Shakopee man sentenced for role in $3.1 million ponzi scheme
Shakopee man is sentenced for role in $3.1 million ponzi scheme
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Shakopee man is sentenced for role in $3.1 million ponzi scheme
After his arrest, Ray Brewer claimed he saved several soldiers from a fire while serving in the Navy, but later admitted, "these were both lies meant to curry favor with law enforcement."
A federal jury has awarded a record $564 million in damages to victims of a massive Ponzi scheme by Minnesota businessman Tom Petters.
Last week a judge granted a motion to freeze the couple's assets. Jason and Angela Bullard have one more day to give the court the estimated value of all property, along with how much investors say they are owed.
"They're alleging a very classic Ponzi scheme, much modeled after [Bernie] Madoff," attorney Doug Kelley said.
The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that the money will be distributed to approximately 364 people worldwide. This money is in addition to the $16 million that was initially distributed to victims.
Sixty-eight-year-old James Nickels earlier pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Prosecutors say Nickels convinced family, friend and neighbors to invest in his sham business.
About $16.4 million stolen by Tom Petters has now been returned to 364 investors.
Federal authorities say a Minnesota man accused of bilking investors of more than $1 million has pleaded guilty.
A Twin Cities chiropractor who has already spent time in prison for a Ponzi scheme is going back for the same crime.
A St. Paul man is charged with stealing more than $350,000 from a Minnesota brewery, and stealing almost as much from others in an alleged Ponzi scheme.
A 40-year-old man pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing from investors in his wealth management company and using the money to buy a luxury SUV and run a Ponzi-style scheme.
Jury selection begins Monday for the trial of former Minnesota Vikings Stu Voigt. Voigt and his business partner Jeffrey Gardner head to federal court this week for allegedly bilking investors out of millions of dollars. The two face several criminal charges in connection to a real estate scheme between 2005 and 2007.
More than seven years after the financial collapse of one Minnesota's most powerful businessmen, victims are still waiting for money.
Former Minnesota Vikings tight end Stu Voigt has pleaded not guilty in an alleged Ponzi scheme. Voigt entered his plea Thursday after being indicted earlier in April on charges of conspiracy and fraud.
Two Minnesota men, including a former Minnesota Vikings tight end, are charged with running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors out of millions of dollars. The U.S. Attorney's office says 66-year-old Stu Voigt and 61-year-old Jeffery Gardner face several criminal charges in connection to a real estate scheme between 2005 and 2007.
A Eden Prairie man plead guilty Wednesday to using his financial planning firm to operate a Ponzi scheme to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars from former clients, according to U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. Sean Meadows, 41, plead guilty to three counts of mail fraud, seven counts of wire fraud and money laundering offenses.
Federal prosecutors say a Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to defrauding investors of more than $19 million. Fifty-five-year-old Tyrone Herman of St. Anthony entered his plea Friday in U.S. District Court. According to court documents, Herman claimed he could purchase small appliances from manufacturers and wholesalers at below-retail market rates.
The final three defendants have been sentenced in the $3.65 billion Ponzi scheme led by Minnesota businessman Tom Petters. U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle handed down a 7 ½-year sentence Friday to hedge fund manager Bruce Prevost for his role in misleading investors in Palm Beach Capital Management, a Florida hedge fund that put money into Petters' scheme before it collapsed in 2008.
The man found guilty of orchestrating Minnesota's largest Ponzi scheme finally admitted on Wednesday that he did it. Tom Petters was in U.S. District Court in St. Paul on Wednesday trying to get 20 years shaved off his prison sentence.
Convicted Minnesota businessman Tom Petters returns to federal court this week to try to shorten his 50-year prison term. The attempt to get 20 years removed might be Petters' last chance to go after a lighter sentence.
Frank Elroy Vennes Jr. was sentenced to 180 months in prison on Friday, in connection with fraudulently raising money through hedge funds for investment in Petters Company. Vennes was a long-time associate of Thomas J. Petters, the Minnesota businessman convicted in 2009 of orchestrating a $3.65 billion Ponzi scheme.
