemade ISIS flag in his vehicle. On April 29, 2025, a grand jury returned an
Indictment charging Hassan with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B, a qualifying “Federal crime of terrorism.”
On September 29, 2025, Hassan pleaded guilty to that charge before Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court.
On April 22, 2026, following a hearing in U.S. District Court, Judge Frank sentenced Hassan to
102 months’ imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release with special conditions.
“Abdisatar Hassan took active steps in an attempt to join and support ISIS—a brutal foreign terrorist organization responsible for the violent deaths of thousands of innocent people,” said
FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Hassan celebrated the 2025 murder of 14 innocent Americans in New Orleans—a senseless attack on American soil, attempted to travel in order to take up arms on behalf of ISIS, and when unable to get to his destination, promoted ISIS and al-Shabaab propaganda encouraging others to fight against the
United States. The sentence handed down today takes a would-be terrorist off the streets and sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will unremittingly pursue anyone seeking to join or support a foreign terrorist organization.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Customs and Border Protection, and the New York Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case with assistance from National
Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Eric Hanson.

DULUTH – Defendant Eric Peterson, 51, of Virginia, Minnesota, has been found guilty of one count of criminal vehicular homicide following a four-day trial, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N.Rosen.
 

On December 17, 2024, Peterson struck and killed 38-year-old Amanda Boshey when driving along Lake Vermilion Reservation Road near the Fortune Bay Casino on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation. Peterson hit Ms. Boshey, who was walking on foot, shortly after he left the casino. In convicting Peterson, the federal jury concluded that he was driving his vehicle negligently while under the influence of alcohol.
Following

Following a four-day trial in Duluth, Minnesota, before the Honorable Judge Laura M. Provinzino, the jury returned a guilty verdict on count one, which charged Peterson with criminal vehicular homicide-in a negligent manner while under the influence of alcohol. Peterson was acquitted on count two, which charged Peterson with criminal vehicular homicide-while having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more as measured within two hours of the time of driving for the same fatality. 

"We would like to extend our condolences to Ms. Boshey’s family and the Bois Forte community." said FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "Justice for Ms. Boshey's tragic death would not have been possible without substantial assistance from our tribal, local, and state law enforcement partners. We hope that holding the defendant accountable for their recklessness will provide some sense of justice for those who are forever impacted by this loss.” 

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, aided by the BCA, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Nett Lake Tribal Police Department, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia Police Department. The coordination of resources between these law enforcement agencies was imperative to the swift identification and apprehension of Peterson and the ultimate resolution of this case. 

Ms. Boshey was an enrolled member of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. She is survived by five children as well as her siblings, parents, and other family and loved ones. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and David M. Classen prosecuted the case.

ST. PAUL – A federal jury in the District of Minnesota convicted a Minnesota man today of possessing a machine gun created by attaching an illegal machine gun conversion device to a semi-automatic firearm.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Amiir Mawlid Ali, 19, of Minneapolis, was arrested after officers found a machine gun in his possession during a routine traffic stop as he was on the way to a high school graduation. Mr. Ali tried to flee the scene during the traffic stop but officers apprehended him before he could get away. The firearm was equipped with a machine gun conversion device and an extended magazine, which was loaded with over 30 rounds of ammunition. A firearm expert testified at trial that the machine gun possessed by Ali test fired 15 bullets in 2 seconds.

“This defendant possessed an extremely dangerous weapon – a machine gun created by the application of a device known as a switch that converts a legal firearm to an illegal one,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Illegal weapons like this are unduly dangerous and offer nothing legitimate in a law-abiding society. The Criminal Division will continue to prosecute illegal firearms offenses like this one to keep communities safe.”

“The verdict announced today makes clear that possession of a firearm modified to function as a machine gun will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “The FBI is proud of our work on this case, and we thank our Local, State and Federal law enforcement partners for their assistance. Together we will work to stop those who put innocent lives in our community at risk.”

The jury convicted Ali on one count of possession of a machine gun. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

The FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Alexandra Swain of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Albania Concepción for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.

A federal jury in the District of Minnesota convicted a Minnesota man today of possessing a machine gun created by attaching an illegal machine gun conversion device to a semi-automatic firearm.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Amiir Mawlid Ali, 19, of Minneapolis, was arrested after officers found a machine gun in his possession during a routine traffic stop as he was on the way to a high school graduation. Mr. Ali tried to flee the scene during the traffic stop but officers apprehended him before he could get away. The firearm was equipped with a machine gun conversion device and an extended magazine, which was loaded with over 30 rounds of ammunition. A firearm expert testified at trial that the machine gun possessed by Ali test fired 15 bullets in 2 seconds.

