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A Northfield man faces sexual assault, coercion and prostitution charges after being accused of posing as law enforcement and forcing a prostitute to have sex. The Dakota County Attorney's Office says 26-year-old Alex Michael Hollinger is accused of connecting with a woman via backpage.com to have sex for money, but then claimed to be associated with law enforcement and threaten her to have sex with them for free or face jail.
A Ramsey County jury found Michael Mark Jordan, 43, guilty on two counts of engaging in prostitution with a minor Friday afternoon. Each conviction carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
It is a heavy topic to talk about. Sex trafficking takes place in the shadows of the Twin Cities, but a new Minnesota company is hoping to shed light on the issue in a new way.
A man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after being accused of using a 13-year-old runaway from Minneapolis to promote prostitution in Moorhead. Local stations report 25-year-old Prince Jones was sentenced Thursday. He had been convicted of promoting prostitution of an individual. He must serve at least 12 years of his sentence in prison.
In the last few years, the difficulty of dispelling massage parlor prostitution through traditional police methods has prompted some cities to experiment with a new enforcement approach.
Two men are accused of having sex with a runaway 17-year-old girl for money, in connection with a St. Paul prostitution sting earlier this year.
More than a dozen people are facing behind bars after a two-day prostitution sting by police at a Duluth area motel late this week. Fourteen men face charges for soliciting prostitution, one of whom faces additional charges for sex trafficking and selling methamphetamine. A woman was also taken into custody for offering prostitution services.
A North Branch massage parlor was the target of a prostitution raid on Tuesday.
The proprietors of Ramsey, Minnesota massage parlor are accused of profiting from the prostitution of their employees.
A Ramsey County judge handed down stern words and stiff sentences for an Eden Prairie couple convicted of prostituting a 15-year-old girl in St. Paul.
Two Hastings men are accused of prostituting an underage girl as a form of payment in a drug deal, according to charges filed in Dakota County Court. William Dale Willis, 25, and Daniel Rashaun Gopie, 27, were each charged with two felony counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the Sept. 21 incident.
A 25-year-old St. Paul man pleaded guilty Friday to one count of sex trafficking a minor. Dontre McHenry is accused of recruiting and trafficking teenage girls throughout Minnesota, according to U.S. Attorney Andrew Lugar. McHenry is suspected of coercing at least three girls under the age of 18 between January 2013 and March 2014.
Bloomington Police arrested 16 people in a recent prostitution sting, including the former CEO of a Twin Cities hospital. David Cress, 64, was among the 15 men and one woman arrested on Tuesday. North Memorial Medical Center cut ties with Cress after police arrested him in a prostitution sting in Richfield four years ago.
The former chief of police in Robbinsdale pleaded guilty to soliciting a prostitute earlier this year. Steven Smith, 45, was arrested in Coon Rapids during a prostitution sting in February.
A 36-year-old California man is facing federal criminal charges following his arrest in Las Vegas on charges alleging he transported a teenage girl from Minnesota to Los Angeles to engage in prostitution. Records show that Laron Darrell Carter was scheduled to for a detention hearing before a magistrate judge on Tuesday. His public defender, Elisa Vasquez, declined comment.
Investigators are releasing new information on the prostitution sting that led to the arrest of the Robbinsdale police chief. Former police chief Steven Smith was one of 11 people taken into custody on Feb. 20 by Coon Rapids police. According to police records, he was answering an ad on Backpage.com that was placed by an undercover Coon Rapids officer.
The Robbinsdale police chief stepped down Saturday after being issued a citation for hiring and engaging in prostitution by the Coon Rapids Police Department on Feb. 20.
A suburban St. Louis man has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for transporting five female victims for prostitution purposes between Missouri and five other states. Federal prosecutors say 45-year-old Barry Wimberly of Hazelwood, Mo., pleaded guilty in December to one felony count of transportation for purposes of prostitution.
