District of Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that ten defendants were separately indicted on September 24, 2026, by a federal grand jury for voter fraud. All defendants have already made their initial appearances in federal court. 

“Today's charges allege that ten foreign nationals committed voter fraud in Minnesota, one voting illegally as recently as this August's primary,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The law is clear, only American citizens may vote in American elections, and enforcing this law is fundamental to our democracy. That should not be a partisan concept.” 

“Our message to aliens who vote in American elections is clear: we will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences, including criminal charges and deportation,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “Under President Trump’s leadership, this administration will never allow the votes of American citizens to be cancelled out by non-citizens illegally voting in our elections. Only American citizens should be electing American leaders.”

“Voting in American elections is a privilege of American citizenship,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “Stealing that privilege is a crime. When, in order to obtain a ballot, a non-citizen swears he or she is a citizen, we will prosecute.” 

The defendants and their charges include:

• Bhator Konah Bryant, 61, a Liberian national, on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote. She is alleged to have falsely claimed United States citizenship when registering to vote on October 18, 2024. The defendant had her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 29, 2026. 
• Edvile Vaidoto Edmunds, 59, a Lithuanian national, on one count of voting by alien. She is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota on November 8, 2022. The defendant had her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 29, 2026.
• Joshua Frederick Kofi Edzie, 63, a Ghanian national, on two counts of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota on August 11, 2026, and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on October 23, 2024 and August 11, 2026. The defendant had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 28, 2026.
• Alan Barbu Kargbo, 48, a Liberian national, on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on November 5, 2024. The defendant had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 28, 2026.
• Paul Kras, 78, a German national, on one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota on November 5, 2024. The defendant had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 29, 2026.
• Fadil Rasim Ozegovic, 58, a Bosnian national, on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on November 5, 2024. The defendant had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 29, 2026.
• Aparecido Donizetti Padovan, 62, a Brazilian national, on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on November 5, 2024. The defendant had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 29, 2026.
• Chis Adam Pettiquoi, 43, a Liberian national, on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on November 5, 2024. The defendant had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 29, 2026.
• Christian Liam Schenk, 47, a Canadian national, on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on November 5, 2024. The defendant had his initial appearance in the District of Massachusetts on September 29, 2026.
• Hester Sophia Weihmann, 69, a South African national, on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. She is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on November 5, 2024. The defendant had her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 29, 2026.

The charge of false claim of citizenship in order to vote is a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1015(f) and carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum term of supervised release of three years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Voting by aliens is a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 611 and is a class A misdemeanor and carries a maximum term of imprisonment of one year, a maximum term of supervised release of one year, and a maximum fine of $100,000.

These cases were the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.

First Assistant United States Attorney Joseph S. Teirab is prosecuting these cases.

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 – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Warren Holt Jr., of Duluth, Minnesota, was sentenced to 110 months in prison for one count of carjacking. 

Holt was sentenced before U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim on September 28, 2026. He previously pleaded guilty on November 7, 2025.

According to court documents, on June 16, 2021, the defendant brutally attacked a then-78-year-old victim during a carjacking in Duluth, Minnesota. On that day, Holt approached the victim’s home and told the victim that he was “looking for a truck.” When the victim told Holt that the truck was not for sale, Holt briefly left.

Later, the defendant returned and brutally attacked the victim, including hitting, strangling, and stabbing the victim, resulting in the victim becoming unconscious and bleeding profusely with broken ribs and puncture wounds to his chest. The victim was later admitted to the intensive care unit and faced life-threatening injuries. 

After the violent assault, Holt stole the victim’s truck and fled the scene. He was stopped and apprehended in Carlton County, Minnesota, where officers found him with a fresh cut on his right wrist and blood on his shoes.

“This defendant committed a vicious act that left a 78-year-old victim with critical injuries. While no sentence can fully heal the harm that he caused, it does provide justice to the victim and his loved ones,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“The carjacking committed by this defendant was carried out with callous disregard for the life of the victim or the safety of our community,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Benni Jonsson. “Such violence inflicted upon an innocent victim is truly shocking. We hope that today’s sentence brings a sense of justice served and is a step toward healing for the victim and his family.”

“The Duluth Police Department appreciates our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the case, resulting in Holt being sentenced to 110 months in prison and holding him accountable for the actions he inflicted on the 78-year-old victim, and for the angst he caused on the victim’s family, friends, and loved ones. Violence of any kind is not tolerated in Duluth, and we will continue to hold those accountable who are victimizing members of our community,” said Chief of Police for the Duluth Police Department Mike Ceynowa.

This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Duluth Police Department.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Courtney John Barrett Sr., 56, of Red Lake, had his initial appearance hearing today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jon T. Huseby. The defendant was indicted on two counts of sexual abuse of a minor on September 22, 2026.

According to the indictment, Barrett knowingly engaged and attempted to engage in a sexual act with a minor victim on at least two occasions from on or about June 2023 to February 2025.

This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI and Red Lake Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Dana Joseph is 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.

ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that a federal jury found Raymundo Olalde-Nieves, 58, guilty on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. 

The defendant was originally indicted by a grand jury on February 12, 2025. The guilty verdicts were returned on September 24, 2026, after a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on or about August 22, 2024, investigators with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) used a confidential source to arrange the purchase of approximately 54 pounds of methamphetamine from a source. The drug sale was planned to occur at a gas station in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. 

Investigators surveilled the gas station and saw Olalde-Nieves drive up in a gray vehicle. Olalde-Nieves then loitered in the parking lot for approximately 30 minutes, getting in and out of the car, and checking the vehicle’s trunk twice. While the defendant was in the parking lot, investigators then arranged for the transaction to occur at a different location approximately 1.6 miles north of the gas station. Investigators then saw Olalde-Nieves on the phone in the parking lot and then proceeded to travel north.

Investigators coordinated with the Minnesota State Patrol to stop Olalde-Nieves in his car after he left the gas station. Troopers followed the defendant and stopped him approximately one mile north of the gas station, and they suspected the defendant was attempting to evade them by turning into a nearby parking lot.

When the troopers questioned the defendant on where he was going, the troopers received vague and inconsistent responses. The troopers then removed him from the car and conducted a canine sniff of the vehicle, and the canine alerted the troopers to the presence of a controlled substance odor. After a search of the vehicle, the troopers found four black buckets containing approximately 54 pounds of, what was later confirmed to be, methamphetamine in the car’s trunk.

“The defendant chose to traffic dangerous drugs in Minnesota. These guilty verdicts demonstrate the strength of our federal and local law enforcement partnerships and our continued commitment to keeping lethal substances from harming families and communities,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Minnesota State Patrol and other law enforcement partners.

Assistant United States Attorney Syngen Kanassatega and Special Assistant United States Attorney Sommer Honeycutt prosecuted this case.

Today, the Justice Department filed suit against the State of Minnesota, the City of Minneapolis, and the City of St. Paul. As stated in the lawsuit, Minnesota’s permit to purchase and waiting period regulatory scheme violate the Second Amendment for law-abiding citizens who desire to acquire firearms for self-defense in their homes. For Minnesotans who do not intend to carry in public, state law imposes a thirty-day waiting period. The lawsuit also challenges waiting periods in St. Paul and Minneapolis, where some citizens are forced to wait nearly 60 days.

“The Supreme Court held that the home is where the need for defense of self, family, and property is most acute. When a person needs to defend their home, they need to defend it now, not thirty to sixty days from now,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Law-abiding citizens do not need government permission to purchase a firearm, and forcing a citizen who has already passed a background check to wait up to sixty days to obtain a firearm is intolerable under the Constitution.”

“We are committed to protecting Minnesotans’ right to purchase firearms and we will not tolerate procedures that are wielded in a way that impairs that right,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota.

The Civil Rights Division’s Second Amendment Section enforces the Second Amendment, the Police Pattern or Practice Act (34 U.S.C. § 12601), and Executive Order 14206. If you are a current or prospective gun owner and believe that a state or local government has infringed your right to keep or bear arms, please submit a complaint through www.justice.gov/crt/second-amendment-section.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Daniel Christian Pettit, 48, of Portage Township, Minnesota, was indicted by a grand jury for one count of damaging an aircraft and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. 

His initial appearance was before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois on September 21, 2026.

According to the indictment, on or about May 15, 2026, Pettit knowingly and willfully damaged and disabled a firefighting aircraft using a firearm while the aircraft was in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. According to state court documents, on the evening of May 15, 2026, a pilot flew a mission actively fighting a forest fire in northern Minnesota. After the pilot landed, he discovered damage to the firefighting aircraft that appeared consistent with damage caused by bullets. In an interview after his arrest on related state charges, Pettit said he fired rounds from a 12-gauge shotgun and a .308-caliber rifle as the firefighting aircraft flew nearby, but Pettit claimed he was only crow hunting.

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorney David B. Green is prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Anthony James Kazmierczak, 56, was sentenced to 14 months in prison for assaulting United States Representative Ilhan Omar during a Town Hall meeting in January 2026. Kazmierczak was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen on September 17, 2026.

Kazmierczak previously pleaded guilty on May 7, 2026 to a one-count indictment charging him with assaulting a United States Officer in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111(a). Kazmierczak had originally been charged by complaint on January 28, 2026, one day after the assault.

According to court documents, Kazmierczak attended an official Town Hall meeting in north Minneapolis, hosted by United States Representative Ilhan Omar. During the meeting, Representative Omar called for the then-Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary to resign. The defendant, seated in the front row of the audience, suddenly stood up and aggressively approached Representative Omar in the front of the room and sprayed her with liquid from a syringe, shouting, “She’s not resigning. You’re splitting Minnesotans apart.” The liquid from the syringe landed on Representative Omar’s jacket.  The FBI interviewed a security guard who saw droplets of the liquid on Representative Omar’s face, and Representative Omar told the FBI that she also felt the liquid on her hand. Lab analysis determined the liquid contained acetic acid and identified it as a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar.

After spraying the liquid, Kazmierczak gestured at Representative Omar while backing away and was tackled to the floor by a security officer from her security detail. The defendant was then escorted out of the room by security officers, and the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) responded to the scene. As an MPD officer approached the defendant, the defendant spontaneously stated, “I squirted vinegar.” The Town Hall meeting was briefly interrupted, but Representative Omar continued the meeting and her remarks.

An FBI investigation determined that the defendant had planned the assault on Representative Omar for weeks, and he anticipated that his conduct at the meeting would likely result in an arrest. The defendant had ordered a ticket to the Town Hall meeting weeks in advance. Prior to attending the Town Hall meeting, Kazmierczak sent messages to associates with vague indicators that he planned to do something at the meeting, and he arranged for dog care and contact with a bail bond company.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Ericksen noted that the defendant’s crime was premeditated and planned, but it was “misguided planning.” She stated that Kazmierczak’s act was “misguided, selfish, and inconsistent with a free and democratic society.”

“Political violence is unacceptable. This defendant chose to assault a Member of Congress instead of resorting to the ballot box. My office will not tolerate these types of attacks,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“The planning and intent that went into this crime of political violence is shocking,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “The use of any form of violence to assault, resist, or impede officials carrying out their constitutionally appointed duties cannot be tolerated. Today’s sentence shows that there are serious consequences for choosing violence over civil discourse.”

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

Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Kaamil Omar Sallah, 26, was arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) International Airport on the evening of September 10, 2026. 

This arrest happened approximately nine months after the defendant flew from MSP Airport to Amsterdam on or about November 26, 2025. His return was coordinated by the Federal Defenders Office after the defendant reported that he wanted to self-surrender and voluntarily return to Minnesota.

The defendant was indicted by grand jury on December 16, 2025, and he is charged with four counts of wire fraud. Sallah had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shannon G. Elkins on September 11, 2026.

According to the indictment, Sallah participated in a scheme to fraudulently receive Medicaid benefits from Minnesota’s Housing Stability Services (HSS) Program, a program designed to help people with disabilities and addictions find and maintain housing. Rather than provide such help, Sallah obtained and misappropriated funds to enrich himself and his coconspirators.

Sallah owned and operated a company called SafeLodgings, Inc. The defendant registered the company in March 2023, and in the same month, submitted paperwork to enroll the company as an HSS Program provider. The company was supposed to provide services to qualifying people in need including housing consulting, transitioning, and sustaining services.

From approximately March 2023 through August 2025, Sallah and his company fraudulently claimed to be entitled to approximately $1.4 million for providing HSS Program services and received nearly $1.3 million. Sallah knowingly submitted fake and inflated bills and his coconspirators submitted false claims that significantly overrepresented the services through SafeLodgings. In 2024 alone, Sallah claimed to have personally provided more than 3,600 billable service hours of reimbursable services. Sallah additionally hired employees to expand operations at SafeLodgings.