“This defendant possessed an extremely dangerous weapon – a machine gun created by the application of a device known as a switch that converts a legal firearm to an illegal one,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Illegal weapons like this are unduly dangerous and offer nothing legitimate in a law abiding society. The Criminal Division will continue to prosecute illegal firearms offenses like this one to keep communities safe.”

“The verdict announced today makes clear that possession of a firearm modified to function as a machine gun will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “The FBI is proud of our work on this case, and we thank our Local, State and Federal law enforcement partners for their assistance. Together we will work to stop those who put innocent lives in our community at risk.”

The jury convicted Ali on one count of possession of a machine gun. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

The FBI investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Alexandra Swain of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Albania Concepción for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.

Two more defendants—Suleman Yusuf Mohamed and his brother Gandi Yusuf Mohamed—have pleaded guilty for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced Colin McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division, and U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota.

The number of defendants convicted scheme-wide is now at 65. The brothers were charged in United States v. Mohamed et al., along with five other defendants who pleaded guilty in March. The number of defendants convicted in the Feeding Our Future scheme has now reached 65.

Suleman Yusuf Mohamed, who pleaded guilty on April 2, 2026, participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as a vendor under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. As a vendor, Star Distribution was supposed to provide food to meal distribution sites participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program, including multiple sites operated by his co-defendants. While Star Distribution ultimately received approximately $10.1 million of Federal Child Nutrition Program funds—purportedly for providing food for more than 4.8 million meals—it spent relatively minimal amounts of that money on food. Instead, Mohamed used the money for his own personal expenses and transferred millions of dollars back to others participating in the scheme, including his sister Ikram Mohamed and brother Gandi. Suleman Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and has agreed to pay $8,662,287 in restitution.

Gandi Yusuf Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering today, April 9, 2016. Through his companies GAK Properties LLC and GIF Properties LLC, Gandi Mohamed owned three different buildings that purportedly housed Federal Child Nutrition Program meal distribution sites, including multiple sites operated by his co-defendants. Gandi Mohamed used those companies to receive and launder approximately $1.3 million of his co-defendant’s fraud proceeds, which he has agreed to pay back to the government as restitution.

Sentencing hearings for both defendants will be scheduled at a later date.

These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and HSI.

Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 43 Months for Role in Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme

Earlier today in Minneapolis, Abdullahe Nur Jesow of Minneapolis was sentenced to 43 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for his role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jesow was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $866,458.

According to court documents, from December 2020 through September 2021, Abdullahe Nur Jesow, 65, purported to operate a Federal Child Nutrition Program meal distribution site from his event space, Benadir Hall, located on Lake Street in Minneapolis. The site was ostensibly operated by a non-profit entity called Academy for Youth Excellence, for which Jesow served as Secretary.

Between December 2020 and September 2021, Academy for Youth Excellence claimed to have served over 1.7 million meals to children at Benadir Hall. In reality, Academy for Youth Excellence only provided a fraction of those meals. Based on these fraudulent claims, Academy for Youth Excellence and its alleged food vendor, S&S Catering, received $4,286,088 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Rather than feed children during the pandemic, Jesow misappropriated the funds for his own personal benefit, including for the purchase of a home in Columbia Heights, Minnesota.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

MINNEAPOLIS –Two more defendants—Suleman Yusuf Mohamed and his brother Gandi Yusuf Mohamed—have pleaded guilty for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. The number of defendants convicted scheme-wide is now at 65. The brothers were charged in United States v. Mohamed et al., 24-cr-15 (NEB/DTS), along with five other defendants who pleaded guilty in March. The number of defendants convicted in the Feeding Our Future scheme has now reached 65.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

Suleman Yusuf Mohamed, who pleaded guilty on April 2, 2026, participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as a vendor under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. As a vendor, Star Distribution was supposed to provide food to meal distribution sites participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program, including multiple sites operated by his co-defendants. While Star Distribution ultimately received approximately $10.1 million of Federal Child Nutrition Program funds—purportedly for providing food for more than 4.8 million meals—it spent relatively minimal amounts of that money on food. Instead, Mohamed used the money for his own personal expenses and transferred millions of dollars back to others participating in the scheme, including his sister Ikram Mohamed and brother Gandi. Suleman Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and has agreed to pay $8,662,287 in restitution.

Gandi Yusuf Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering today, April 9, 2016. Through his companies GAK Properties LLC and GIF Properties LLC, Gandi Mohamed owned three different buildings that purportedly housed Federal Child Nutrition Program meal distribution sites, including multiple sites operated by his co-defendants. Gandi Mohamed used those companies to receive and launder approximately $1.3 million of his co-defendant’s fraud proceeds, which he has agreed to pay back to the government as restitution.