A 30-year-old St. Paul man received the longest sentence ever imposed on anyone found guilty of sex-trafficking in Minnesota history. Otis Deno Washington was found guilty of first- and second-degree solicitation to practice prostitution (one involving a minor), two counts of promotion of prostitution, and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
A Chicago man was sentenced Friday to more than 26 years in prison for the sex trafficking of a teenage girl – which may be the longest sentence ever given in Minnesota for such a crime. According to the Ramsey County Attorney's office, Arteco Marvell Rhodes, 38, was found guilty on Nov. 1 on one count of engaging in sex trafficking in the first degree and possession of child pornography. Rhodes met the defendant, a 15-year-old girl, in Chicago in March, and asked her if she "wanted to make money and be part of the family." Within weeks, Rhodes drove the teen and a 19-year-old woman from Chicago to the Twin Cities in a conversion van.
Four family members have now been convicted for participating in a sex trafficking ring that last about two years, extended to multiple Minnesota communities and victimized many vulnerable women. On Wednesday, the Ramsey County Attorney's Office announced that 30-year-old Otis Deno Washington, of St. Paul, was found guilty in Ramsey County District Court on multiple sex trafficking counts. According to a press release, they are: two counts of promotion of prostitution; two counts of solicitation, one involving a minor; and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
A Ramsey County jury found a 27-year-old Brooklyn Park man guilty on Friday in connection with a human sex trafficking operation that involved numerous victims -- including women who were mentally slow or vulnerable -- across multiple Minnesota communities.
A Ramsey County jury found a Chicago man guilty in the sex trafficking of a 15-year-old girl in St. Paul in April 2013. Arteco Marvell Rhodes, 38, was found guilty of possession of child pornography and he will be sentenced at 9 a.m. on Dec. 13.
A 37-year-old Eden Prairie woman is in Carver County jail pending charges of felony promotion of prostitution after officers raided a Chanhassen massage parlor last Wednesday. According to Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson, deputies served a search warrant at a message business on the 7900 block of Stone Creek Drive in Chanhassen on the afternoon of Oct. 29. Deputies had originally targeted to the business after allegations that employees were offering sexual services for a "$40-$50 tip."
A former suburban Minneapolis high school cheerleading captain has been sentenced to three years in prison for prostituting a younger squad member. Eighteen-year-old Montia Parker was sentenced Friday. She will spend at least two years behind bars before she's eligible for release.
Two women are dead and a man is in serious condition after a mobile home fire in Jordan, Minnesota early Wednesday morning.
A missing Brooklyn Park man may be in danger, authorities said.
One person is dead and two more are seriously injured after a crash in western Wisconsin Tuesday morning.
Crews will be out with a new tool Wednesday to help keep Minnesota's mosquitoes at bay before the season peaks this summer.
Wednesday will be breezy, sunny and warm, and the coming days will bring multiple chances of rain.
A missing Brooklyn Park man may be in danger, authorities said.
Crews will be out with a new tool Wednesday to help keep Minnesota's mosquitoes at bay before the season peaks this summer.
A sure sign of spring might be flowing outside your home starting Wednesday. Streets will be soaked, but it won't be thanks to Mother Nature — fire hydrants are getting flushed.
For many, Tax Day is a last-minute rush, but now it's bringing uncertainty for undocumented people in the United States.
The incident happened along the tracks near 36th Avenue and Johnson Street Northeast.
Two women are dead and a man is in serious condition after a mobile home fire in Jordan, Minnesota early Wednesday morning.
A team of veterinarians in Minnesota decided to embark on a bold and relatively rare journey to fit a 5-year-old mini horse with a prosthetic leg.
Sherburne County authorities say the boys hit a wrong-way driver. As a Minnesota State Patrol trooper was responding, investigators say he couldn't slow down in time to avoid the crashed vehicles.
Last month, a jury found Deionte Parker guilty of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and being an ineligible person with a prior crime of violence in possession of a firearm.
Authorities in central Minnesota are investigating a string of vandalizations, and they're asking for the public's help.