“I commend the work of our law enforcement partners in coordinating the safe transfer of the defendant back to Minnesota. Sallah will now face justice for his role in defrauding Minnesotans and the American people,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“As alleged in the indictment, Kaamil Sallah defrauded Medicaid for approximately $1.3 million. When he learned he was under investigation, he chose to flee,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “This American taxpayer money was designated to help stabilize the housing situation of those in most dire need in our community. The FBI is dedicated to rooting out the fraud that plagues our most vital community services programs, holding fraudsters responsible, and working to ensure those that attempt to flee justice are brought to account.”

This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Steven R. Forrest are prosecuting the case. Assistant United States Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

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

Note: Previous press release on the indictment linked here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Pierre Rasheem Fields, 42, of Minnetonka, Minnesota, Ray Eric Brasson, 36, of Minneapolis, and Jermaine Young, 26, of Chicago, were indicted for conspiring to distribute and distributing fentanyl. 

According to a six-count federal indictment that was unsealed on September 9, 2026, Fields, Young, and Brasson conspired with each other and others to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl from April 2026 through August 2026. Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Fields is also charged with two counts of distributing fentanyl, Young is also charged with three counts of distributing fentanyl, and Brasson is also charged with two counts of distributing fentanyl.

Fields was arrested this morning in the Houston, Texas, area, and he had his initial appearance in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. He will appear in U.S. District Court in Minnesota at a later date.

Young and Brasson were arrested early this morning at hotels in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, and had their initial appearances this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shannon G. Elkins. They will appear again in court on September 14, 2026, for detention hearings.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the East Central Drug Task Force, and the West Metro Drug Task Force, with assistance from other law enforcement partners.

Assistant United States Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Erick Emilio Diaz-Aguilar, aka “Homie,” 34, was sentenced to 240 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The defendant was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson on September 9, 2026.

According to court documents, Diaz-Aguilar managed the “Diaz-Aguilar Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO)” and is a member of the Sureños, a transnational criminal organization originating in Southern California. He is one of several defendants in United States v. Diaz-Aguilar et al. 

Other defendants in the case include:

• Juan Martin Elvira Jr., of Rochester, Minnesota, sentenced to 75 months in prison on June 11, 2026, for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine
• Edward Gonzalez, of Hastings, Minnesota, sentenced to 120 months in prison on June 3, 2026, for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine
• Eric Anthony Rodriguez, of St. Paul, Minnesota, sentenced to 260 months in prison on August 13, 2026, following a six-day trial where he was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine
• Bruce Michael Orton, of North Branch, Minnesota, sentenced to 140 months in prison on June 16, 2026, for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine

According to court documents, in the summer of 2024, law enforcement began investigating suspected methamphetamine trafficking in Rochester, Minnesota. In August 2024, agents executed a search warrant at a coconspirator’s residence and found approximately 7.6 pounds of methamphetamine, 1,500 M-30 fentanyl pills, a variety of marijuana products, cellphones, and nearly $8,000 in cash. A review of the coconspirator’s phone revealed messages with “Homie,” the coconspirator’s methamphetamine supplier, with transactions going back to April 2024. Agents later determined that “Homie” was Diaz-Aguilar.

From October 2024 through January 2025, law enforcement conducted three controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Diaz-Aguilar and executed a search warrant at a stash house in Hastings, Minnesota, where agents found a bulk quantity of methamphetamine and used drug packaging that demonstrated hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine had recently traveled through the house.

In December 2024, Diaz-Aguilar traveled to Chicago with two coconspirators to obtain a bulk quantity of methamphetamine and traveled in a two-vehicle convoy back to Minnesota. Police stopped the vehicle driven by one of the defendant’s coconspirators, Edward Gonzalez, and located approximately 42 pounds of methamphetamine in the trunk.

Agents later executed a search warrant at Diaz-Aguilar’s residence and seized his phones. Investigators found messages between the defendant and another coconspirator, Bruce Orton, about drug transactions dating back to August 2023 including discussions on pricing and the defendant’s access to 170 pounds of methamphetamine. Agents also found a ledger in Diaz-Aguilar’s closet that contained sales entries of bulk quantities of methamphetamine to others.

“This sentence sends a clear message that those who traffic deadly narcotics in Minnesota will be met with decisive action. My office remains fully committed to protecting the public by dismantling the criminal networks that put our communities at risk,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“Today, the ringleader of an organization responsible for flooding our streets with methamphetamine was brought to justice,” said DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie. “No one is above the law and today’s sentencing is yet another reminder that DEA will work tirelessly to take these criminals and their poisons out of our neighborhoods.”

“The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team (SEMVCET) work collaboratively with local, state, and federal agencies to disrupt and dismantle Drug Trafficking Organizations. This case is one example of positive outcomes achieved when working together. Minnesota and beyond are safer with these dangerous drugs off the streets and the suspects held accountable,” said Tim Parkin, Captain of the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and Commander of the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Minnesota State Patrol, Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Chisago County Sheriff’s Office, East Central Minnesota Drug Task Force, Hastings Police Department, Rochester Police Department, Cannon River Drug Task Force, and the New Prague Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case.

Note: Previous press release on the indictment (April 8, 2025) linked here.

ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Hudeife Muhamud Mire, aka “Juice,” 24, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. 

His plea hearing was before U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell on September 8, 2026. Mire faces a statutory minimum of 20 years in prison and supervised release of at least four years.

According to court documents, in 2021, Mire conspired with others to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The defendant remained a part of the agreement until May 17, 2022, when he was arrested.

On April 16, 2022, Mire sold fentanyl to the victim, a 19-year-old woman. The victim died from an overdose minutes after consuming one of the pills. On May 17, 2022, police executed a search warrant at Mire’s apartment and seized roughly 180 grams of fentanyl pills and over $4,000 in cash. On May 19, 2022, state authorities charged the defendant with third-degree murder related to the woman’s death.

On June 1, 2022, Mire was released under certain conditions. However, days later, on June 4, 2022, and in violation of his release conditions, Mire flew to Kenya on a one-way ticket and remained there until January 6, 2026, when federal agents returned him to the United States. Mire admitted that he flew to Kenya to avoid investigation and prosecution for the offense.

“Today’s guilty plea represents a crucial step toward justice for the young woman and her family. Our office remains committed to holding accountable those who peddle deadly drugs into our communities,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“A 19-year-old woman lost her life to a pill that the dealer knew contained fentanyl, a substance that continues to destroy families and communities,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie. “Despite his best efforts to evade justice, Mire must now face the consequences of his actions, while also living with the knowledge that his dealings left a young woman’s family and friends grieving.”

“Mire’s plea agreement reflects the strength of our partnerships and the unwavering commitment required to bring fugitives to justice,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “The gravity of the defendant’s crimes—including distributing fentanyl that caused a young woman’s death and then fleeing to obstruct justice—underscores the importance of holding offenders accountable. This outcome was made possible through close cooperation with the Government of Kenya, whose assistance ensured the defendant’s return to the United States to face federal charges. We are grateful for their collaboration and for the collective work of all our law enforcement partners who made this result possible.”

“Fleeing the country didn’t allow Mr. Mire to escape accountability,” said BCA Superintendent Drew Evans. “This case is a strong example of what can happen when law enforcement partners stay committed to seeing a case through, no matter how long it takes or how far it leads. The BCA was proud to work alongside our partners here in Minnesota and internationally to help locate Mr. Mire and return him to the United States to answer for his actions, moving this case one step closer to justice for Samantha Myers.”

“Although no sentence given to Hudeife Mire will equal the loss experienced by the victim’s family and friends, we are grateful that there will be accountability for his role in her death.  Fentanyl continues to be a plague on our society and hopefully this prosecution deters others.   The CEE-VI Drug and Gang Task Force, Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office, and Willmar Police Department would also like to acknowledge our state and federal partners who assisted in locating Mire in a foreign county and getting him back to the United States to be prosecuted,” said CEE-VI Commander Ross Ardoff, Kandiyohi County Sheriff Eric Tollefson, and Willmar Police Chief Mike Holme in a joint statement.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the CEE-VI (Cooperative Enforcement Effort) Drug and Gang Task Force, the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office, and the Willmar Police Department, with assistance from other law enforcement partners.

Assistant United States Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Mekfira Hussein and Abduljabar Hussein have been sentenced to a total of 97 months in prison for their roles in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Husseins submitted fraudulent claims for meals and ultimately obtained approximately $8.8 million in federal child nutrition program funds.

The defendants were sentenced before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel on September 8, 2026.

Mekfira Hussein, 42, of Shakopee, Minnesota, was sentenced to 57 months in prison on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She pleaded guilty on January 31, 2025.

Abduljabar Hussein, 45, of Shakopee, Minnesota, was sentenced to 40 months in prison on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He pleaded guilty on February 5, 2025.

“The Husseins stole money that was meant for vulnerable children. Their sentences today reflect my office’s commitment to holding those who defraud the American taxpayer accountable,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. 

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

Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Austin L. Bowyer prosecuted these cases. Assistant United States Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

Note: Press releases on the defendants’ indictment (October 18, 2022) linked here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Willie Roy Turner Jr., aka “J.S.B.” and “Little Willie,” 29, of Chicago, Illinois, along with five co-conspirators, has been indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

Turner Jr. made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shannon G. Elkins on September 4, 2026. Turner Jr. is the lead and one of six defendants in the case, and all were indicted by grand jury on June 26, 2026. 

The defendants charged in this conspiracy and their charges include:

• Marc Anderson, aka “K.T.C.” and “Sam Smith,” is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
• Billy Ray Cameron Jr., aka “J.A.M.,” of Chicago, Illinois, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
• Devontay Colbert, aka “J.A.M.,” of Chicago, Illinois, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
• Dontae Williams, aka “F.O.A.,” of Chicago, Illinois, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
• Takiya Shemwell, of Chicago, Illinois, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

According to the indictment, from at least in or about November 2022 to at least on or about September 2024, Turner Jr., Anderson, Cameron Jr., Colbert, and Williams knowingly conspired to defraud banks and credit unions in the Twin Cities area by negotiating stolen checks.  The five defendants opened, or attempted to open, fraudulent and unauthorized bank accounts in the names of business victims at Twin Cities financial institutions. They then deposited checks payable to or paid from the business victims, which had been stolen from the United States mail, into the accounts using fraudulent personal identification and documentation related to the business victims. The defendants then fraudulently withdrew or attempted to withdraw the funds. 

The five defendants engaged in the scheme by registering the payee business victims as new Minnesota Limited Liability Corporations. They then used the Limited Liability Corporation documents to open and attempt to open the unauthorized and fraudulent bank accounts. In opening the bank accounts, the defendants presented fraudulent identification in the names of other individuals and falsely claimed that they were authorized representatives of the payee business victims. After depositing the funds, the defendants and their co-conspirators withdrew the fraudulently obtained funds through cash withdrawals or cashier’s check purchases.

As part of the scheme, Turner Jr., Cameron Jr., and Shemwell, conspired to steal the business victims’ checks from the U.S. Mail.  Shemwell, who was then an employee of the United States Postal Service in Chicago, identified and stole business mail pieces which contained checks paid from or payable to the Business Victims. Shemwell then sold the business victims’ checks to Turner Jr. and Cameron Jr. in exchange for payments on a peer-to-peer money transfer application. Turner Jr. and Cameron Jr. then shared the stolen checks with other co-conspirators and with each other.

In the course of their scheme, these conspirators deposited or attempted to deposit business victim checks worth over $5.1 million at Twin Cities financial institutions. In total, the defendants were successful in stealing over $1.5 million in business victim funds.

The Minnesota Financial Crimes Task Force (MNFCTF) protects and serves the public by investigating financial crimes related to identity theft, with a special emphasis on organized criminal enterprises. The MNFCTF is comprised of multi-jurisdictional law enforcement agencies working together to provide investigative expertise and resources. The MNFCTF includes representatives from local, state, and Federal agencies.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted jointly under the auspices of the MNFCTF by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Eagan Police Department, Richfield Police Department, and the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, with significant assistance from the United States Marshals Service in Minnesota, Illinois, and Arizona. 

Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline and Bryan T. Mette 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 – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Jeremy Francis Plonski was sentenced to 324 months in prison and 180 months of supervised release for the production of child pornography and the distribution of child pornography. 

Plonski was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Kate M. Menendez on September 8, 2026. He previously pleaded guilty on October 8, 2025.

According to court documents, from about April 2023 to October 2023, Plonski produced 23 child pornographic videos. In some of the videos, Plonski, who worked as a Minnesota State Trooper, wore his uniform while personally sexually abusing a minor victim. Plonski then distributed videos that depicted him sexually abusing the minor victim on a social media application.

“This defendant took an oath to protect the public, but he instead committed one of the most abhorrent offenses imaginable. Today’s sentence represents my office’s commitment to protect vulnerable children and the cooperation among federal and local law enforcement,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“As we said in our previous statement, no badge, no title, and no position will ever place anyone above the law. Protecting the vulnerable is our duty. Anyone who violates that duty has no place in this organization or in our profession. We are grateful for the work that went into this investigation and for the accountability that followed,” said Colonel Christina Bogojevic, Chief of the Minnesota State Patrol. “Jeremy Plonski was terminated by the Minnesota State Patrol.”

“Jeremy Plonski betrayed everything he swore to protect,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is always horrendous crime, and as a law enforcement officer, Mr. Plonski knew the terrible harms that come to victims of these offenses. As we did in this case, the FBI and our partners will always act with immediacy and spare no resource to protect children from predators. While a prison sentence cannot repair the harms these crimes have caused, we hope that today’s outcome will offer the victim and their family the sense of peace, safety, justice, and hope they deserve as they work toward healing.”

“When someone sexually abuses a child, it is repulsive to all of us, but when it is also someone who wears a badge, it is even more disturbing,” said Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. “He vowed to uphold the law and he broke that promise. We are thankful for this result and that he has been held accountable for his actions.”

This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from the Minnesota State Patrol and other law enforcement partners.

The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.

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.

Note: Previous press release on the defendant’s charge and indictment linked here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Esau Chucky Sago, 36, was sentenced to 240 months in prison and five years of supervised release for being an armed career criminal in possession of ammunition. He was indicted on February 26, 2025, convicted on November 18, 2025, after a two-day jury trial, and was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel on September 3, 2026.

According to court documents, on or about October 10, 2024, the defendant knowingly possessed ammunition despite having prior felony convictions which prohibited him from possessing ammunition or a firearm. Sago’s prior felony offenses include two convictions for domestic assault and one conviction for domestic assault-strangulation, which qualified him as an armed career criminal. Armed career criminals who possess firearms or ammunition are subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. Sago had other felony convictions for fleeing police in a motor vehicle, threats of violence-reckless disregard of risk, and vehicle theft.

On October 10, 2024, at approximately 12:45 a.m., officers with the New Hope Police Department saw a white SUV with an obstructed or no front license plate and an obstructed rear license plate. It also appeared to have had a rushed paint job intended to make the vehicle appear white, which was consistent with the SUV being stolen. Given the suspicious nature of the vehicle’s paint job and the license plate offenses, the officers decided to stop the SUV. However, the SUV, which Sago was driving, sped away.

Sago led police from the Crystal and Robbinsdale Police Departments on a high-speed chase that lasted for miles, with speeds exceeding 70 miles per hour through residential areas. The pursuit ended when an officer with the Crystal Police Department performed a PIT maneuver, a technique used to force a fleeing vehicle to spin out and stop.

Sago’s SUV spun out and landed in a yard in Minneapolis. The SUV knocked over a fence and came to a rest on top of it. Officers quickly arrested Sago, who was the only person in the SUV. After the SUV was towed away, an officer found a loaded handgun with no serial number—commonly called a “ghost gun”—on top of the fence that the SUV knocked down. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension forensic laboratory found Sago’s DNA on the grip of the pistol, the base of the magazine, a round in the magazine, and the round in the chamber.  

“The defendant is a danger to not only the community, but his conduct also placed law enforcement officers’ lives at risk. Today’s sentence protects public safety and ensures he is held accountable for his actions,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“Mr. Sago had an extensive history of violence well before the police pursuit that ultimately led to his conviction, and today’s significant sentence,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Olson, of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “His repeated violent conduct has demonstrated that he poses a serious threat to public safety. I appreciate the dedicated work of BCA, the New Hope, Crystal, and Robbinsdale police departments for their work on this case, as well as the diligent efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in securing a successful prosecution and holding this armed career criminal accountable.”

“The Crystal Police Department is committed to protecting our communities through arresting dangerous individuals like this defendant and is appreciative of the partnership with the ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in aggressively pursuing charges against these individuals,” said Crystal Chief of Police Brian Hubbard. “In this case, our officer facilitated the arrest of an individual with an extensive criminal history, in possession of a firearm and drugs, and driving a stolen car with stolen license plates while endangering the public in his attempt to evade being taken into custody.”

This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; the New Hope Police Department; the Crystal Police Department; and the Robbinsdale Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Charles Ray Workman, 41, of Scott County, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for wire fraud. He was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Davis on September 3, 2026. 

Workman was arrested on March 27, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee, and pleaded guilty on September 16, 2025.

According to court documents, from in or about 2021 through 2022, the defendant defrauded 21 customers who hired Minnesota Crete Pools, LLC, a swimming pool construction company that Workman owned. He marketed swimming pools and installation services and had customers provide down payments, while knowing that the swimming pools he sold were unlikely to be completed. 

Through his fraudulent scheme, Workman stole at least $820,000 from his customers and he was ordered to pay $1.15 million in restitution.

“Workman defrauded hardworking Minnesotans and used those funds to enrich himself. Today’s sentence ensures that he is held accountable for his actions,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“Today’s sentence shows there are real consequences for betraying the trust of Minnesotans investing in and improving their homes,” said FBI Minneapolis Criminal Branch Assistant Special Agent in Charge Benni Jonsson. “Consumers should be able to hire a contractor who will put in the work promised. This outcome is also an opportunity to remind homeowners to carefully research contractors before handing over their hard-earned money. The FBI will continue to stand up for American consumers and hold accountable anyone who would seek to deceive and take advantage of them.”

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

Note: Previous press release on the indictment here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota announced that on Sept. 2, a federal grand jury indicted Christian Jeremiah Castro, 52, of Texas, on six counts of making materially false statements to the FBI, during an interview on Jan. 14. DOJ continues to evaluate all facts and evidence in this case and has not ruled out additional charges.

Castro made an initial appearance on these charges before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Texas today. If found guilty, Castro faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count.

According to the indictment, on Jan. 14, Castro and his partner, while working as Deportation Officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Person 1, a then-26-year-old citizen of Venezuela. Person 1 continued driving, and Castro pursued Person 1 both by vehicle and on foot. Castro attempted to apprehend Person 1 in the front yard of a north Minneapolis duplex. As Person 1 and Castro struggled on the ground, Person 2, a then-24-year-old resident of Venezuela, who also lived in the duplex residence, attempted to assist Person 1. The physical interaction between Castro, Person 1, and Person 2 lasted approximately 11 seconds.

After Person 1 freed himself from Castro’s grasp, both Person 1 and Person 2 ran into the duplex residence through the front door. As Person 1 and Person 2 entered the residence and began to close the front door, Castro stood up, drew his service weapon, and fired a single shot through the front door. Person 2 was struck in the leg, and the fired bullet continued through the entryway, and lodged in the wall of the downstairs apartment of the duplex residence.

When Castro fired the bullet, multiple persons were inside the duplex residence, including minor children.

Later that same night, an FBI Special Agent interviewed Castro as part of an FBI investigation. During the interview, Castro told the FBI Special Agent that as Castro attempted to handcuff Person 1, an unknown man grabbed a red broom from the front porch of the residence and started hitting Castro with the broom. As Castro was scuffling on the ground, Castro said that a third unknown man came out of the house, grabbed a black snow shovel from the front porch, and began hitting Castro with the shovel. Castro stated that Person 1 wiggled out of his sweater, stood up, and started hitting Castro with the broom, while Castro was still on the ground. Castro said that he tried to block strikes from the broom with his hand. Castro said the two men dropped the broom and snow shovel and started running towards the house after Castro reached for his gun. Castro said that he lifted his back off the ground and fired one round from his gun in the general direction of the men at the same time they started running. Castro said he believed he was on the ground fighting with the man he tried to apprehend for approximately three minutes.

Castro was indicted on six counts of knowingly and willfully making materially false statements to the FBI during the interview on or about Jan. 14.

This case was the result of an investigation by the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI with assistance from other law enforcement partners.

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.

ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Mitchell Ray Williams, 40, of Mankato, Minnesota, was sentenced to 420 months in prison for his role in the production of child pornography.

Williams was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell on August 19, 2026. He previously pleaded guilty on November 4, 2025.

According to court documents, throughout October 2024, Williams attempted to employ a minor male victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Williams knowingly recorded the minor and used messaging applications to share child pornography.

Throughout the investigation, law enforcement found hundreds of files of child pornography of which nine files involved visibly pre-pubescent child victims involved in sexually explicit acts. Williams has two prior convictions in another state, from August 2005 and April 2017, for Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse.

“Williams is a repeat sexual predator and posed a danger to vulnerable children. Today’s sentencing ensures that he is held accountable for the harm he has caused to the child victims and their families,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“Mitchell Williams is now on his third conviction for child sexual exploitation offenses. The abuse and exploitation stop here,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “We know that the production, advertisement, and distribution of child sexual abuse material causes serious and lasting harm to child victims and their loved ones. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of that harm and ensures that children everywhere will be protected from Mitchell Williams for decades to come.”

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Mankato Department of Public Safety.

Assistant United States Attorney Kristian Weir 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 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.

Note: Previous press release on the indictment here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that three defendants in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme have been sentenced to a total of 155 months in prison for their role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abdihakim Ali Ahmed, 40, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, was sentenced to 54 months in prison for one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Ahmed was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel on August 26, 2026. He pleaded guilty on March 24, 2025.

Ahmed Abdullahi Ghedi, 35, of Minneapolis, was sentenced to 65 months in prison for one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Ghedi was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel on August 26, 2026. He pleaded guilty on June 26, 2025.

Ahmed Sharif Omar-Hashim, aka “Salah Donyale,” 43, of Minneapolis, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for one count of wire fraud. Omar-Hashim was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel on August 27, 2026. He pleaded guilty on December 13, 2023.

Ahmed, Ghedi, and Omar-Hashim are the 24th, 25th, and 26th defendants, respectively, to be sentenced in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.

“These sentences represent my office’s commitment to restoring the integrity of publicly funded programs. The Department of Justice will continue to hold accountable those who steal funds meant for vulnerable children and seek accountability for American taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“These defendants helped generate outlandish and impossible meal counts at Safari Restaurant and associated sites. The numbers defied reality and exposed a scheme built on wanton greed,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “They stole millions from programs meant to feed children in need, and now they are being held to answer for it. The FBI will continue to follow the evidence, build solid cases with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and work closely with our federal counterparts to ensure every fraudster who exploits American taxpayer funded programs is identified, investigated, and brought to justice.”

“These defendants saw a program meant to help Americans through one of the hardest times in recent memory and saw an opportunity to line their own pockets,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “They hid their greed behind a web of fraud, bribery and money laundering, but money leaves a trail. Working shoulder to shoulder with our law enforcement partners, IRS Criminal Investigation special agents unraveled that web, dollar by dollar, and made sure deceit and grift came with a price.”

“The Feeding Our Future investigation reflects the United States Postal Inspection Service’s commitment to holding accountable anyone who abuses the U.S. mail to defraud government programs” said Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division, Bryan Musgrove.  “We commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota and our other federal partners for the success of this investigation.  These sentences should serve as a deterrent to any would be criminals: if you defraud the U.S. Government, you will face serious consequences.” 

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

Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Austin L. Bowyer prosecuted these cases. Assistant United States Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

Note: Previous press release on the three defendants’ indictments (September 20, 2022) linked here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Christopher Robert Nelson, 45, of Eagan, Minnesota, was sentenced to 204 months in prison with five years of supervised release for the production of child pornography. 

According to court documents, on or about January 13, 2023, Nelson knowingly enticed and coerced a then-11-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant communicated with the girl through a messaging application and directed her to send sexually explicit content to him, and he would send money through a peer-to-peer money transfer application.

On September 9, 2023, Nelson returned to the United States from the Philippines and a Customs and Border Patrol agent conducted a border search of the defendant’s phone as his passport was flagged for possible involvement in child sex trafficking. Agents found several videos that appeared to be child sexual abuse material (CSAM). 

Following a forensic extraction of Nelson’s phone, agents found approximately 400 images and videos of CSAM. The images and videos found on the defendant’s phone were sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) for victim identification. The NCMEC report revealed 25 known victims across 46 different CSAM series. Law enforcement also found videos on Nelson’s phone depicting children, with ages ranging from eight to twelve years old, from Thailand engaging in sexual acts.

Additionally, law enforcement found messages between Nelson and an individual who claimed to be a mother in the Philippines and on his plans to travel to the country to have sex with children.

Nelson was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz on August 27, 2026. Nelson previously pleaded guilty on November 12, 2025.

“The defendant is a serial child predator whose heinous actions have created irreparable harm to vulnerable children in the United States and other countries. My office has an unwavering commitment to protect children and bring justice to the victims and their families,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“Today, alongside our partners, we stopped a serial sexual abuser from harming children for the next 204 months,” said HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “Christopher Nelson’s crimes were monstrous, and they underscore why our work with the Angel Watch Center and our law enforcement partners is so critical. We will keep fighting to bring predators to justice and protect children in our communities and around the world.”