Sentencing hearings for both defendants will be scheduled at a later date.

These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and HSI.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Matthew D. Evans are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

MINNEAPOLIS – Abdullahe Nur Jesow of Minneapolis has been sentenced to 43 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release for his role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Jesow was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $866,458.

According to court documents, from December 2020 through September 2021, Abdullahe Nur Jesow, 65, purported to operate a Federal Child Nutrition Program meal distribution site from his event space, Benadir Hall, located on Lake Street in Minneapolis. The site was ostensibly operated by a non-profit entity called Academy for Youth Excellence, for which Jesow served as Secretary.

Between December 2020 and September 2021, Academy for Youth Excellence claimed to have served over 1.7 million meals to children at Benadir Hall. In reality, Academy for Youth Excellence only provided a fraction of those meals. Based on these fraudulent claims, Academy for Youth Excellence and its alleged food vendor, S&S Catering, received $4,286,088 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Rather than feed children during the pandemic, Jesow misappropriated the funds for his own personal benefit, including for the purchase of a home in Columbia Heights, Minnesota.

Jesow was one of eight defendants charged in a 23-count indictment in September 2022. On September 18, 2025, Jesow pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy E. Brasel. In imposing sentence, Judge Brasel stated that the defendant’s brazen fraud “severely undermined public trust in government programs and in the government itself.”

"The sentence handed down today should be a clear message to those who would seek to enrich themselves by defrauding critical child nutrition programs," said FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "The FBI and our investigative partners have and will continue to direct significant investigative resources to rooting out fraud in the programs that support and sustain our children and our communities."

The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Rebecca E. Kline and Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury convicted Firomsa Ahmed Umar, age 31, of one count of arson and attempted arson on October 19, 2025; possession of an unregistered destructive device on October 19, 2025; attempted arson on October 20, 2025; and possession of an unregistered destructive device on October 20, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. The jury also found that the defendant selected Fletcher’s, which displayed a prominent Pride flag at the time, as the object of the offenses because of actual or perceived gender identity or sexual orientation. 

According to court documents and evidence at trial, the defendant twice threw homemade destructive devices at Fletcher’s Ice Cream & Café in Minneapolis: once on October 19, 2025 and again on October 20, 2025. In each incident, the defendant threw glass bottles filled with gasoline. One contained a mixture known as “improvised napalm.” 

                October 19 attack

                October 20 attack

In the first attack on the night of October 19, the defendant lobbed his first Molotov Cocktail at Fletcher’s large front windows, which broke both panes of glass and ignited in a large blast of flame. Fortunately, employees of a nearby business responded quickly and put out the remaining flames. 

                   result of October 19 attack

The defendant returned the next day, attempted to open the door, found it locked, and again threw a similar Molotov Cocktail at the façade. Because the cloth wick inserted into the mixture fell from the bottle, the device failed to ignite, but did cause further damage to the window.

When arrested on October 20, the defendant had a gas can, a lighter, and a third bottle stuffed with a third bottle stuffed with an ingredient for improvised napalm, with other Molotov Cocktail components nearby

The jury heard additional evidence that the defendant chose Fletcher’s due to the prominent display of a Pride flag above the façade, and had painted homophobic graffiti outside a local apartment complex four weeks earlier.

This case is the result of a joint investigation by ATF, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minneapolis Fire Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys William C. Mattessich and Jeanne D. Semivan tried the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – Robert James Levi, a registered sex offender from Minneapolis, Minnesota, was sentenced to 324 months’ imprisonment for production of child pornography after exploiting a minor victim for years, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

According to court documents and court proceedings, for a three-year period starting in February 2022, defendant Robert Levi coerced and enticed a then-12-year-old girl in another state into producing child sexual abuse material and sending it to him over the internet.  Levi “catfished” the victim, posing as a 16-year-old boy, exchanging over 112,000 messages with the victim, and convincing the victim she was in a “relationship” with Levi.  In fact, Levi was an adult man and, later, a convicted sex offender.  In February 2024, Levi was convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the Second Degree in Stearns County, Minnesota, and was required to register as a sex offender.  The state conviction did not stop Levi—he continued to exploit the victim during the pendency of that case and after he was placed on probation.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian Weir prosecuted the case. 

MINNEAPOLIS – An indictment was unsealed on Tuesday charging a Minnesota man with filing false tax returns and filing false claims for refunds collectively seeking more than $500,000 he was not entitled to receive.

According to the indictment, Philip Nelson Green, of Crookston, Minnesota, filed false individual income tax returns with the IRS for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021. Each of these tax returns reported one or more false items such as wage information, tax withholdings, and child and dependent care expenses. The indictment also alleges that Green filed a false second amended 2021 income tax return and a false 2022 income tax return, both of which sought more than $250,000 in tax refunds he was not entitled to receive.

Green made his initial court appearance Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. If convicted, Green faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return and five years in prison for each count of filing false claims. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Daniel R. Glenn and Charles A. O’Reilly of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Tax Section are prosecuting the case.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – This week, Ikram Yusuf Mohamed, Aisha Hassan Hussein, Sahra Sharif Osman, Shakur Abdinur Abdisalam, and Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf all pleaded guilty to wire fraud for their respective roles in the sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Prosecutors have now obtained 63 convictions scheme-wide, representing the largest number of convictions in a single fraud investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in recent memory.

The Trump Administration has made fighting fraud a top priority, just this week establishing the President’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a multiagency effort dedicated to protecting benefits meant for American citizens in need. The Justice Department is committed to rooting out fraud in federal programs for the benefit of the American people.

“I am proud of our team of prosecutors, federal agents, and law enforcement partners who continue to expose the rampant fraud in Minnesota,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

All five defendants were charged in United States v. Mohamed et al., 24-cr-15 (NEB/DTS).  This group, which included multiple family members and friends of defendant Ikram Mohamed, purported to run food program sites in Minneapolis and its suburbs, as well as food distribution entity.  The group worked together to steal and then launder $14.6 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program money that was meant to feed hungry children during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mohamed and Abdisalam pled guilty on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, and Hussein, Osman, and Yusuf pled guilty today, March 20, 2026, all in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel.  The defendants had been set to proceed to trial before Judge Brasel on April 20, 2026.  One defendant now remains in that trial, with the other remaining defendant set for a change of plea hearing next week.

Ikram Yusuf Mohamed, 42, was a leader in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme through her role as a consultant to Feeding Our Future. Mohamed opened several food sites that were enrolled in and received over $6.9 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. To conceal her involvement, she put the sites and entities in the name of family members, including her husband, mother, and siblings. Mohamed also created a food distribution company with her brother called Star Distribution LLC, which went on to create fraudulent invoices for the family-controlled sites that indicated it had sold inflated volumes of food to the sites that had in fact been purchased or delivered. At Mohamed’s advice, other program sites sponsored by Feeding Our Future used Star Distribution, causing it to receive $1.4 million for fraudulent invoices. Star Distribution also received $4.9 million directly from Feeding Our Future for the meals allegedly served at the family-controlled sites.  Additionally, Mohamed solicited and received over $1.3 million in kickbacks from individuals and companies involved in the food program through her company, IM Consultation.  Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Shakur Abdinur Abdisalam, 46, Ikram Mohamed’s husband, participated in the scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program with his wife and other family conspirators through a company called Inspiring Youth & Outreach LLC (Inspiring Youth). Inspiring Youth purported to run a food site in Minneapolis. Between February and November 2021, the company fraudulently claimed to have served more than 1 million meals. He and his conspirators also supported their program reimbursement claims with phony attendance rosters purporting to document the children they fed. Those rosters listed made-up children with fake ages. Based on these fraudulent claims, Inspiring Youth received more than $1.5 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Abdisalam also paid a $21,000 kickback to his wife’s entity, IM Consultation. Abdisalam pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Aisha Hassan Hussein, 29, Ikram Mohamed’s sister, participated in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme as the principal of United Youth of MPLS LLC (United Youth). Hussein enrolled her company in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and purported to operate two sites in Minneapolis. From December 2020 through November 2021, Hussein and her co-conspirators falsely claimed to have served more than 1.3 million meals to children at the United Youth sites, totaling approximately $2.2 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Hussein also paid a $166,000 kickback to her sister’s company IM Consultation. Hussein pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Sahra Sharif Osman, 43, participated in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme as the principal of a non-profit called Youth International Club LLC (Youth International). Youth International operated two Federal Child Nutrition Program sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. The Youth International food sites were in Hopkins and Edina and purported to serve meals out of community rooms in townhome complexes. Between March and November 2021, Youth International fraudulently claimed to have served nearly 700,000 meals and received more than $1.4 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Osman also paid a $7,500 kickback to Ikram Mohamed’s IM Consultation. Osman pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf, 59, Ikram Mohamed’s mother, participated in the scheme through Active Mind’s Youth LLC (Active Minds), another company that enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Active Minds purported to operate a food site located on East Lake Street in Minneapolis. Between February and June 2021, Active Minds fraudulently claimed to have served more than 500,000 meals and received more than $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Yusuf also paid a $38,500 kickback to her daughter’s company, IM Consultation. Yusuf pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Sentencing hearings for all five defendants will be scheduled at a later date.