One person is dead and two more are seriously injured after a crash in western Wisconsin Tuesday morning.
As the days get longer, they are getting warmer. And while Minnesota doesn't get as hot as other parts of the country, heat still causes problems.
You could feel pain at the pump if a pipeline just west of Minnesota doesn't get up and running again soon.
An assistant district attorney in Wisconsin faces multiple felony charges after allegedly telling a coworker three judges "need to bleed" for ruling against him.
A Brooklyn Park, Minnesota man has been charged after a Blue Plate Restaurant Company co-owner was killed by a driver while on a motorcycle Sunday.
The birth of a child is typically the happiest day in a parent's life. But for a Minneapolis family, it started a mother's fight for her life.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Cheap Trick and Ludacris are slated to headline Taste of Minnesota this year.
Low enrollment at Chelsea Heights Elementary School has impacted funding for music and arts programs, leaving staff to figure out how they will still deliver creative classes for students.
Avianah Drakeford was born with sickle cell disease, a genetic disorder that negatively affects how blood moves around the body. It's not life-threatening, but it is life-altering.
Yolanda Saldívar was denied parole, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles confirmed in a statement posted to its webpage.
The Trump administration is facing new warnings from a federal judge over its refusal to bring home a man it mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador.
For many, Tax Day is a last-minute rush, but now it's bringing uncertainty for undocumented people in the United States.
Tuesday is the tax deadline day. For many, it's a last-minute rush. Now, it's bringing uncertainty for undocumented people in this country. A new deal between the IRS and Homeland Security allows them to share tax information. Ubah Ali shows us the impact some tax preparers are already seeing.
The ethics standards in the Minnesota Legislature are facing fresh scrutiny after a prominent state senator didn't disclose a former legal client poised to benefit from a bill he sponsored.
Technology stocks surged after the Trump administration announced exemptions on smartphones, computers and other electronics from tariffs. That has some wondering whether now is the time to go ahead and buy certain gadgets, or whether it's smarter to wait.
Technology stocks surged after the Trump administration announced exemptions on smartphones, computers and other electronics from tariffs. That has some wondering whether now is the time to go ahead and buy certain gadgets, or whether it's smarter to wait.
Tim Hughes, owner of Maverick's Roast Beef, has purchased an 80-year-old Dairy Queen in an attempt to breathe new life into an iconic piece of Roseville, Minnesota history.
You could feel pain at the pump if a pipeline just west of Minnesota doesn't get up and running again soon.
The Metropolitan Airports Commission is letting Twin Cities residents know that a number of flight patterns may be temporarily different during two separate, weeks-long stretches this year.
Despite thousands of miles and an ocean between them, some Minnesota businesses rely on deals with China.
Last month, a jury found Deionte Parker guilty of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and being an ineligible person with a prior crime of violence in possession of a firearm.
Dogukan Gunaydin, a 28-year-old Turkish citizen, is an MBA student at the Carlson School of Management and was detained by ICE.
A man who threatened to "shoot up" the UnitedHealthcare Twin Cities campus on Monday now faces several charges.
A 36-year-old man accused of fatally shooting his roommate in the face on Friday in the Twin Cities is now charged with second-degree murder.
Authorities in central Minnesota are investigating a string of vandalizations, and they're asking for the public's help.
Duke, a 2-year-old lab, is a critical incident response dog with the Burnsville Police Department, specially trained to detect cortisol — a stress hormone — in people.
A man who threatened to "shoot up" the UnitedHealthcare Twin Cities campus on Monday now faces several charges.
CDC experts were not made available to discuss the findings showing a rise in autism prevalence.
State lawmakers say millions of dollars in health care funding are at risk if a proposal in the U.S. Congress goes through.
Thanks to a first-of-its-kind system in the United States, a western Minnesota county says it has kept PFAS and other contaminants from getting into the environment.
Familial folk group the Avett Brothers will strum, fiddle and sing on the Minnesota State Fair's Grandstand stage this year.