This case was the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and other law enforcement partners.

Assistant United States Attorney Raphael B. Coburn prosecuted this case. 

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

ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Paul Joseph Kroes, 42, of Shorewood, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. 

His initial appearance and change of plea hearing were before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Magnuson on August 27, 2026. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

From approximately November 2019 to March 2025, Kroes engaged in a scheme to embezzle approximately $4 million from his employer, Victim Company, a retailer of transport temperature control systems for refrigerated trucks and containers. Since 2007, Kroes held several different roles and a variety of responsibilities at the Victim Company, and his last role was as a Product Manager. 

Kroes abused his positions and sold Victim Company products to third-party buyers and misappropriated the proceeds for his own personal benefit. Kroes would pull the products himself, or directed another employee to do so, and disguised the missing items from Victim Company’s inventory. Kroes had no authority to sell the products and concealed the payments he received through selling the embezzled products. 

“The defendant exploited his access and authority to cause significant financial harm to his employer. Today’s guilty plea is one step closer to holding Kroes accountable for his actions,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“Paul Kroes abused his position over multiple years to systematically siphon millions of dollars from his employer. White collar criminals may think they can hide behind clever accounting and their knowledge of internal systems, but financial fraud always leaves a trail,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “The FBI will continue to work shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners to detect and disrupt fraud.”

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

Assistant United States Attorney Austin L. Bowyer and Rebecca E. Kline are prosecuting the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that a federal grand jury in the District of Minnesota returned an indictment on August 20, 2026, charging Christopher A. Bravo Marin, aka Bravo, 46, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a Mexican national, with conspiring to launder at least $750,000 in drug proceeds on behalf of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), one of the most prolific and dangerous drug cartels in Mexico. 

Bravo was arrested yesterday by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents. He appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge in Minneapolis on August 25, 2026.

“The indictment alleges that this defendant abused his position at a financial institution to help the CJNG cartel launder money from its drug sales back to Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cartels rely on financial facilitators to ensure that cartel leadership in Mexico receive the profits from the heinous crimes they perpetrate here in the United States. The Criminal Division is relentless in its mission to take the profit out of crime, including by prosecuting those who help funnel drug proceeds back to cartel management.”

“This defendant strengthened a criminal infrastructure by helping transfer hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds to cartel leaders,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “My office remains committed to taking down drug trafficking organizations that threaten the public safety of the people of Minnesota.”

“These types of cases are exactly why Homeland Security Task Forces are so important in stopping transnational criminal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of HSI St. Paul. “They bring a whole-of-government approach to combating serious criminals who commit serious crimes and endanger people in our communities every day. Through coordinated law enforcement partnerships, we are better positioned to disrupt these networks and protect the public.”

According to the indictment, from at least February 2023 to at least February 2026, Bravo, an employee of a Minnesota-based money transmitting business, conspired with members of a CJNG drug distribution cell in Minnesota to launder drug proceeds and transfer them to cartel leaders in Mexico through the money transmitter where he worked. Bravo used his position at the money transmitter and his understanding of his employer’s compliance policies and procedures to evade their anti-money laundering controls and conceal the illicit source of the funds he laundered. Cartel members paid Bravo approximately $40-50 for each transfer that he laundered. 

To transfer the funds, Bravo allegedly structured the amount of money to be sent to Mexico across multiple transfers, ensuring that each transfer was always right below $1,000—the money transmitter’s threshold for collecting and verifying a customer’s identification document. Bravo created fake names of Hispanic origin to serve as the senders and sent the money to straw beneficiaries in Mexico whose names he received from cartel members. 

After processing the transfers, Bravo forged the signature of the senders on each payment confirmation receipt to make the transfer appear legitimate and texted screenshots of the receipts to his co-conspirators so that the funds could be redeemed in Mexico. 

Bravo is charged with one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

Trial Attorney Javier Urbina of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca E. Kline for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.

HSI St. Paul and the Dakota County Drug Task Force investigated this case.

MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

MNF’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

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

A federal grand jury in the District of Minnesota returned an indictment on Aug. 20, charging Christopher A. Bravo Marin (Bravo), 46, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a Mexican national, with conspiring to launder at least $750,000 in drug proceeds on behalf of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), one of the most prolific and dangerous drug cartels in Mexico. Bravo was arrested yesterday by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents. He appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge in Minneapolis today.

“The indictment alleges that this defendant abused his position at a financial institution to help the CJNG cartel launder money from its drug sales back to Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cartels rely on financial facilitators to ensure that cartel leadership in Mexico receive the profits from the heinous crimes they perpetrate here in the United States. The Criminal Division is relentless in its mission to take the profit out of crime, including by prosecuting those who help funnel drug proceeds back to cartel management.”

“This defendant strengthened a criminal infrastructure by helping transfer hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds to cartel leaders,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota. “My office remains committed to taking down drug trafficking organizations that threaten the public safety of the people of Minnesota.”

“These types of cases are exactly why Homeland Security Task Forces are so important in stopping transnational criminal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of HSI St. Paul. “They bring a whole-of-government approach to combating serious criminals who commit serious crimes and endanger people in our communities every day. Through coordinated law enforcement partnerships, we are better positioned to disrupt these networks and protect the public.”

According to the indictment, from at least February 2023 to at least February 2026, Bravo, an employee of a Minnesota-based money transmitting business, conspired with members of a CJNG drug distribution cell in Minnesota to launder drug proceeds and transfer them to cartel leaders in Mexico through the money transmitter where he worked. Bravo used his position at the money transmitter and his understanding of his employer’s compliance policies and procedures to evade their anti-money laundering controls and conceal the illicit source of the funds he laundered. Cartel members paid Bravo approximately $40-50 for each transfer that he laundered. 

To transfer the funds, Bravo allegedly structured the amount of money to be sent to Mexico across multiple transfers, ensuring that each transfer was always right below $1,000 — the money transmitter’s threshold for collecting and verifying a customer’s identification document. Bravo created fake names of Hispanic origin to serve as the senders and sent the money to straw beneficiaries in Mexico whose names he received from cartel members. 

After processing the transfers, Bravo forged the signature of the senders on each payment confirmation receipt to make the transfer appear legitimate and texted screenshots of the receipts to his co-conspirators so that the funds could be redeemed in Mexico. 

Bravo is charged with one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

Trial Attorney Javier Urbina of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Kline for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.

HSI St. Paul and the Dakota County Drug Task Force investigated this case.

MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

MNF’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

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 Rodolfo Rebollar-Gonzalez, 29, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

Rebollar-Gonzalez was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz on August 25, 2026. He pleaded guilty on April 24, 2026.

According to court documents, on November 21, 2023, police executed a search warrant on the defendant’s apartment in St. Paul, Minnesota. Police forced entry into the apartment and saw Rebollar-Gonzalez holding roughly nine pounds of methamphetamine in his arms. Elsewhere in the apartment, police found roughly two pounds of marijuana and two magazines loaded with 9-millimeter ammunition. The next day, police seized a 9-millimeter pistol and loaded magazine from the defendant’s car. 

In February and March 2025, Rebollar-Gonzalez distributed methamphetamine on two occasions. On each occasion, the defendant sold roughly one pound of methamphetamine, once to a confidential informant and once to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent.

Finally, on March 24, 2025, Rebollar-Gonzalez possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute. When police attempted to arrest him, he ran but was caught and arrested within seconds. Police searched the defendant and found roughly one pound of cocaine in his backpack and a digital scale in his back pocket.

Rebollar-Gonzalez was not in the United States legally when he committed these crimes.

“My office is committed to getting dangerous drug traffickers off the streets and stopping the flow of illegal narcotics into the state. Today’s sentence is a significant step toward disrupting these pipelines and safeguarding public safety for the people of Minnesota,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“This investigation is a clear example of what can be accomplished when agencies work together to identify and dismantle drug trafficking organizations that are bringing deadly drugs into our communities. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office West Metro Drug Task Force and our federal partners at the DEA first identified Rebollar-Gonzalez as part of a drug trafficking investigation in 2023, resulting in the seizure of nine pounds of methamphetamine and a pistol. Less than two years later, our investigators received information that he was again trafficking drugs, leading to another investigation and the seizure of additional cocaine,” said Dawanna Witt, Sheriff of Hennepin County. “These investigations take time, but the results are clear: getting dangerous drug traffickers and cartel members off our streets saves lives and makes our communities safer. Now we must hold Rebollar-Gonzalez accountable. I remain committed to the strong partnerships that allow us to pursue these cases and dismantle the criminal organizations wreaking havoc in our communities.”

“Few things pose a greater threat to public safety than illegal methamphetamine flooding our communities,” said HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard.  “This sentence holds the defendant accountable for trafficking a highly addictive, destructive drug that fuels crime, devastates families and tears at the fabric of our neighborhoods. HSI and our partners will continue to aggressively target those who profit from addiction and bring them to justice.”

“Rodolfo is a repeat offender who squandered an opportunity to turn away from a life of drug trafficking,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “Instead, he opted to double down, moving large quantities of methamphetamine around the Twin Cities. Today’s sentencing now forces Rodolfo to be accountable for his crimes and respect the rule of law.”

This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Hennepin County West Metro Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigation, with assistance from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and other local law enforcement partners.

Assistant United States Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Karan Gupta, 48, of Walnut Creek, California, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, ten counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. 

Gupta was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Kate M. Menendez on August 24, 2026. He had previously been found guilty on February 17, 2026, following a six-day jury trial.

According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, between 2015 and 2020, Gupta led a scheme to defraud his employer, Optum, Inc., by creating a no-show job for his lifelong friend, Shangraf Kaul, 45, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, as a data engineering manager and pocketing over half of Kaul’s salary as a kickback. 

Gupta, who was a senior director at Optum, hired Kaul to work on his team in late 2015, despite Kaul’s lack of qualifications for the position. For over three years, Kaul performed no work at Optum while collecting a six-figure salary. Gupta, as Kaul’s supervisor, facilitated Kaul’s no-show employment and demanded Kaul pay him approximately 60% of his unearned salary in kickbacks. Gupta then devised a plan for him and Kaul to conceal the kickback payments, first through cash deposits into Gupta’s own bank account, then through a designated checking account to which Gupta had access. 

Gupta’s fraud was ultimately discovered by Optum after his termination from the company in November 2019 for engaging in a similar no-show employee fraud. Optum investigated and referred the case to federal law enforcement. In total, Gupta’s fraud against Optum totaled more than $950,000.

Gupta’s co-conspirator, Kaul, pleaded guilty on February 26, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is currently awaiting sentencing. 

“Defrauding a private company is not a victimless crime. Gupta’s actions ultimately undermine a healthcare provider that millions of Americans depend on, and today’s sentencing reflects the seriousness of his crimes,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“The FBI is committed to investigating complex fraud schemes that exploit trust and defraud victims through deliberate deception, including schemes in which the defendant creates a no-show position at the very company that employs him, using that position to victimize his own employer. The jury’s verdict and today’s sentencing demonstrate the seriousness with which our justice system treats fraud,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “The FBI, in strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, is sending a clear message that those who use their positions of trust to orchestrate sophisticated schemes, conceal criminal proceeds, and defraud the companies that employ them will be held accountable.”

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

Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew D. Forbes and Rebecca E. Kline prosecuted the case.

Note: Previous press release on Gupta’s guilty verdict here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Steve Michael Kelley, 58, a former nurse who worked at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis, was indicted by grand jury for one count of obtaining controlled substances by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge. His initial appearance was before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on August 21, 2026.

According to the indictment, Kelley is alleged to have wrongfully obtained hydromorphone, a controlled substance, from in or about January 2025 through on or about January 28, 2026.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General, the Veterans Affairs Police Department, the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Assistant United States Attorney Campbell Warner is 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.

ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Michael Salas, 52, of San Antonio, was sentenced to 256 months in prison for his role in the production and attempted production of child pornography. 

According to court documents, in March 2025, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and law enforcement received anonymous information that an eleven-year-old girl was being blackmailed over social media into sending sexual photographs of herself. The internet account was traced back to Salas, a then-fifty-one-year-old man in San Antonio, Texas. On or about March 9, 2025, after Salas pressed the minor female victim, she sent a video to Salas. After receiving that video, Salas still requested more explicit material from the victim.

Salas was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud on August 18, 2026. Salas previously pleaded guilty on February 11, 2026.

During the hearing, Judge Tostrud described the offense conduct in this case as “depraved, cruel, and contemptable,” noting that the consequences to the victim may be “life long, life altering, and severe.” 