These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Matthew D. Evans are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

MINNEAPOLIS – This week, Ikram Yusuf Mohamed, Aisha Hassan Hussein, Sahra Sharif Osman, Shakur Abdinur Abdisalam, and Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf all pleaded guilty to wire fraud for their respective roles in the sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Prosecutors have now obtained 63 convictions scheme-wide, representing the largest number of convictions in a single fraud investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in recent memory.

“I am proud of our team of prosecutors, federal agents, and law enforcement partners who continue to expose the rampant fraud in Minnesota,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

All five defendants were charged in United States v. Mohamed et al., 24-cr-15 (NEB/DTS).  This group, which included multiple family members and friends of defendant Ikram Mohamed, purported to run food program sites in Minneapolis and its suburbs, as well as food distribution entity.  The group worked together to steal and then launder $14.6 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program money that was meant to feed hungry children during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mohamed and Abdisalam pled guilty on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, and Hussein, Osman, and Yusuf pled guilty today, March 20, 2026, all in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel.  The defendants had been set to proceed to trial before Judge Brasel on April 20, 2026.  One defendant now remains in that trial, with the other remaining defendant set for a change of plea hearing next week.

Ikram Yusuf Mohamed, 42, was a leader in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme through her role as a consultant to Feeding Our Future. Mohamed opened several food sites that were enrolled in and received over $6.9 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. To conceal her involvement, she put the sites and entities in the name of family members, including her husband, mother, and siblings. Mohamed also created a food distribution company with her brother called Star Distribution LLC, which went on to create fraudulent invoices for the family-controlled sites that indicated it had sold inflated volumes of food to the sites that had in fact been purchased or delivered. At Mohamed’s advice, other program sites sponsored by Feeding Our Future used Star Distribution, causing it to receive $1.4 million for fraudulent invoices. Star Distribution also received $4.9 million directly from Feeding Our Future for the meals allegedly served at the family-controlled sites.  Additionally, Mohamed solicited and received over $1.3 million in kickbacks from individuals and companies involved in the food program through her company, IM Consultation.  Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Shakur Abdinur Abdisalam, 46, Ikram Mohamed’s husband, participated in the scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program with his wife and other family conspirators through a company called Inspiring Youth & Outreach LLC (“Inspiring Youth”). Inspiring Youth purported to run a food site in Minneapolis. Between February and November 2021, the company fraudulently claimed to have served more than 1 million meals. He and his conspirators also supported their program reimbursement claims with phony attendance rosters purporting to document the children they fed. Those rosters listed made-up children with fake ages. Based on these fraudulent claims, Inspiring Youth received more than $1.5 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Abdisalam also paid a $21,000 kickback to his wife’s entity, IM Consultation. Abdisalam pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Aisha Hassan Hussein, 29, Ikram Mohamed’s sister, participated in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme as the principal of United Youth of MPLS LLC (“United Youth”). Hussein enrolled her company in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and purported to operate two sites in Minneapolis. From December 2020 through November 2021, Hussein and her co-conspirators falsely claimed to have served more than 1.3 million meals to children at the United Youth sites, totaling approximately $2.2 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Hussein also paid a $166,000 kickback to her sister’s company IM Consultation. Hussein pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Sahra Sharif Osman, 43, participated in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme as the principal of a non-profit called Youth International Club LLC (“Youth International”). Youth International operated two Federal Child Nutrition Program sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. The Youth International food sites were in Hopkins and Edina and purported to serve meals out of community rooms in townhome complexes. Between March and November 2021, Youth International fraudulently claimed to have served nearly 700,000 meals and received more than $1.4 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Osman also paid a $7,500 kickback to Ikram Mohamed’s IM Consultation. Osman pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf, 59, Ikram Mohamed’s mother, participated in the scheme through Active Mind’s Youth LLC (“Active Minds”), another company that enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Active Minds purported to operate a food site located on East Lake Street in Minneapolis. Between February and June 2021, Active Minds fraudulently claimed to have served more than 500,000 meals and received more than $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme, Yusuf also paid a $38,500 kickback to her daughter’s company, IM Consultation. Yusuf pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Sentencing hearings for all five defendants will be scheduled at a later date.