When F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote "The Great Gatsby" at the height of the roaring '20s, he couldn't possibly realize that the book would emerge as one of the very top contenders for "the great American novel."
The lineup for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival was unveiled Thursday morning, and includes a mix of names familiar to the competition alongside some relative newcomers.
Hometown hip-hop act Atmosphere is set to play the Minnesota State Fair's Grandstand this summer.
Jay North, who starred on TV's "Dennis the Menace" for four seasons starting in 1959, has died.
The Minnesota Wild clinched a spot in the playoffs in dramatic fashion when Joel Eriksson Ek scored the tying goal with 20.9 seconds left in regulation.
Ryan Jeffers and Harrison Bader had three hits apiece and Brooks Lee homered as the Minnesota Twins defeated the New York Mets 6-3.
A Minneapolis teacher is helping high school basketball players get one more look from college coaches.
Xcel Energy's naming rights for the arena will expire this summer after 25 years, but the power company will remain a partner of the Wild.
With the 2025 NFL draft quickly approaching, a consensus seems to be developing around expert predictions for the Minnesota Vikings' first-round pick.
At the State Capitol, there is a bipartisan effort to limit the authority of homeowner association (HOA) boards and make their dealings more transparent.
In Minnesota, 1.5 million people live in HOAs. Complaints include that people are being foreclosed on for unpaid fees.
The president of the Minnesota Farmers Union says members are hurting due to the president’s actions.
J.P. Morgan revised its prediction for a recession to 60% for this year.
Minnesota currently receives $23 billion in federal aid per year accounting for 35% of the state's revenue.
April 15 will be the 113th anniversary of the day the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic, taking with it 1,500 lives. From news to movies, people still marvel over what happened.
It's sap-tapping season in our state. In this week's Finding Minnesota, John Lauritsen shows us how an Otter Tail County man landed in the Maple Syrup Hall of Fame.
In this week's Finding Minnesota, John Lauritsen shows how one group is unearthing a bit of history.
South of Hastings, Minnesota, there's a town without a single resident and there are businesses that don't sell a single thing. Yet people can't wait to visit, and once here, they don't want to leave.
Lovers of old-school records in the Twin Cities, listen up: you can get a record made in your own backyard.
A sure sign of spring might be flowing outside your home starting Wednesday. Streets will be soaked, but it won't be thanks to Mother Nature — fire hydrants are getting flushed.
No matter how you take your coffee, there are endless ways to create the morning staple.
Being married has its benefits, but a new study found that staying single late in life might actually be better for your brain.
Professor David Geary, a cognitive scientist and evolutionary psychologist, has researched the topic of heights and says humans have been getting taller.
Artificial dyes made using chemicals and are thus regulated by the Food and Drug Administration to ensure their safety. But do we need them?
A spring snowstorm dropped several inches of plowable snow overnight in the Twin Cities and other parts of Minnesota.
Six Minnesota Vikings made the initial roster for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games, the most in 15 years.
Regions Hospital and Children's Minnesota share photos of their tiniest patients dressed to the nines for Halloween.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Thursday night due to the arrival of a severe geomagnetic storm.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Monday night.
Highs in the Twin Cities on Wednesday will climb just north of 60, while areas to the southwest will warm past 70.
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.
Wednesday will be breezy, sunny and warm, and the coming days will bring multiple chances of rain.
Wednesday will be breezy, sunny and warm, and the coming days will bring multiple chances of rain.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer says the wind will die down tonight, plus there's a chance you could see the Northern Lights.
A new art crawl coming to the western side of the Twin Cities will benefit Masonic Children’s Hospital.
Highs in the Twin Cities on Wednesday will climb just north of 60, while areas to the southwest will warm past 70.
She’s on a mission to cultivate community one baked good at a time.
Experts say you may want to hold off on buying some tech products, plus more of the day’s top stories.
The Trump administration is facing new warnings from a federal judge over its refusal to bring home a man it mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador.