Shakopee man sentenced for role in $3.1 million ponzi scheme
Shakopee man is sentenced for role in $3.1 million ponzi scheme
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.
Minnesotans love to get outside no matter the season. Something about being in nature always seems to leave us feeling better. So why does it feel good to get outdoors? Good Question.
Xcel's Sherco solar facility is the largest solar project in the state of Minnesota, and by the time it's done in 2026, it'll be the fifth-largest solar facility in the country.
It's been a tough road to recovery for Jon Seas after losing a friend, Cole Thompson, in a horrific crash in Minneapolis.
The Chicago White Sox dropped to 3-22, wasting a two-run lead and stretching their losing streak to a season-high seven with a 6-3 defeat to Minnesota as Edouard Julien hit two of the Twins' five solo home runs.
The Minnesota Vikings have chosen JJ McCarthy to be their franchise quarterback of the future.
It's been a tough road to recovery for Jon Seas after losing a friend, Cole Thompson, in a horrific crash in Minneapolis.
A group of parents and students from Richfield Middle School say they were shocked to learn the school would cut ties with its theater course after a student survey.
For the third day, students at the University of Minnesota joined other colleges across the country lifting their voices, asking for an end to the bloodshed in Gaza.
A coyote is on the prowl in the east metro. City leaders warn it's already attacked at least one dog.
After the Twins got their win over the White Sox on Thursday afternoon, high school teams took to the field for a rare treat they won't forget.
A transcript from a 911 call is providing more details surrounding the arrest of Minnesota State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, who stands accused of burglary.
A Minnesota man who kidnapped his 2-year-old son last year, triggering an AMBER Alert and a standoff, will be sentenced on Thursday.
It's one of the few covered bridges remaining in the Midwest, and it's seen a lot of traffic over the years.
The Metropolitan Council has made headlines for its mismanagement of the Southwest Light Rail project. In Talking Points, community members and Minnesota legislators on both sides of the aisle are pushing for major reforms.
A community tour Wednesday highlighted a massive investment to one of Minnesota's 15 fish hatcheries – a $20 million makeover, nearly 70 years in the making.
Six middle school students and two adults were injured in a school bus crash near Hudson on Thursday morning.
The 59th annual Flood Run motorcycle ride is this Saturday, and the Minnesota State Patrol is asking bikers and motorists alike to be extra careful while cruising beside the St. Croix River.
A partial building collapse in Superior, Wisconsin prompted evacuations Thursday, including at a nearby daycare.
Republican lawmakers have filed a new lawsuit alleging partial vetoes Gov. Tony Evers made to a bill designed to bolster students' reading performance were unconstitutional.
Nicolae Miu, the man convicted of reckless homicide and other crimes after stabbing five people on Wisconsin's Apple River in 2022, will be sentenced this summer.
The nation's third-largest food bank is using a 24-hour fundraiser to fight food insecurity.
An Eden Prairie family is keeping their son's legacy alive, one year after his sudden death.
Fifteen-year-old Bennett Fisk loves baseball and has been playing youth league his whole life. Unfortunately, last season, he had to sit out because even the largest adult-size baseball helmet didn't fit his head and it was too unsafe to play without a helmet.
For the first time in Minnesota cannabis usage on 420 is legal.
A new restaurant is hoping to serve the community for years to come.
Smoking in Minneapolis is set to get more expensive thanks to a new ordinance passed by the City Council.
A transcript from a 911 call is providing more details surrounding the arrest of Minnesota State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, who stands accused of burglary.
Some love it, while others hate it. But in 15 days the new Minnesota state flag will be raised across the state.
Coal-fired power plants would have to capture smokestack emissions or shut down under a new EPA rule the industry says would make the grid less reliable. It's likely to face court challenges.
The Supreme Court convened to consider whether former President Donald Trump is entitled to broad immunity from criminal charges in the 2020 election case.
Smoking in Minneapolis is set to get more expensive thanks to a new ordinance passed by the City Council.
The owner of a Twin Cities-based car dealership is accused of scamming Minnesotans out of thousands of dollars.
Saturday marks, for some, a holiday.
There's a state recovery fund for families who are out of money for a loss due to a contractor, but there's a gap in the law — a contractor with one specialty is exempt from paying into the fund.
The Minnesota Department of Health says state inspectors have seized and destroyed about $500,000 worth of illegal cannabis products from retailers.
The Minneapolis City Council approved Thursday a $150,000 settlement for a man who witnessed the murder of George Floyd and testified against the former officer who killed him.
A transcript from a 911 call is providing more details surrounding the arrest of Minnesota State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, who stands accused of burglary.
Police in Brooklyn Park say a woman was sexually assaulted Wednesday, and they're still looking for the suspect.
A Minnesota man who kidnapped his 2-year-old son last year, triggering an AMBER Alert and a standoff, will be sentenced on Thursday.
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 conviction on felony sex crime charges has been overturned by the State of New York Court of Appeals.
Minnesotans love to get outside no matter the season. Something about being in nature always seems to leave us feeling better. So why does it feel good to get outdoors? Good Question.
The DEA took about 2.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl off Minnesota streets last year alone. Despite that eye-popping number, it's not enough.
Federal officials say they're double checking whether pasteurization has eradicated the danger from possible bird virus particles in milk.
UnitedHealth said it paid the criminals behind attack that crippled hospitals and pharmacies to protect sensitive patient data.