These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Matthew D. Evans are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, Derrick John Thompson, 30, was sentenced to 204 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession of fentanyl and a firearm following a deadly vehicle crash that claimed the lives of five young women, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

According to evidence presented at trial, on June 16, 2023, a trooper with the Minnesota State Patrol observed a black Cadillac Escalade speeding north on I-35W, traveling at 95 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour speed zone. The trooper observed the driver, later identified as Thompson, abruptly cut across four lanes of traffic to exit the freeway at the Lake Street exit. The trooper began following the SUV but did not activate the emergency lights or sirens because the trooper did not want to attempt a traffic stop on city streets given the Escalade’s dangerous driving. At the intersection of 2nd Avenue South and East Lake Street, Thompson sped through a red light at the intersection without stopping or slowing. The SUV struck at full speed the driver’s side of a Honda Civic that was traveling lawfully through the intersection. All five occupants of the Honda Civic, four young adult females and one juvenile female, ages 17 to 20, were killed. When law enforcement responded to the scene of the crash, witnesses told officers where Thompson fled. Officers found Thompson, wearing clothing that matched the description given by witnesses, sitting on the curb outside of a nearby restaurant. Officers detained Thompson, who was later transported to Hennepin County Medical Center for evaluation.

According to evidence presented at trial, an officer found at the scene a Hertz rental record for the Cadillac Escalade indicating that Thompson rented the vehicle from a Hertz located at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport approximately 30 minutes before the crash. After obtaining a warrant to search the vehicle, officers found a black leather bag on the front passenger side floor that contained a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine, as well as three baggies containing more than 2,000 blue “M-Box 30” fentanyl pills, a baggie containing an additional 14 grams of fentanyl powder, a baggie containing 35 grams of cocaine, and a digital scale. Subsequent testing determined that Thompson’s DNA was present on the firearm, the fentanyl powder, and the cocaine. A search of Thompson’s phone found dozens of texts indicating fentanyl deals, as well as recorded voice messages from a few days before the deadly crash in which Thompson requested to purchase 30,000 fentanyl pills.

The deadly crash occurred just five months after Thompson was released from prison in California for a similar incident that occurred in 2018.  In that incident, Thompson fled from police in a vehicle containing eight kilograms of marijuana and struck a pedestrian causing severe injuries that required the pedestrian to be put in a medically induced coma for twenty days.

Thompson was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan on one count of possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.  Judge Bryan ordered that 60 months of Thompson’s sentence will run consecutively to the 704-month sentence that Thompson received for 3rd Degree Murder and Criminal Vehicular Homicide in July 2025 in Hennepin County District Court, Case No. 27-CR-23-12910, arising out of the same deadly crash.  

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport Police Department, in coordination with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney LeeAnn K. Bell.  Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Calhoun-Lopez and Ruth S. Shnider tried the case.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Michael Lewis of Minneapolis has been sentenced to 5 months imprisonment followed by a year of supervised release for threatening to murder a Member of Congress, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

According to court documents, on March 26, 2025, Michael Paul Lewis, 53, called the office of a United States Congressperson and left a voicemail threatening murder. When law enforcement went to Lewis’ apartment to speak with him, he admitted to making the call.

Lewis was sentenced on one count of threatening to murder a United States official. 

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police.

Assistant U.S. Attorney LeeAnn Bell prosecuted the case. 

MINNEAPOLIS – A Michigan man has been sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release with special conditions for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after purchasing nearly 2,500 stolen login credentials from a malicious dark web marketplace and using them to make fraudulent financial transactions and offering some for sale on other cybercriminal internet sites, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

According to court documents, from approximately February 2020 to November 2020, Andrew Shenkosky, 30, devised and executed a scheme while residing in Minnesota to defraud and obtain money through false pretenses. Shenkosky accomplished his scheme by purchasing and accessing stolen account information from the Genesis Market, an illicit online marketplace that was ultimately taken down by the FBI in or about April 2023. Genesis Market compiled hundreds of thousands of stolen login credentials, including cell phone numbers, account numbers, email addresses, usernames, and passwords from malware-infected computers of victims across the world, and offered that stolen information for sale on the dark web.

According to court documents, Shenkosky purchased an account on Genesis Market using a cryptocurrency Coinbase account he fraudulently created in the name of one of his victims, using the victim’s driver’s license. In furtherance of his scheme, Shenkosky purchased 2,468 stolen credentials of various victims on Genesis Market. Shenkosky then used the stolen data to, among other things, make an unauthorized withdrawal from one victim’s bank account without their knowledge or authorization and transferred the funds to a PayPal account under his control.  He also attempted to withdraw money from other victims’ accounts, but the transfers were reversed. Shenkosky also offered and attempted to sell one victim’s stolen account data and personal information on a now-defunct cybercriminal forum named Raid Forums.

When imposing the sentence, Judge Joan N. Ericksen noted that financial fraud crimes “go[] beyond actual financial loss” and impact victims’ “core insecurity that affects the way people live their lives.”