Despite owing his victims more than $1 million, a Twin Cities chiropractor twice convicted of fraud again has his license to practice. Fifteen years ago, Randy Miland served two years in prison for a Ponzi scheme. He later served another three years for a real estate investment scam. A judge ordered Miland to pay more than one-and-a-half million dollars in restitution. That hasn't happened.
The fourth man convicted in a $194 million Ponzi scheme - the second largest in Minnesota history - was sentenced Monday to 240 months in federal prison. According to the U.S. Attorney General's office, 75-year-old Patrick Kiley of Burnsville was convicted last June of 12 counts of wire and mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. Kiley - along with ring leader Trevor Cook, Jason Bo-Alan Beckman, Gerald Joseph Durand and Christopher Pettengill – were all solely and jointly ordered to pay $155,359,411 in restitution to their victims.
A former associate of convicted Minnesota businessman Tom Petters has pleaded guilty to lying to investors in a $3.65 billion Ponzi scheme.
A University of Minnesota researcher is back home after a months-long journey to the end of the earth, collecting ice samples that are likely millions of years old.
One Minnesota group has been leading the charge to train legal observers and document tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Dr. Michael Osterholm and Dr. Emil Lou, faculty members with the University of Minnesota, have been recognized by TIME as two of the 100 most influential people in health in 2026.
Minnesota is in the midst of what state health officials call the nation's "largest known outbreak" of TMVII, a sexually transmitted fungal skin infection that can cause severe ringworm.
Stellantis is telling owners of the affected vehicles not to drive them until a potentially dangerous air bag is replaced. See which models are affected.
One Minnesota group has been leading the charge to train legal observers and document tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Dr. Michael Osterholm and Dr. Emil Lou, faculty members with the University of Minnesota, have been recognized by TIME as two of the 100 most influential people in health in 2026.
Minnesota is in the midst of what state health officials call the nation's "largest known outbreak" of TMVII, a sexually transmitted fungal skin infection that can cause severe ringworm.
"We definitely have a little more buzz around us and more people at our games and stuff," said senior Vienna Murray. "People are taking notice thankfully which is more fun for us."
A man was injured Wednesday morning after federal immigration agents pursued him, leading to a crash in St. Paul, authorities say.
Minnesota is in the midst of what state health officials call the nation's "largest known outbreak" of TMVII, a sexually transmitted fungal skin infection that can cause severe ringworm.
Deputies fatally shot a man after trying to pull him over for driving recklessly in Duluth, Minnesota, Tuesday night, officials said.
Police in Duluth, Minnesota, say they're actively searching Tuesday for the shooter who killed a man near the city's Goat Hill neighborhood.
January is typically a slow month at Frontiersman Sports, but employees at the St. Louis Park, Minnesota, gun shop said sales spiked 30% above normal for the month.
A St. Cloud, Minnesota, man is charged with murder in connection to the stabbing death of his wife, the daughter of Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson.
Three people are dead after a house fire in a small western Wisconsin town early Saturday.
John Lauritsen shares the story behind a massive snow sculpture that's now become a winter destination.
A jury has found a Wisconsin man guilty of forging threats against President Donald Trump in an attempt to get a witness against him deported.
Minnesota and Wisconsin are among the 11 states reporting their first measles cases of 2026.
Hundreds of schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin have closed or shifted to virtual learning on Friday amid dangerous cold.
The ongoing presence of ICE and federal law enforcement in the Minneapolis area has kept many immigrants at home for fear of being arrested. Now, their neighbors are crowdsourcing to cover their rent.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations aren't only happening in the Twin Cities. Federal agents are also working in smaller towns, and in some, seeing similar resistance from the community.
While Operation Metro Surge continues in the Twin Cities, Minnesota's farm country is also feeling the impact. The major concerns for farmers and the trickle-down effect it could have on consumers.
Minnesota's governor spoke out Sunday afternoon following the shooting death of Alex Pretti by federal immigration enforcement agents. "What's the plan, Donald Trump? What is the plan?" Walz said. "Fear, violence and chaos is what you wanted from us, and you clearly underestimated the people of this state and nation."