Cancer cases are on the rise in younger adults, and early onset cancer is up in patients under 50, many of them without typical risk factors.
Italy's Culture Ministry has banned loans of works to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, following a dispute with the U.S. museum over an ancient marble statue believed to have been looted from Italy almost a half-century ago.
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 conviction on felony sex crime charges has been overturned by the State of New York Court of Appeals.
The Vali-Hi Drive-In in Lake Elmo has been closed for almost two years now — but a filmmaker raised in Woodbury is keeping memories of the iconic theatre alive.
Eight years ago this week, music icon Prince died of an accidental painkiller overdose at his Paisley Park estate.
La Raza's mission is to bring music, news and community to more than 200,000 Latinos in the Twin Cities.
The Chicago White Sox dropped to 3-22, wasting a two-run lead and stretching their losing streak to a season-high seven with a 6-3 defeat to Minnesota as Edouard Julien hit two of the Twins' five solo home runs.
The Minnesota Vikings have chosen JJ McCarthy to be their franchise quarterback of the future.
An unprecedented six of the first 12 picks were quarterbacks, an NFL Draft record.
The NFL draft is almost here, and Minnesota Vikings fans will soon know whether or not the team has a new franchise quarterback.
It's the day Minnesota Vikings fans have been waiting for: The NFL draft is set to begin in Detroit Thursday evening, but there's also a celebration right here at home.
The Metropolitan Council has made headlines for its mismanagement of the Southwest Light Rail project. In Talking Points, community members and Minnesota legislators on both sides of the aisle are pushing for major reforms.
The Metropolitan Council has made headlines for its mismanagement of the Southwest Light Rail project. In Talking Points, Esme Murphy spoke with DFL Sen. Scott Dibble and Republican Sen. Eric Pratt about the legislation push major reforms.
The Metropolitan Council has made headlines for its mismanagement of the Southwest Light Rail project. In Talking Points, community members and Minnesota legislators on both sides of the aisle are pushing for major reforms. Esme Murphy spoke with Abou Amara, a Democratic analyst, and Mary Pattock, a long-time critic of the Met Council.
The Metropolitan Council has made headlines for its mismanagement of the Southwest Light Rail project. In Talking Points, lawmakers pushing for reform. But Republican analyst Amy Koch says its going to take a bi-partisan public outcry from the politically diverse seven-county area.
It may have been more than 25 years ago, but Jesse Ventura's 1998 win for governor stands out as one of he most successful third-party runs in U.S. history.
It's one of the few covered bridges remaining in the Midwest, and it's seen a lot of traffic over the years.
Decades ago, at an 88-acre pasture near Annandale, cars replaced cows and French Lake Auto Parts was born.
There's an attraction in Fergus Falls that's centered around a man-made disaster.
In this week's Finding Minnesota, John Lauritsen goes to New Ulm where the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame is celebrating 35 years.
It cost $85,000 to build St. Stan's — equivalent to about $100 million today. As the basilica approaches its 130th birthday, its biggest fans say they wouldn't change a thing.
Minnesotans love to get outside no matter the season. Something about being in nature always seems to leave us feeling better. So why does it feel good to get outdoors? Good Question.
What do Lebron James, David Bowie and Bill Gates all have in common? They're left-handed. While they're a minority of the population, they're not alone. So why are we right- or left-handed? Good Question.
April is Earth Month and we're less than a week from Earth Day. That timing matches up with an email we received from Mary in Minneapolis. She wants to know: What can the average person do to help reduce global warming? Good Question.
The gorgeous weekend we had was more than just a great time to get outside. For many, it was a chance to get their hands dirty whether they wanted to or not. We wanted to know How can we efficiently clean our homes? Good Question.
If you have a drawer packed with old cellphones, cameras and laptops, you're not alone. Global electronic waste has hit record highs and it's growing five times faster than recycling rates. So how should you dispose of e-waste?
Many Minnesotans were treated to a stunning double rainbow on Thursday.
Nicolae Miu, a 54-year-old man from Prior, Lake, Minnesota was found guilty of six criminal charges, including first-degree reckless homicide. Miu's trial lasted eight days in a Hudson, Wisconsin courtroom.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday, March 26 after a column was struck by a container ship that reportedly lost power, sending vehicles and people into the Patapsco River.
An early spring snowstorm made for many beautiful sights across the state of Minnesota over the weekend.
State fire officials say a grass fire near Waseca is contained Monday morning after burning more than 1,000 acres.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer says rain moves in tomorrow and we have a few soaking rounds on the way through the weekend.
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.
WCCO meteorologist Charis Shaffer says rain will move in tomorrow and there's a chance for severe weather in parts of the state.
This week's drought update shows improvement for central and southern Minnesota as well as central Wisconsin. However, there are a few pockets where it's still abnormally dry.
Rain will move in on Thursday, and more rounds will follow.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer says rain moves in tomorrow and we have a few soaking rounds on the way through the weekend.
Minnesotans love to get outside no matter the season. Something about being in nature always seems to leave us feeling better. So why does it feel good to get outdoors? Good Question. WCCO's Kirsten Mitchell found the benefits are both mental and physical.
In a new rule, the EPA says coal plants need to start capturing their smokestack emissions or shut down. It's a move to curb planet-warming emissions — something Minnesota wants to do by going carbon-free with our electricity by 2040.
Police say two thieves shoved a woman to the pavement and ran away with her pet.
New video tonight shows state troopers wrangling a wanted driver.