“No sentence can fully heal the harm that this defendant has done to this young girl and her family, but it will hold this repeat and dangerous sex offender accountable for his actions,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“From the comfort of his home in San Antonio, Texas, Michael Salas engaged in a months-long campaign to sexually exploit an 11-year-old child in Minnesota. When caught, he attempted to take his own life. Thankfully, the FBI Special Agents who arrested him were successful in their lifesaving efforts,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Today’s sentence shows that no matter the distance, the FBI will make every effort to seek justice for child victims. Child sexual exploitation creates long-lasting trauma for victims, so it rightly carries long-lasting criminal consequences for offenders.”

“Today’s sentencing reflects the strength of collaboration between our local officers and our federal partners. By combining resources, expertise, and a shared commitment to public safety, we were able to bring this case forward effectively and ensure accountability. We remain dedicated to working together to protect our community,” said Plymouth Police Chief and Public Safety Director Erik Fadden.

This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI, New Hope Police Department, Plymouth Police Department, with assistance from other law enforcement partners.

Assistant United States Attorney Albania Concepcion 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 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.

ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Alex James Wall, 39, of Mankato, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography. Wall’s change of plea hearing was before U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank on August 18, 2026. Wall will be facing a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.

According to court documents, between April 14, 2023, and March 6, 2025, Wall attempted to entice and coerce a 14-to-15-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce child pornography.

“There is no higher priority for my office than to protect vulnerable children. Today’s guilty plea is an important step towards justice for the child victims and their families,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“Alex Wall, a registered sex offender, again sexually abused and exploited a child and recorded that abuse for his own purposes,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Any child sexual abuse is abhorrent, but offenses committed by repeat offenders are particularly deserving of the significant consequences for these crimes under federal law. This investigation demonstrates that the FBI and our partners are dedicated to finding justice for child victims and their affected families.”

This case was the result of an investigation by the Mankato Department of Public Safety, FBI, with assistance from other law enforcement partners.

Assistant United States Attorney David M. Classen 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 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.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Abdinasir Mahamed Abshir, 34, of Lakeville, Minnesota, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for his role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Abshir is the 23rd defendant to be sentenced in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.

The sentence also reflects Abshir’s effort to tamper with a cooperating trial witness on February 18, 2025. During the trial of his co-defendants in United States v. Aimee Bock and Salim Said, Abshir obstructed justice when he approached a cooperating witness prior to his scheduled testimony. 

Abshir was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel on August 18, 2026. Abshir previously pleaded guilty on March 7, 2025.

“Today’s sentence makes clear that justice is not for sale, and those who try to buy their way out of accountability will not succeed. Our office is committed to protecting American taxpayer funds,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“The sentence imposed on Abdinasir Abshir reflects accountability not only for his role in a massive fraud scheme, but also for his deliberate attempt to undermine the integrity of the judicial process,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Witness tampering is an attack on the foundation of our justice system because it seeks to obstruct the truth and interfere with the fair administration of justice. Today’s sentence makes clear that such conduct carries serious consequences. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting witnesses, safeguarding the integrity of our courts, and ensuring that those who commit fraud are held fully accountable.”

“Abshir and his co-conspirators stole from a program meant to feed children while families were struggling, then tried to use money to corrupt the justice system,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office. “Justice isn’t for sale, and IRS Criminal Investigation will hold accountable those who think their money puts them beyond its reach.”

“Mr. Abshir’s guilty plea reflects the outstanding investigative teamwork by the Postal Inspection Service and our federal law enforcement partners,” said Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division Bryan Musgrove. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to holding white-collar criminals accountable for abusing the U.S. mail to facilitate fraudulent schemes.” 

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

Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline and Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case.

Note: Previous press releases on Abshir’s guilty plea (March 7, 2025) and indictment (September 20, 2022) linked here.

ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Eric Anthony Rodriguez, 47, was sentenced to 260 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. 

According to court documents and the record at trial, Rodriguez conspired with other co-defendants to acquire and distribute hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine. Led and organized by Erick Emilio Diaz-Aguilar, the “Diaz-Aguilar Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO)” operated and distributed methamphetamine throughout Minnesota from April 2024 to March 2025. During a nearly year-long investigation, law enforcement seized approximately sixty pounds of methamphetamine, 1,500 fentanyl pills, and more than $20,000 from various individuals associated with the Diaz-Aguilar-DTO. Additional evidence showed that the Diaz-Aguilar DTO was affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel, a Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO).

Rodriguez was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Susan R. Nelson on August 13, 2026. He previously was convicted by a jury on February 10, 2026. Judge Nelson indicated that the sentence reflected Rodriguez’s role as a “crucial workhorse” in the organization. Judge Nelson also noted that the sentence was based on the harm methamphetamine causes to Minnesota communities through addiction and overdose deaths.

“Today’s sentencing reflects my office’s commitment to holding drug traffickers accountable. Rodriguez played a significant role in a conspiracy that pushed methamphetamine across Minnesota, and this sentence reflects the seriousness of his actions,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team (SEMVCET) work collaboratively with local, state, and federal agencies to disrupt and dismantle Drug Trafficking Organizations. This case is one example of positive outcomes achieved when working together. Minnesota and beyond are safer with these dangerous drugs off the streets and the suspects held accountable,” said Tim Parkin, Captain of the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and Commander of the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team.

“Eric Rodriguez’s drug trafficking efforts in Minnesota serve as a reminder of how the Sinaloa Cartel continues to attempt making inroads into our communities,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “These weren’t small amounts of methamphetamine that he was moving into and around Minnesota. These were hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl that carry life-altering consequences to those who roll the dice by using these substances.”

“This investigation represents two years of dedicated work by BCA agents and our law enforcement partners to stop the distribution of methamphetamine in our communities,” said Drew Evans, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension superintendent. “The effects of methamphetamine reach far beyond those who use it, impacting families, increasing crime and placing additional demands on our health care system. We will continue working together to disrupt drug trafficking and prevent further harm.”

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Minnesota State Patrol, Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Chisago County Sheriff’s Office, East Central Minnesota Drug Task Force, Hastings Police Department, Rochester Police Department, Cannon River Drug Task Force, and the New Prague Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case.

Note: Previous press releases on Rodriguez’s indictment (April 8, 2025) and jury conviction (February 17, 2026) linked here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Ted Matthew Bennett, 58, of Minneapolis, has been indicted by a grand jury for his alleged role in knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing a minor to engage in sexual activity from on or about January 1, 2025, through on or about November 11, 2025. 

Bennett had his initial appearance hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shannon G. Elkins on August 10, 2026.

According to state court documents, on November 10, 2025, police responded to a Ramsey County high school regarding a report of an alleged inappropriate relationship between a teacher and student. Law enforcement’s investigation revealed that Bennett groomed and communicated with a minor student for months via text messages and emails. Text messages recovered during the investigation showed that Bennett repeatedly offered the minor student alcohol and drugs, and that Bennett and the minor student engaged in sexual activity on at least one occasion.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Secret Service.

Assistant United States Attorney Evan Gilead is 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 – Today, the Department of Justice is monitoring polling sites in two Minnesota counties for the state’s primary election to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.

“Minnesota is DOJ’s next stop on its nationwide effort to ensure free and fair elections,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The DOJ is committed to nondiscriminatory monitoring throughout the primary and general election seasons.”

“Election monitoring is critical to ensuring our elections have the trust of Minnesotans,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota. “We are proud to partner with the Civil Rights Division in this effort.”

The DOJ, through the Civil Rights Division, enforces federal voting laws which protect the voting rights of all eligible citizens. The DOJ regularly deploys staff to monitor compliance with federal civil rights laws in communities across the country, as it did in Minnesota in the 2020, 2022, and 2024 federal elections.

The DOJ is monitoring polls in Hennepin and Ramsey counties with approximately 20 staff from the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section and Minnesota’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. Already this primary season the DOJ has deployed over 50 monitors across seven counties.

This monitoring initiative is aimed at promoting transparency and an open flow of communication between poll observers and election monitors. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces various federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Civil Rights Acts.

From now through the general election on November 3, 2026, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available to receive questions and complaints from the public related to federal voting rights laws. If you have a question or complaint or would like to request election monitoring in a particular jurisdiction, please contact the Voting Section at VEM@usdoj.gov.

Today, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) is monitoring polling sites in two Minnesota counties for the state’s primary election to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.

“Minnesota is DOJ’s next stop on its nationwide effort to ensure free and fair elections,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The DOJ is committed to nondiscriminatory monitoring throughout the primary and general election seasons.”

“Election monitoring is critical to ensuring our elections have the trust of Minnesotans,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota. “We are proud to partner with the Civil Rights Division in this effort.”

The DOJ, through the Civil Rights Division, enforces federal voting laws which protect the voting rights of all eligible citizens. The DOJ regularly deploys staff to monitor compliance with federal civil rights laws in communities across the country, as it did in Minnesota in the 2020, 2022, and 2024 federal elections.

The DOJ is monitoring polls in Hennepin and Ramsey counties with approximately 20 staff from the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section and Minnesota’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.  Already this primary season the DOJ has deployed over 50 monitors across seven counties.

This monitoring initiative is aimed at promoting transparency and an open flow of communication between poll observers and election monitors. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces various federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Civil Rights Acts.

From now through the general election on Nov. 3, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available to receive questions and complaints from the public related to federal voting rights laws. If you have a question or complaint or would like to request election monitoring in a particular jurisdiction, please contact the Voting Section at VEM@usdoj.gov.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen and members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office completed a two‑day visit to Beltrami County and the Red Lake Indian Reservation on August 4 and 5, 2026. The visit included a series of meetings with county officials, federal partners, tribal leadership, community members, and the Red Lake Department of Public Safety to discuss public safety across northern Minnesota and to strengthen coordination between tribal, federal, and local agencies.

During the visit with the Beltrami County Attorney’s Office, United States Attorney Rosen met with County Attorney David Hanson and local law enforcement officials, including Chief Assistant County Attorney David Frank, Sheriff Jason Riggs, and Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force Commander David Hart. Officials described narcotics trafficking entering the region from the Twin Cities and other areas, and discussed broader socioeconomic conditions influencing public safety, including Beltrami County’s poverty rate of 16.1 percent, among the highest in Minnesota.    

United States Attorney Rosen noted that his office has seen a tremendous number of extraordinarily qualified lawyers desiring to serve in the District of Minnesota. The office now has even more Assistant United States Attorneys than when he assumed office in October 2025, reaffirming that the United States Attorney’s Office is in a strong position to support county and tribal partners. Local officials recognized AUSAs Raphael Coburn and Garrett S. Fields for their work on complex and high‑impact cases.

Following this meeting, United States Attorney Rosen visited the FBI’s Bemidji Resident Agency, which covers most of northwest Minnesota and the Red Lake Indian Reservation. There, agents provided a briefing on active investigations and enforcement priorities affecting both county and tribal jurisdictions. These discussions focused on violent crime, narcotics trafficking, and interagency coordination.

United States Attorney Rosen then traveled to the Red Lake Indian Reservation for a consultation with tribal executive leadership. Joining him at Red Lake were FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson, along with Chairman Darrell G. Seki, Sr., Tribal Secretary Robert L. May, members of the Tribal Council, and officials from the Red Lake Police Department, including Red Lake Nation Public Safety Director Kendall Kingbird, Sr. 

Tribal leaders raised urgent public safety concerns, including violent crime, drug trafficking, and the disproportionate impact of violence on women and children. Tribal Secretary May spoke candidly about longstanding community needs and communicated a strong desire to further strengthen the relationship with the United States Attorney’s Office. 

United States Attorney Rosen affirmed the United States Attorney’s Office’s long‑term dedication to prosecute crimes on the reservation, stating, “One of the things that I have made very clear in our office is that whatever the past treatment may or may not have been of crimes in Indian Country and the United States Attorney’s Office, it is now at the highest level of priority in our office.” FBI Special Agent in Charge Dotson later emphasized the FBI’s shared focus, noting, “I can tell you that in this office, we are synced up with the United States Attorney’s Office. Making our tribal lands safer is a priority for the FBI… and this kind of collaboration is critical to success.”

United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen meeting with Beltrami County Attorney’s Office and Red Lake Tribal Council

A subsequent community meeting allowed residents to voice concerns regarding cases, jurisdictional questions, and matters that have had especially significant impacts on families. Community members sought clarity on how federal and tribal agencies divide investigative responsibilities. United States Attorney Rosen and Red Lake Department of Public Safety representatives addressed these questions and reiterated efforts to improve communication and transparency.

United States Attorney Rosen’s team concluded the visit with additional discussions with the Red Lake Department of Public Safety regarding coordination on active cases, resource needs, and ongoing collaboration aimed at reducing violent crime and drug trafficking.