A marching protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis Friday afternoon happened as a widespread work stoppage across Minnesota, as organizers called for a day of no work, no school and no shopping.
Even as Governor Tim Walz and state leaders hint that Operation Metro Surge may be ending, many Minnesota communities say the reality on the ground looks different. On tonight’s Talking Points, Esme Murphy speaks with a leader from COPAL Minnesota, an immigrant rights group training constitutional/legal observers, documenting ICE tactics, and providing resources for detained individuals and the families left behind.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is testifying Wednesday on Capitol Hill about the ICE surge in Minnesota and other topics.
At least two dozen U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees and contractors have been charged with crimes since 2020, and their documented wrongdoing includes patterns of physical and sexual abuse, corruption and other abuses of authority, a review by The Associated Press found.
The House is set to vote Wednesday on the SAVE America Act, which would implement strict new requirements for registering to vote and casting ballots.
The Food and Drug Administration is refusing to consider Moderna's application for a new flu vaccine made with mRNA technology, the company said.
January is typically a slow month at Frontiersman Sports, but employees at the St. Louis Park, Minnesota, gun shop said sales spiked 30% above normal for the month.
Amid ongoing immigration operations in Minnesota, a local company is filling a desperate need for on-demand legal help.
Outside the governor's mansion in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Friday, demonstrators, including many students and teachers, pleaded for Gov. Tim Walz to enact an immediate eviction moratorium to help families impacted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge.
It's part of broader protests calling on the Minneapolis-based retailer to respond more directly to immigration enforcement.
While Operation Metro Surge continues in the Twin Cities, Minnesota's farm country is also feeling the impact. The major concerns for farmers and the trickle-down effect it could have on consumers.
At least two dozen U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees and contractors have been charged with crimes since 2020, and their documented wrongdoing includes patterns of physical and sexual abuse, corruption and other abuses of authority, a review by The Associated Press found.
"Because we have taken out thousands of criminals, their crime is down," the president said when speaking about Minnesota. "Not because of anybody else, it's because of us their crime is down."
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing on Feb. 1 and ransom notes were being investigated.
Police in Duluth, Minnesota, say they're actively searching Tuesday for the shooter who killed a man near the city's Goat Hill neighborhood.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday that he expects the ongoing Operation Metro Surge immigration enforcement actions in the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota to last "days, not weeks and months."
Dr. Michael Osterholm and Dr. Emil Lou, faculty members with the University of Minnesota, have been recognized by TIME as two of the 100 most influential people in health in 2026.
Minnesota is in the midst of what state health officials call the nation's "largest known outbreak" of TMVII, a sexually transmitted fungal skin infection that can cause severe ringworm.
A new web page dedicated to fact-checking claims about Medicaid fraud in Minnesota has been launched by the state's Department of Human Services, officials said Wednesday.
Public health officials say a measles crisis has long been brewing in Minnesota.
Patients in Minnesota are canceling appointments and deferring critical health care needs because of fear of immigration enforcement as the federal crackdown continues, doctors say.
"Dawson's Creek" and "Varsity Blues" star James Van Der Beek has died at 48 years old.
Social media users incorrectly identified a young boy who was part of Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday as Liam Conejo Ramos.
Bad Bunny says he wants to bring his culture to his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show Sunday.
Renowned comedian Dave Chappelle is set to return to the Twin Cities later this month to perform and "show a stand with a community at the center of events that should unite all Americans," show organizers said Monday.
Complete closure of the performing arts center in Washington, D.C., will start on July 4, Mr. Trump said. It's not yet clear how extensive the changes to the building might be.
"We definitely have a little more buzz around us and more people at our games and stuff," said senior Vienna Murray. "People are taking notice thankfully which is more fun for us."
The 41-year-old American came out of retirement to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics and crashed seconds into her downhill race on Sunday.
A Minnesotan competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy took a moment to address the situation closer to home in his home state, calling the practices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during Operation Metro Surge unconstitutional.
Social media users incorrectly identified a young boy who was part of Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday as Liam Conejo Ramos.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid and Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye were ejected Monday night after an altercation early in the fourth quarter of Minnesota's 138-116 win.