“Darknet marketplaces are a borderless powerhouse of criminal activity, allowing criminals like Shenkosky to steal money from unsuspecting victims and laundering the proceeds of their illegal activity,” said Chris Dotson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “Make no mistake, this significant sentence reflects the commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to dismantle networks operating with criminal intent, and sends a clear and unambiguous message that we will continue to evolve in the ways we ‘follow the money’ of illegal enterprise, employing all the tools and techniques at our disposal and drawing on our strong partnerships at home and around the globe.”

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Cybercrime Unit and the FBI Minneapolis and Detroit Field Offices.

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

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Mexican national who was in the country illegally has pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

According to court documents, Mercado-Chaparro sold a pound of methamphetamine to an undercover police officer.  Police followed Mercado-Chaparro after the buy and saw him conduct other drug deals. Several days later, police saw Mercado-Chaparro retrieve two large garbage bags from his pickup truck and place them in a nearby Jeep. Police stopped the Jeep a short time later, and a drug-sniffing dog alerted the odor of drugs in the Jeep.  When police searched the Jeep, they found roughly 250 pounds of methamphetamine in the garbage bags and a cooler.

Police then obtained a search warrant for Mercado-Chapparo’s truck, searched it, and seized roughly 630 more pounds of methamphetamine from the truck bed. 

Altogether, Mercado-Chaparro possessed almost 900 pounds of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Minnesota Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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

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

MINNEAPOLIS – Abdulkarim Farah, a Minneapolis man, was sentenced in United States District Court to 57-months imprisonment followed by one year of supervised release for his role in providing a cash bribe to a juror in the first Feeding Our Future trial, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

On April 22, 2024, seven defendants went to trial before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.  Two of the defendants on trial were brothers of Abdulkarim Shafii Farah, 25.  During the trial, Abdulkarim Farah conspired with his brothers and others to provide a cash bribe to one of the jurors—Juror 52—in exchange for returning a not guilty verdict in the trial.

According to Mr. Farah’s plea agreement, after his co-defendants identified and decided to target Juror 52, Mr. Farah conducted surveillance of Juror 52 and Juror 52’s house. Mr. Farah also sent a map of where Juror 52 parked during jury service. Co-defendant Ladan Ali was recruited to deliver the bribe money to Juror 52, and Mr. Farah was instructed to drive Ali to Juror 52’s house and record a video of Ali delivering the bribe. After meeting Ali in the vicinity of Juror 52’s house, Mr. Farah drove to a Target store to purchase a screwdriver. Mr. Farah used the screwdriver to remove the license plate from Ali’s rental car in order to avoid detection by law enforcement.

On June 2, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., Mr. Farah drove Ali to Juror 52’s house and recorded her delivering a gift bag containing the bribe money. As Ali handed the money to a relative of Juror 52, she explained that there would be more money if Juror 52 voted to acquit the defendants. After the bribe money was delivered, Mr. Farah sent the video he had taken to his brother, Abdiaziz Farah. After the bribe had been disclosed in court, on June 3, 2024, Mr. Farah uninstalled and deleted the encrypted messaging app Signal from his iPhone in order to destroy the messages he and his co-defendants exchange concerning the bribery attempt.

Abdulkarim Farah was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Eric C. Tostrud to 57 months imprisonment—the high end of Mr. Farah’s federal sentencing guidelines range and the sentence advocated for by the government.  While handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud said that “properly functioning juries are the core of our criminal justice system” and that it is the role of the federal judiciary to safeguard citizens’ rights to fair and impartial juries. Judge Tostrud also expressed gratitude to Juror 52 for resisting the temptation to accept the very substantial bribe.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Rebecca E. Kline and Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case.

Abdulkarim Farah, a Minneapolis man, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 57-months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for his role in providing a cash bribe to a juror in the first Feeding Our Future trial, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

On April 22, 2024, seven defendants went to trial before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.  Two of the defendants on trial were brothers of Abdulkarim Shafii Farah, 25.  During the trial, Abdulkarim Farah conspired with his brothers and others to provide a cash bribe to one of the jurors—Juror 52—in exchange for returning a not guilty verdict in the trial.

According to Mr. Farah’s plea agreement, after his co-defendants identified and decided to target Juror 52, Mr. Farah conducted surveillance of Juror 52 and Juror 52’s house. Mr. Farah also sent a map of where Juror 52 parked during jury service. Co-defendant Ladan Ali was recruited to deliver the bribe money to Juror 52, and Mr. Farah was instructed to drive Ali to Juror 52’s house and record a video of Ali delivering the bribe. After meeting Ali in the vicinity of Juror 52’s house, Mr. Farah drove to a Target store to purchase a screwdriver. Mr. Farah used the screwdriver to remove the license plate from Ali’s rental car in order to avoid detection by law enforcement.

On June 2, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., Mr. Farah drove Ali to Juror 52’s house and recorded her delivering a gift bag containing the bribe money. As Ali handed the money to a relative of Juror 52, she explained that there would be more money if Juror 52 voted to acquit the defendants.  After the bribe money was delivered, Mr. Farah sent the video he had taken to his brother, Abdiaziz Farah. After the bribe had been disclosed in court, on June 3, 2024, Mr. Farah uninstalled and deleted the encrypted messaging app Signal from his iPhone in order to destroy the messages he and his co-defendants exchange concerning the bribery attempt.

Abdulkarim Farah was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Eric C. Tostrud to 57 months imprisonment—the high end of Mr. Farah’s federal sentencing guidelines range and the sentence advocated for by the government.  While handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud said that “properly functioning juries are the core of our criminal justice system” and that it is the role of the federal judiciary to safeguard citizens’ rights to fair and impartial juries. Judge Tostrud also expressed gratitude to Juror 52 for resisting the temptation to accept the very substantial bribe.

The 57-month sentence represents the high-end of Mr. Farah’s sentencing Guidelines range

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Rebecca E. Kline and Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – Seven defendants have been sentenced in United States District Court for drug-trafficking charges, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

According to court documents, Latre Lamont Anderson (28), Khianna Rose Clark-Strong (23), Jacquez O’Neal Fondern (22), Rozell Antonio Grainger (27), Issac Oneal Maiden (32), Olivia Mae Erin Martineau-Johns (21), and Jeremy James Nelson-Caban, Jr. (22) were members of a drug-trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills throughout Minnesota, including the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation.

Between approximately the summer of 2022 and the summer of 2023, Anderson, Grainger, and Maiden frequently traveled from Minneapolis to Phoenix, Arizona, where they would obtain multi-pound quantities of fentanyl, which they would then mail to various addresses in the Twin Cities area, often concealing thousands of fentanyl pills in toys or household items. They would travel back to Minneapolis, and then distribute the fentanyl through various drug-traffickers, including Martineau-Johns. Martineau-Johns also obtained fentanyl for distribution from Nelson-Caban and Fondern, and Clark-Strong assisted Martineau-Johns with distributing the fentanyl. The investigation resulted in the seizures of approximately 200,000 fentanyl pills (over 14 kilograms of fentanyl), four firearms (some with high-capacity magazines and/or switches), and thousands of dollars of cash.

“As a direct result of this investigation, DEA and our law enforcement partners across the region prevented thousands of deadly doses of fentanyl from hitting the streets,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “If these deadly counterfeit pills had spread into our Minnesota communities, lives would have been lost and families broken. Our agency remains committed to disrupting the fentanyl supply chain and our enforcement efforts will not let up until the entire global distribution network has been dismantled and brought to justice.”

“This [drug-trafficking] organization pumped significant quantities of dangerous narcotics into Minnesota communities and fueled violence in the process,” said Joseph Persails, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “ATF special agents and our task force officers, working alongside federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, committed months of work to dismantling this network and stopping the damage it was causing. These sentences hold the defendants accountable and send a clear message that those who profit from addiction and violence will face consequences.”

“Cases like these run deep into our neighborhoods and affect all those who live, visit and work in Saint Paul. We’re now able to hold these people accountable for their actions, thanks to the joint effort with our long-standing partnerships with the ATF, DEA, USPIS, and local law enforcement agencies. We’re proud of this investigation and of all those involved in this case,” said Saint Paul Police Chief Axel Henry.

The following sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Davis over the prior several weeks:

• Latre Lamont Anderson, of Minneapolis, was sentence to 156 months followed by 5 years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Issac Oneal Maiden, of Saint Paul, was sentence to 156 months followed by 3 years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Rozell Antonio Grainger, of St. Paul, was sentence to 120 months followed by 5 years of supervised release.
• Jeremy James Nelson-Caban, Jr., of Duluth, was sentenced to 36 months followed by 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
• Olivia Mae Erin Martineau-Johns, of Cloquet, was sentenced to 9 months followed by 2 years of supervised release for violating her condition(s) of supervised release.
• Jacquez O’Neal Fondern, of Duluth, was sentence to time served followed by 3 years of supervised release for distribution of fentanyl.
• Khianna Rose Clark-Strong, of Duluth, was sentenced to time served followed by supervised release until October 23, 2027, for violating her condition(s) of supervised release.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspector’s Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Saint Paul Police Department, and other state and local law enforcement counterparts in northern Minnesota. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Hollenhorst prosecuted the case.