Joining the visit were First Assistant United States Attorney Joseph S. Teirab, Assistant United States Attorneys Mary Riverso and Dana Joseph, Tribal Victim Assistance Specialist Krysta Gordon, and Public Affairs Specialist Hoang Bui.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that a federal jury has found Robert Phillip Ivers, 73, of Wayzata, Minnesota, guilty on two counts of mailing threatening communications, and one count of threatening to murder a United States District Judge. The mailings included threats to kill a witness and the judge who presided over the defendant’s 2018 federal criminal trial, in which the defendant was found guilty of threatening to murder another federal judge. See United States v. Ivers, Case No. 18-cr-90 (JMM).

The verdict follows a multi‑day trial in U.S. District Court from August 4 to 7, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

“Today’s outcome reaffirms the strength of our justice system in the face of intimidation. Those who seek to retaliate against witnesses or judges with threats of violence will be held fully accountable,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

According to court documents, the defendant mailed a manifesto titled “How to Kill a Federal Judge” to a Minneapolis law firm and the University of St. Thomas. The manifesto contained graphic threats of violence against the witness and judge involved in the defendant’s previous criminal trial, federal judges generally, and the victims’ children.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, United States Supreme Court Police, United States Secret Service, Wayzata Police Department, and Saint Paul Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Bradley M. Endicott and William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case.

Note: Previous press releases on the charges and indictment here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Amanda Jennifer Freeman was sentenced for her role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Freeman was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Davis on August 4, 2026. Freeman is the sixth and final defendant to be sentenced in United States v. Shiloe Devanglo Nixon et al. The six defendants were sentenced to a total of 540 months in prison.

Together, the actions of these individuals enabled a large‑scale flow of fentanyl pills from Arizona into Minnesota. Their roles included sourcing and transporting drugs to storing and redistributing them, forming a coordinated operation responsible for nearly 30 kilograms of fentanyl pills intended for distribution throughout Minnesota and elsewhere.

The defendants received the following sentences:

• Shiloe Devanglo Nixon, 37, of Woodbury, Minnesota: 180 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release for role in conspiracy to distribute fentanyl
• Malik Deronte Nixon, 30, of Woodbury, Minnesota: 180 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release for role in conspiracy to distribute fentanyl 
• Ernesto Alexis Seals, 28, of Welch, Minnesota: 120 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release for role in conspiracy to distribute fentanyl
• Justin Keith Banks, 37, of Rush City, Minnesota: 60 months’ imprisonment with four years of supervised release for role in conspiracy to distribute fentanyl 
• Amanda Jennifer Freeman, 38, of St. Paul, Minnesota: time served with two years of supervised releasefor role in conspiracy to distribute fentanyl
• Zakiya Niajoneu Whitney, 25, of San Tan Valley, Arizona: time served with two years of supervised release for role in conspiracy to distribute fentanyl

According to court documents, beginning in September 2023 and continuing through on or about March 2024, Shiloe Nixon and Malik Nixon, conspired to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Shiloe Nixon and Malik Nixon enlisted others to bring fentanyl pills from their source in Arizona to the Twin Cities. Once the pills arrived in the Twin Cities, the Nixons distributed them to lower-level dealers, who then distributed the pills to others.

On February 5, 2024, the Nixons received a shipment of fentanyl pills from Freeman, who drove the pills from Arizona to the Twin Cities and stored the pills at a rental home in St. Paul, Minnesota. The next day, police executed a search warrant of the rental home and seized almost 9.7 kilograms of fentanyl pills.

Roughly a month later, a New Mexico State Police trooper stopped Whitney’s car on Interstate 40. Whitney consented to a search of her car, and the trooper seized roughly 10 kilograms of fentanyl pills. Those pills were supposed to be delivered to the Nixons and were intended for further distribution in Minnesota. 

Finally, just weeks after the New Mexico seizure, Shiloe Nixon and Malik Nixon were driving back to Minnesota from Phoenix where they had picked up roughly 9.7 kilograms of fentanyl pills from their source. A Minnesota State Patrol trooper stopped the Nixons’ car, searched it, and found the pills divided among nine clear plastic bags and concealed in a backpack.  

In addition to the Nixons, Freeman, and Whitney, co-conspirators in the operation included Ernesto Seals, and Justin Banks.

From September 2023 through November 2023, Ernesto Seals was regularly supplied with fentanyl pills that he distributed to others. On November 7, 2023, police executed a search warrant of Seals’ home and found a .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol that he possessed in connection with his fentanyl distribution.

From October 2023 through November 2023, Justin Banks obtained fentanyl pills from his supplier and distributed them to his customers.

Shiloe Nixon, Malik Nixon, and Banks had multiple prior felony convictions. Shiloe Nixon’s criminal history includes a 2014 conviction for first-degree aggravated robbery, a 2013 conviction for third-degree burglary, and a 2009 conviction for first-degree aggravated robbery. Malik Nixon’s criminal history includes a 2017 conviction for second-degree aggravated robbery and a 2016 conviction for third-degree assault. Banks has a 2015 conviction for aiding and abetting the solicitation of a person under the age of 18 years to practice prostitution, a 2015 conviction for felony theft, and a 2013 conviction for domestic assault by strangulation.

“These sentences demonstrate my office’s commitment to investigate and take down fentanyl trafficking operations. The coordinated efforts of our law enforcement partners ensured that those responsible were prosecuted and held accountable,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“A priority of the Dakota County Drug Task Force is to hold accountable those who choose to distribute fentanyl in our communities. This case highlights the dedication of our agents and federal partners in investigating and prosecuting those who traffic this deadly drug. The Task Force would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their collaboration and commitment to this case,” said Captain Joshua Fahey, Commander of the Dakota County Drug Task Force.

“The sentencing in this case reflects the serious consequences of trafficking dangerous narcotics into our communities. The Minnesota State Patrol is proud of the professionalism and dedication demonstrated by our troopers, whose work contributed to the successful seizure of a significant quantity of fentanyl pills and supported our federal law enforcement partners in holding those responsible accountable. This outcome is a testament to the value of strong partnerships between local, state and federal law enforcement and our shared commitment to protecting the public from the devastating impact of illicit drugs,” said Colonel Christina Bogojevic, Chief of the Minnesota State Patrol.

“This was a sizable load of fentanyl that could have caused tremendous harm in our communities. I’m proud of the work our officers did and grateful for our partnership with the Department of Justice in Minnesota and all the law enforcement agencies involved. The New Mexico State Police always has, and will continue to, work alongside our law enforcement partners across state lines to hold traffickers accountable and keep these deadly drugs off our streets,” said New Mexico State Police Chief Matthew Broom.

“Drug trafficking conspiracies are built on individual choices, and every person who agrees to play a part helps move dangerous drugs closer to our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Olson of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “After years in law enforcement, I have seen how quickly one bad decision can alter the course of a life. With all defendants now sentenced, we remain committed to working with our federal and local partners to disrupt the flow of fentanyl into Minnesota.”

“Nearly 30 kilograms of fentanyl pills represents an extraordinary threat to public safety. Thanks to the outstanding work of investigators and prosecutors, that threat was stopped before it could cause further devastation in Minnesota communities,” said Michael McCarthy, Special Agent in Charge of HSI St. Paul. “I commend our federal, state, and local partners for their tireless efforts to dismantle this operation and protect the public from the lethal impact of fentanyl.”

This case was the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Minnesota State Patrol, the New Mexico State Police, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Police Department, and other law enforcement partners.

Assistant United States Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.

Note: This press release was updated on August 7, 2026, to correct the name of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Mason Alexander Bullhead, 30, of Red Lake, was sentenced to 63 months in prison for his violent assault against his then‑girlfriend and her three‑year‑old child. 

Bullhead was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz on August 3, 2026.

According to court documents, on May 4, 2024, Bullhead assaulted the child inside the family home. He struck the child repeatedly and kicked him while wearing steel‑toed boots. When the child’s mother attempted to intervene to protect her son, Bullhead assaulted her as well. He threatened her, stating, “I should just kill you,” before placing his hands around her neck and strangling her, impairing her ability to breathe.

In February 2026, Bullhead pleaded guilty to one count of assault upon a child resulting in substantial bodily injury and one count of strangling an intimate partner.

“Domestic violence will not be tolerated. Today’s sentencing is another example of my office’s unwavering commitment to maintaining public safety,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Red Lake Police Department.

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

ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Justyce Edward Lussier was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment for receiving child pornography.

Lussier was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell on July 30, 2026.

Court documents show that between 2023 and 2024, Lussier solicited and received pornographic images of a minor under the age of 16, and on at least two occasions, he contributed to the production of child pornography.

“This sentence cannot undo the harm the defendant caused, but it delivered justice. My office will spare no resources to protect children and prosecute those who prey on them,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“The FBI responds with urgency to allegations involving the exploitation of children, and this case demonstrates how swift investigative action can protect victims and prevent further harm,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “We recognize the resilience of the victim and the significant impact these offenses have on families and the broader community. The FBI, together with the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, the Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, remains firmly committed to pursuing justice, safeguarding children, and holding offenders accountable for their actions.”

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force, Red Lake Tribal Police Department, with assistance from other local law enforcement partners.

Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Grey prosecuted the case.

ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Jeffrey Thomas Simon, 39, pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor. 

Simon pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell on July 30, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison.

According to court documents, between on or about August 2023 to January 2025, Simon knowingly used a messaging application to persuade, include, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity. Throughout this time, Simon knowingly coerced Victim 1, who in August 2023 was a 13-year-old female, to engage in sexual activity. Simon additionally said to Victim 1 that if she ever left or reported him, that he would kill either himself or her. In January 2025, the parent of Victim 1 contacted law enforcement again to now report that Simon had sexually assaulted Victim 1.

When investigators searched Simon’s phone, they found additional conversations on a messaging application between him and other persons who self-identified as minor females.

“There is no higher priority than protecting children, and today’s guilty plea highlights my office’s unwavering commitment to ensuring offenders are held accountable,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Anoka County Sheriff's Office, North Saint Paul Police Department, Roseville Police Department, Fridley Police Department, FBI, with assistance from other local law enforcement partners.

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 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.

ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Christopher Allan Amelsberg, 36, of Minneapolis, pleaded guilty to the production and attempted production of child pornography. 

Amelsberg pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud on July 27, 2026. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date, and Amelsberg faces a statutory minimum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment. 

According to court documents, Amelsberg admitted that between August 2023 through around May 2026, he used text messaging and other internet-based social media and communication applications to engage female minor victims in sexually focused conversations for the purposes of producing or attempting to produce child pornography. 

In one case, from August 2025 to October 2025, Amelsberg used online messaging platforms to engage in sexually focused conversations and to solicit and direct Minor Victim 1, of whom Amelsberg knew was 15 years old at the time, to produce videos and images of Minor Victim 1 performing sexually explicit conduct.

Amelsberg knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced multiple victims between the ages of 14 and 17 years old and admitted to “trading” lascivious or sexually explicit images of children. The United States has identified a total of at least 12 minor victims of whom Amelsberg solicited and enticed, or attempted to solicit and entice, to produce child pornography and engage in unlawful sexual acts.

At the time of this conduct, Amelsberg was on the Minnesota Predatory Offender Registry due to his prior conviction for possession of child pornography.

“Amelsberg is a child predator, and today’s plea is an important step towards justice for the victims and families he harmed,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “Protecting children is our office’s highest priority, and we will continue working with federal and local law enforcement to hold accountable those who prey on them.”

“Identifying and holding online predators accountable for their actions is one of the BCA’s highest priorities,” said Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. “Predators like Amelsberg target the most vulnerable members of our society, our children. We must do everything we can to stop them, bring them to justice, and support the victims and families whose lives they have forever changed.”

“For years, and while being a registered sex offender, Christopher Amelsberg sexually exploited at least a dozen children from his home in Minneapolis,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Even after a previous state conviction for possessing child sexual abuse material, this defendant did not learn his lesson. Federal charges for child sexual exploitation come with significant mandatory minimum penalties to hold child predators accountable. The FBI, BCA, and our law enforcement partners around Minnesota have and will continue to work together tirelessly to stop child predators, rescue child victims from abuse and exploitation, and help victims on their path to recovery.”

Investigators believe there may be additional child victims of Amelsberg’s online sexual exploitation activity. If you or your child has information about online exploitation committed by Christopher Allan Amelsberg, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or submit information to tips.fbi.gov.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI Minneapolis Division with assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Austin L. Bowyer.

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.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Allen Robert Cloud, 46, has been sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment for domestic assault by a habitual offender. Cloud was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud on July 23, 2026.

According to court documents, on July 11, 2025, Cloud violently assaulted his long‑term partner, Victim 1, on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. After locating Victim 1 at a neighbor’s home, where she had been hiding from him, Cloud pushed her, kicked her, and pulled her hair. Cloud then forced Victim 1 to leave the neighbor’s house and prevented her from escaping. When Cloud fell asleep, Victim 1 again attempted to flee, but Cloud chased her down and struck Victim 1 on the head with a piece of concrete. Emergency medical services later arranged for Victim 1 to be airlifted to a nearby hospital. 

Prior to the July 2025 assault, Cloud had at least five Tribal Court convictions for Criminal Domestic Violence and Stalking involving domestic assaults committed between April 2010 and April 2023, all involving Victim 1.

Cloud pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of domestic assault by a habitual offender resulting in substantial bodily harm.

“The courage of victims to seek assistance in domestic assault situations is critical to holding offenders accountable. My office remains committed to preventing domestic violence and safeguarding those who have been victimized,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

This case was investigated by the Red Lake Police Department and the FBI.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Raul Gutierrez, Jr., 33, of Inver Grove Heights, was sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of firearms. He was sentenced before U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim on July 27, 2026.

According to court documents, on January 14, 2026, Gutierrez participated in a violent civil disturbance in Minneapolis where he and others broke into a vehicle belonging to the FBI. When his accomplice arrived, the vehicle was already extensively damaged, and the rear hatch was open. The accomplice broke into a vault in the cargo area of the vehicle and removed a rifle bag and a satchel of ammunition. The bag contained a semiautomatic rifle and a silencer, both of which are firearms under federal law. The accomplice gave the bag to Gutierrez, who took it to his car and drove away.  Gutierrez abandoned the firearms a short time later, and his accomplice took the firearms to his home.

Before Gutierrez possessed the rifle and silencer, he had been convicted of burglary of a building in Dunn County, Wisconsin, and domestic assault-strangulation in Ramsey County, Minnesota.  Both of those are felony convictions that barred Gutierrez from possessing firearms. 

“Today’s sentencing reflects my office’s commitment to taking dangerous individuals off the streets and protecting the people of Minnesota. Stealing FBI firearms during a violent disturbance poses an unacceptable risk to public safety, and we will continue working with our federal partners to hold offenders accountable,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“Today's sentence underscores the fact that violence, theft, and damage to public property have no place in lawful protests,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “To the contrary, criminal behavior like the theft of law enforcement weapons endangers the law-abiding public engaged in First Amendment expression. As we work to uphold the Constitution and protect the public, the FBI and our federal, state, and local partners will not tolerate dangerous and destructive behavior. This sentence proves there are serious consequences for those who seek to use lawful demonstrations as a cover for criminal behavior.”

“When a convicted felon took possession of a stolen FBI rifle and silencer, the danger extended far beyond the scene of the unrest,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Spence Burnett of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “ATF, working alongside members of the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force, located and arrested Gutierrez just hours after the firearm was stolen. The U.S. Attorney’s Office carried the case forward in court, and this sentence holds Gutierrez accountable for the danger his actions created in the community.”

Gutierrez pleaded guilty on May 5, 2026. His accomplice, Alexio Miranda, pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen firearm on June 26, 2026, and his sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2026.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force.

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

Note: Previous press release on Gutierrez’s accomplice here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that a federal jury found Michaela Karon McKinney guilty on three counts for her role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy operating between the Twin Cities metropolitan area and Greater Minnesota.

Following a two-day trial in Minneapolis before U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim starting on July 13, 2026, the jury returned a guilty verdict for McKinney on three counts including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

According to court documents, in 2023, investigators identified a Minneapolis-based fentanyl distributor known as “V,” later confirmed as La’Veal O. Allen, during an ongoing drug trafficking investigation from the Twin Cities to Greater Minnesota, specifically Bemidji. In late spring of 2023, police infiltrated Allen’s drug distribution network, and an undercover officer arranged fentanyl purchases from Allen.

In June and July 2024, McKinney assisted Allen on multiple narcotics distribution trips, helping facilitate the sale of more than 180 grams of powder fentanyl, nearly 500 M-30 fentanyl pills, and approximately 30 grams of methamphetamine. On the initial run, she provided her vehicle to Allen to transport fentanyl to a downstream distributor. Later, she personally drove Allen from the Twin Cities to Little Falls for another drug sale. During that final undercover drug sale on July 1, 2024, McKinney drove Allen to the Little Falls Walmart parking lot, where Allen sold 82 grams of powder fentanyl, 491 M-30 fentanyl pills, and 29.5 grams of methamphetamine to the undercover officer. Officers arrested both Allen and McKinney immediately after the exchange.

Undercover officer with fentanyl and methamphetamine that Allen sold in Little Falls, Minnesota on July 1, 2024

82 grams of powder fentanyl, 491 M-30 fentanyl pills, and 29.5 grams of methamphetamine sold to an undercover officer on July 1, 2024

A search of McKinney’s vehicle revealed her then-six-year-old son in the back seat and a loaded Glock pistol registered to McKinney in the center console. Forensic testing later identified both McKinney’s and Allen’s DNA on the firearm.

McKinney now faces a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. McKinney’s co-defendants, La’Veal O. Allen and Marquise J. Walker, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl on December 16, 2025, and April 3, 2026, respectively. All defendants are currently awaiting sentencing.

“This case shows the continuing fentanyl and drug trafficking operations into Greater Minnesota. My office is committed to working with law enforcement partners across the state to dismantle the networks pushing these lethal substances up north, and to protect families and communities,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“This federal conviction demonstrates what can be accomplished through proactive investigations and strong partnerships between local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement. The Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force remains committed to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling the criminal organizations responsible for trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl into northern Minnesota. Every successful prosecution represents another step toward protecting our communities and holding those who profit from addiction and violence accountable. I am extremely proud of the dedication, professionalism, and relentless work of our task force agents and our law enforcement partners who made this outcome possible,” said Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force Commander and Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant David Hart.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, FBI Headwaters Task Force, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, Bemidji Police Department, Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office, Morrison County Sheriff’s Office, Morrison County Attorney’s Office, Lakes Area Drug Investigative Division, and the Minnesota State Patrol.

Assistant United States Attorney Garrett S. Fields and Special Assistant United States Attorney Ebenezer K. Gyasi are prosecuting the case.

Note: This press release was updated on July 28, 2026, to correct the dates in the photo captions, which incorrectly listed July 2026 instead of July 2024.

ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, 37, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment for attempting to bribe a federal juror during his 2024 fraud trial. He was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud in St. Paul on July 22, 2026.

Abdiaziz Farah was previously sentenced on August 6, 2025, for his role in exploiting a federally funded child nutrition program as part of the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.

According to court documents, shortly after jury selection in Farah’s 2024 trial for his role in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, Farah and several of his associates, including Ladan Mohamed Ali, 33,  Abdulkarim Shafii Farah, 25, Said Shafii Farah, 44, and Abdimajid Mohamed Nur 25, conspired to bribe one of the jurors in exchange for a not‑guilty verdict. 

Among other things, Farah and his co‑conspirators researched the juror online, surveilled her home, and tracked her movements. On June 2, 2024, Ladan Ali delivered a bag containing $120,000 in cash to the juror’s residence, with a promise of more money if the juror voted to acquit. The juror immediately reported the bribery attempt to law enforcement. 

The following morning, the Court ordered Farah to surrender his phone to law enforcement. Before doing so, however, Farah conducted a factory reset to delete evidence of his involvement in the bribery scheme.

“Tampering with a juror is an assault on the integrity of the courts and the foundation of our democracy,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “This sentence sends an unmistakable message that justice is not for sale.”

“Today’s sentencing highlights the seriousness of attempting to corrupt the justice system. Abdiaziz Farah was already serving a significant sentence for defrauding the Federal Child Nutrition Program, and this additional conviction shows that efforts to bribe a jury will be met with firm consequences,” said FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Benni Jonsson, who is in charge of the FBI Minneapolis Criminal Branch. “The FBI, along with federal prosecutors, will continue pursuing accountability for those charged in this case and anyone who attempts to undermine the integrity of our judicial process.”

“Abdiaziz Farah had already been held accountable for stealing from a program meant to feed children, yet he still chose to recruit others to help corrupt the justice system by bribing a juror,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “When someone tries to buy a verdict, they are attacking the integrity of every courtroom and every citizen who depends on a fair trial. This sentence should leave no doubt that anyone who tries to manipulate our judicial process will be found, prosecuted, and held accountable.”

“Today’s sentencing reflects the outstanding collaboration of law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota” said Bryan Musgrove, Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “Postal Inspectors worked closely with our partners to hold Abdiaziz Farah accountable for his crimes. Despite the defendant’s efforts to abuse the legal process, justice prevailed.”

“When Farah and his co-conspirators filled that bag with money, they were attempting not only to commit bribery, but to undermine the sanctity of our criminal justice system,” said Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. “I am proud of our work alongside our criminal justice partners to identify these criminals and help bring them to justice.”

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 United States Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline and Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case.

Note: Press release on the indictment of the five defendants here. Related press releases on Ladan Mohamed Ali (September 5, 2024) and Abdulkarim Shafii Farah (April 2, 2025) are linked here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Vance Luther Boelter, 58, has been sentenced to two consecutive terms of life plus a consecutive 40-year term for the stalking and murders of Melissa and Mark Hortman and the stalking and attempted murders of Senator John Hoffman, Yvette Hoffman, and Hope Hoffman on June 14, 2025. Boelter was sentenced before U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim.

Boelter previously pleaded guilty to six federal offenses, including stalking resulting in death, murder through use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during crimes of violence.

According to court documents, Boelter acted alone, extensively researched his intended targets, and used disguises, firearms, and law‑enforcement‑style equipment to gain access to the victims’ residences. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offenses, the lasting physical and emotional impacts on the victims and their families, and Boelter’s admitted intent to target multiple elected officials. 

“Our hearts remain with the families and loved ones of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Mark Hortman, and with Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman, Yvette Hoffman, their daughter, and all those whose lives were forever changed by these horrific attacks,” said Acting Attorney General Blanche. “Today’s sentence ensures that this violent criminal will spend the rest of his life in federal prison for his calculated and heinous acts of violence against Minnesota public servants and their families. Political violence is an attack not only on its immediate victims, but also on our communities, our democratic institutions, and the rule of law. The Justice Department will continue to use every available resource to investigate, prosecute, and hold accountable those who target public officials and engage in acts of violence.”

“Vance Boelter’s crimes rank among the most horrific this office has ever prosecuted. Today, the United States ensured that Boelter will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of release. Those who commit political violence at any level should take heed that the Department of Justice will seek and obtain the longest prison terms available for their crimes,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “My deepest condolences go out to the Hortman and Hoffman families as they continue to grieve and heal from this tragedy.”

“Today’s sentencing is an important step toward healing for the families and community forever changed by this political violence,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Minnesotans deserve to live in a state where their voices are respected and their safety is never threatened by those who try to silence democratic participation through fear. Vance Boelter believed his political opinions outweighed the voice and vote of every other Minnesotan. He was and is profoundly wrong. Minnesota’s law enforcement at every level rallied last June with one shared purpose: to protect our neighbors and defend the democratic values that hold our communities together. The FBI remains committed to using every resource at our disposal to uphold our democracy, defend the Constitution, and eradicate political violence.”

“Behind every count in this case is a person whose life Vance Boelter took or tried to take,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Spence Burnett of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “Melissa and Mark Hortman were parents whose children lost them both in a matter of seconds. John and Yvette Hoffman survived devastating gunshot wounds, while their daughter was forced to call for help. Boelter also targeted other legislators. Accountability has its limits in the face of this much loss. No sentence can restore the lives he took, heal those he wounded or undo what these families endured. Today’s sentence does ensure he will spend the rest of his life answering for those decisions.”

“This sentencing brings accountability for crimes that shook our community and forever changed the lives of those affected. By portraying himself as a police officer while targeting elected officials, the offender caused profound harm and damaged public trust. We are grateful that the prosecution sought the maximum penalties to be imposed and extend our sincere thanks to everyone whose hard work and commitment made this resolution possible,” said Champlin Police Department Chief Glen Schneider.

“No sentence can bring back the Hortmans, repair the terrible harm done to the Hoffmans, or undo the fear felt by people across Minnesota on June 14 and 15 last year,” said Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. “But today’s sentence is a statement to all Minnesotans that order can be restored, that we will hold people accountable for their crimes, and that political violence is never acceptable.”

“Vance Boelter is a cold-blooded killer who should never again walk free. His horrific actions forever changed the lives of the Hortman and Hoffman families, spread fear across communities throughout Minnesota, and shocked our nation. We are grateful for this outcome and hope it brings some measure of justice and relief to the families and everyone impacted by this tragedy,” said Minneapolis Police Department Chief Bill Peterson.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, ATF, Brooklyn Park Police Department, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Champlin Police Department, and New Hope Police Department, together with several other state and local partners. The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section also assisted in the investigation. This investigation has proceeded with the United States Attorney’s Office in strong partnership with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Bradley M. Endicott and Matthew D. Forbes prosecuted the case.