One Minnesota group has been leading the charge to train legal observers and document tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Even as Governor Tim Walz and state leaders hint that Operation Metro Surge may be ending, many Minnesota communities say the reality on the ground looks different. On tonight’s Talking Points, Esme Murphy speaks with a leader from COPAL Minnesota, an immigrant rights group training constitutional/legal observers, documenting ICE tactics, and providing resources for detained individuals and the families left behind.
The Republican Party endorsing convention is in May, and Demuth has said that if she doesn't win the endorsement, she will drop out, but several candidates are expected to continue to the August primary.
In a crowded field, Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth had a very good caucus night; she won the straw poll by about 32%.
The state of Minnesota is vowing to continue the legal battle after it and 12 cities were denied a temporary restraining order that would have shut down Operation Metro Surge.
John Lauritsen shares the story behind a massive snow sculpture that's now become a winter destination.
Northland Arboretum was built half a century ago on top of what was once a city dump. But over time, nature carved its own path with a little help from a Zamboni.
St. James is a smaller town with a main street and a railroad running though. But inside a local building, the main street and the railroad are even smaller.
On Dec. 9, 1965, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" debuted on CBS, and it became an instant classic. Lee Jenkins' home is proof that the show is still a hit six decades later.
Holiday lights are on full display across the state right now, and just south of the Twin Cities you'll find a Christmas light show that's been around for more than half a century.
As our weather warms, love is also in the air. Valentine's Day is this Saturday, and while we know many of the traditions, Jeff Wagner wanted to get to the heart of the holiday.
The monthslong Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge in Minnesota has sparked ongoing protests, some measured tens of thousands of demonstrators, others just a few dozen.
According to the Police Executive Research Firm, 82% of police departments in the United States equip officers with body cameras. That number comes from 2023, meaning it could be even higher by now.
With the new $2,600 stipend, DHS said the cost of a single self-deportation is $5,100. That's significantly less than the cost to arrest, detain and deport an undocumented immigrant, which DHS said costs more than $18,000.
It might be hard to believe, but it's gotten warmer outside over the past few days. The temperature is creeping above zero during the day, but the wind chill remains dangerously low. So, how is wind chill calculated?
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Tuesday night.
A look at the newest addition to the polar bear population at St. Paul, Minnesota's Como Zoo.
From food shelves to school programs, our team is proud to serve where it matters most.
The Minnesota State Fair has unveiled its new food, drinks and vendors for 2025.
A suspect was taken into custody after an attack on Pearl Street Mall in Boulder on June 1 in which there were 15 people and a dog who were victims. The suspect threw Molotov cocktails that burned some of the victims, who were part of a march for Israeli hostages.
We really start to warm tomorrow. We should break into the 40s for the first time in nearly a month on Thursday, WCCO meteorologist Mike Augustyniak reports.
In Minnesota, weather can be all over the place. Here at WCCO, we want to give you what you need to prepare for what's happening next.
The metro’s unseasonable pattern continues on Wednesday — and record warmth is possible in the coming days, says NEXT Weather meteorologist Lisa Meadows.
Unseasonably warm pattern continues into the weekend. Highs climb from the 30s and 40s midweek into the 40s and 50s by Friday and Saturday, WCCO meteorologist Joseph Dames reports.
Our unseasonable pattern continues on Wednesday, and record warmth is possible in the coming days.
A University of Minnesota researcher is back home after a months-long journey to the end of the earth, collecting ice samples that are likely millions of years old.
Alicia Hinze of The Buttered Tin shares a preview.
Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action, or COPAL, is providing resources to those detained and their families who are left behind. Executive Director Carolina Ortiz said, contrary to officials' statements, things are not getting better on the ground in recent weeks.
We really start to warm tomorrow. We should break into the 40s for the first time in nearly a month on Thursday, WCCO meteorologist Mike Augustyniak reports.
There are new weapons screenings installed at the entrances as security is top of mind. On the first day, the Legislature will honor their colleague who was killed that day -- former House Speaker Melissa Hortman.