Note: Previous press releases on the investigation (June 16, 2025), indictment (July 15, 2025), and guilty plea (June 11, 2026) are linked here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Abdirashid Bixi Dool, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for his role in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme of more than $330,000. He is the 68th Feeding Our Future defendant convicted.

Dool pleaded guilty on July 13, 2026, and faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

According to court documents, from about March 2021 through December 2021, Dool and his co‑conspirators submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims to Feeding Our Future on behalf of two Minnesota nonprofit organizations, Bilaal Mosque, Inc. and Multicultural Resource Center, Inc. (MRC). Although the nonprofits claimed to be operating meal sites in Pelican Rapids and Moorhead, Minnesota, that served tens of thousands of meals to children, the actual number of meals served was only a fraction of what was reported. 

As part of the scheme, Dool knowingly submitted falsified meal count sheets, inflated food purchase invoices, and fabricated rosters of children purportedly served at the sites. On some occasions, he knowingly and falsely claimed the sites served over 40,000 meals per week. 

In total, between approximately March 2021 and February 2022, Bilaal and MRC claimed to have served over 505,000 meals to children. The fraudulent submissions led the Minnesota Department of Education to pay nearly $1.1 million in federal child‑nutrition funds to the two nonprofit entities.

“This guilty plea is another step toward restoring integrity to programs meant to support children and families, and it highlights the importance of strong interagency cooperation to stop the fraud and seek accountability for taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“Programs like the Federal Child Nutrition Program were created to help children at a time when many families were struggling just to put food on the table,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Exploiting that hardship for personal gain is a betrayal of the public’s trust. Working shoulder to shoulder with our federal law enforcement partners, IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to follow the financial trail, expose these schemes, and hold accountable those who steal from programs meant to help our most vulnerable.”

“The conviction of Abdirashid Dool reflects the FBI’s commitment to protecting Minnesotans and holding offenders accountable wherever they attempt to operate. The FBI, alongside our partners in the IRS-CI and the United States Attorney’s Office, will continue to aggressively pursue cases across the state to ensure those who misuse American taxpayer dollars are brought to justice,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson.

“Today's guilty plea showcases our commitment to holding accountable the criminal actors who abused the U.S. Mail in an effort to commit widespread fraud and to divert funds intended for those most in need,” said Bryan Musgrove, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Denver Division. “We stand ready with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who exploit taxpayer funded benefit programs through fraud schemes.”

“Financial fraud threatens the integrity of our communities, and HSI is unwavering in our commitment to confront it,” said Homeland Security Investigations St. Paul Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy. “By working side by side with our partners, we ensure those who commit these crimes are held accountable and justice is served.”

This case is part of an ongoing federal investigation into fraud involving pandemic‑related child‑nutrition programs.

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

Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy, and Austin L. Bowyer are prosecuting the case.

Note: Previous press release detailing Dool’s charges here. This press release has been updated on July 24, 2026, to correct the number of Feeding Our Future defendants convicted. Previous versions misstated this figure. Dool is the 68th defendant convicted.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Damari “Mari” Douglas, 21, of Elk River, has pleaded guilty for his role in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy. Douglas was one of 14 members of the violent street gang known as the Lows charged with violating the RICO statutes. Douglas is the second defendant in this case to plead guilty. 

The Lows gang has been in existence in Minneapolis since approximately 2004 and is primarily active in north Minneapolis. The Lows gang is alleged to have engaged in multiple acts involving murder, attempted murder, narcotics distribution, robbery, carjacking, and firearms trafficking, and the gang used intimidation, threats, armed retaliation, social‑media taunting, and shared firearms to maintain its territory and reputation.

According to court documents, Douglas admitted multiple acts in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy including voluntary manslaughter. On December 3, 2023, Douglas and several associates left a party in Minneapolis near West Lake Street and Grand Avenue South when an SUV drove by—the SUV slowed down when it approached Douglas and his associates and then accelerated past. Believing the individuals inside the SUV presented a threat, Douglas fired his handgun in the direction of the passing SUV. One of Douglas’s bullets struck and killed a member of his company. 

Douglas also admitted arranging for a straw purchaser to obtain firearms on his behalf while he was prohibited from possessing them due to a prior felony conviction. Between December 2023 and February 2024, he directed the straw purchaser to buy firearms and paid for them, resulting in the purchase of at least nine firearms. 

On April 19, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Douglas’s residence and saw Douglas throw a Glock pistol equipped with an automatic conversion device, commonly known as a “switch” or “auto sear,” out of his bedroom window. Officers recovered the Glock, along with a pistol and ammunition from inside his room.

Douglas pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz on July 17, 2026. This charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

“Damari Douglas committed serious acts of violence and firearms trafficking as part of the Lows gang’s criminal enterprise,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “Douglas contributed directly to the violence that has harmed families and communities in Minneapolis through arranging the illegal selling and purchasing of firearms, possessing a machine gun, and firing the shot that killed a victim. Today’s guilty plea reflects my office’s ongoing commitment to hold every member of this enterprise accountable and to take down the violent network that has operated in our city for years.”

“Every guilty plea in this case represents meaningful progress toward dismantling a violent criminal organization whose members trafficked firearms and committed acts of violence,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Spence Burnett of the St. Paul Field Division. “Complex gang investigations require close coordination among our law enforcement partners and an unwavering commitment to holding every participant accountable. Today’s plea reflects that commitment.”

“This guilty plea reflects the strength of a coordinated RICO investigation and underscores our commitment to dismantling violent criminal networks,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “With 2 of 14 defendants now having pleaded guilty, the investigation continues to show real results. The FBI and our partners remain steadfast in driving down violent crime and removing dangerous offenders from our communities.”

“It’s an all too familiar cycle in which proceeds from drug trafficking led to the purchase of firearms which in turn result in an increase of violence and intimidation within our communities,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that this type of behavior is unacceptable and will be stopped by the full force of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.”

“For more than two decades, the Lows spread fear across Minneapolis through murder, drug trafficking, carjackings, and other violence, all to protect and profit from their criminal enterprise,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “This guilty plea is another step toward ending that reign of violence. IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and we will not stop until every member of this criminal enterprise is held accountable.”

“Any day we are able to hold a violent member of the Lows gang accountable is a good day,” said Michael McCarthy, Special Agent in Charge of HSI St. Paul. “This guilty plea reflects the dedication of our agents and partners and serves as a reminder that organized crime will not go unchecked in our city.”

This case was the result of an investigation by the ATF, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections are investigating the case, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.

Assistant United States Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and David M. Classen for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Pegah Vakili of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.

Note: Previous press release detailing Douglas and other Minneapolis gang members’ charges here.

ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen Minnesota announced that Henry Remington Herod, 43, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $1.18 million in restitution for his role in preparing and filing false, fictitious, and fraudulent federal income tax returns claiming refunds. 

Herod was sentenced before Chief United States District Court Judge Eric C. Tostrud on July 16, 2026.

According to court documents, beginning in or about April 2022 and continuing through at least May 2023, Herod conspired with Matthew McDowell and others to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by obtaining and aiding to obtain the payment of false, fictitious, and fraudulent claims. Matthew McDowell was separately sentenced on April 6, 2026.

As part of the conspiracy, Herod devised and participated in a scheme to obtain money from the United States government by filing false federal income tax returns claiming refunds. He solicited others to provide their names, addresses, and Social Security numbers and used false employment, income, and tax credit information to defraud the United States through fraudulent tax filings.

For tax year 2021, Herod knowingly and willfully completed and filed false tax returns claiming refundable sick and family leave tax credits available to certain self‑employed individuals due to COVID-19-related care. Herod charged filing co‑conspirators a portion of their fraudulent refunds as a fee. Herod also personally prepared and filed false claims for refunds on behalf of individuals for tax year 2022. These claims included false refundable fuel tax credits. 

In total, Herod filed forty‑two fraudulent returns for tax year 2021, claiming $1,290,267 in refunds, and sixty fraudulent returns for tax year 2022, claiming $1,460,143 in refunds. Herod also taught McDowell how to prepare fraudulent tax returns, including how to falsely claim refundable fuel tax credits, in exchange for $400. With Herod’s assistance, McDowell prepared and filed thirteen fraudulent 2022 income tax returns claiming $282,429 in refunds. Together, they knowingly and willfully completed and filed 115 fraudulent federal income tax returns, falsely claiming the filers were entitled to approximately $3,032,839 in refunds.

“Stealing from the United States is stealing from hardworking Americans. We are grateful for the strong partnership with IRS Criminal Investigations in bringing this case forward, and we will continue working to find and prosecute those who steal from the American taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“This sentencing is yet another example of the sheer greed that plagued COVID-19-era benefit programs intended to help alleviate the hardships individuals and businesses were experiencing during the pandemic,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Henry Herod’s scheme to defraud American taxpayers through blatantly false claims for tax credits and refunds and his involvement of others to carry out his fraud scheme was foiled by diligent IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents. The fraud tactics change from program to program, but the tenacity of our investigators never lets up.”

Assistant United States Attorney Matthew C. Murphy is prosecuting the case.

Note: Previous press release detailing the indictment here.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Leland Whitefeather, Sr., 77, was sentenced to 66 months for the sexual abuse of a minor. Whitefeather was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Laura M. Provinzino on July 15, 2026.

Whitefeather, who was acting as a caretaker to the victims at the time, admitted to knowingly engaging in sexual acts with multiple minors, including at his home, within the boundaries of the Red Lake Indian Reservation between 2009 and 2019. After his release from custody, Whitefeather will be placed on sex offender supervision for a period of five years. 

“There’s not a higher priority for our office than protecting children. We will continue working closely with the FBI, the Red Lake Police Department, and all of our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who prey on the innocent,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“The FBI has no tolerance for child sexual abuse,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Leland Whitefeather, Sr. admitted to the sexual abuse of three children on multiple occasions during the span of over nine years. His sentence to federal prison is deserved. The FBI and our partners with the Red Lake Tribal Police work diligently every day to protect the community and the children of the Red Lake Nation. We hope this sentence can be part of the healing process for this defendant’s victims and their families.”

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

Assistant United States Attorneys Evan Gilead and Mary Riverso prosecuted the case.

MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota, was successfully transferred to Minnesota on July 16, 2026, after his lawful surrender in Somalia.

Eidleh was among the defendants originally charged by indictment in the Feeding Our Future scheme in September 2022 and is facing 31 charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.

In September 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota signed a warrant for Eidleh’s arrest.

Almost four years later in June 2026, Eidleh was located by law enforcement in Somalia. As a result of strong international law enforcement partnerships between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Intelligence and Security Agency of Somalia, and the Somali Police Force, Eidleh was escorted to the District of Minnesota by Special Agents of the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing Eidleh’s return to the United States.

“Fraudsters like Abdikerm Eidleh should know full well that they cannot escape the full weight of the Justice Department,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “I commend our law enforcement partners for swiftly and securely returning Eidleh to the United States, where he will now face justice for his crimes.”

“Abdikerm Eidleh is second only to Aimee Bock in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. His capture and transfer back to Minnesota show how far the arm of American law enforcement can reach, and that you can run, but you cannot hide,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

“Today is a historic moment in this FBI’s war on fraud,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The transfer of Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh brings to justice one of the alleged ringleaders of the $250 million ‘Feeding our Future’ fraud scandal out of Minnesota – where this FBI has already helped secure over 70 guilty pleas from fraudsters in partnership with the Justice Department. These are individuals who stole critical, taxpayer funded resources from kids in need during the COVID pandemic – and Eidleh was allegedly right at the top of the operation. He fled overseas after being charged in 2022, but thanks to the leadership of the Trump administration, our partners at the Justice Department, and counterparts in Somalia, this FBI got him. Criminals around the world should note: this is the 25th such transfer executed by this FBI in the last month alone, meaning no matter where you try to hide, we will find you.”  

“The FBI will exercise all of its lawful authorities at home—and all of its extensive law enforcement partnerships abroad—to bring alleged criminals and fraudsters to justice,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “There is no safe harbor for criminals, no corner of the planet, where we will not work to seek justice for crime victims and the American taxpayer. The FBI extends its sincere gratitude to the National Intelligence and Security Agency of Somalia and the Somali Police Force for their dedicated work in locating and apprehending an alleged leader in one of the most significant frauds against the American taxpayer ever detected in Minnesota. We also recognize the cooperative efforts of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of the Federal Republic of Somalia in facilitating this defendant’s transfer to the United States to answer the charges brought in this case.”

“While families relied on a vital assistance program to feed their children during the pandemic, Abdikerm Eidleh stole from it and fled the country rather than face justice,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “His return makes clear that time and distance cannot shield those who steal from the American people. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents used their forensic accounting expertise to follow the money, unravel this massive fraud scheme, and help bring Eidleh back to answer for his crimes alongside his already convicted co-conspirators.”

Eidleh is expected to make his initial appearance on July 17, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty.

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 detailing Eidleh’s apprehension here.