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.
Tuesday will start out sunny in the Twin Cities, but more clouds and showers will arrive by midday.
Max Kepler had two hits and three RBIs in his return from the injured list and the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 7-0 Monday night.
Researchers say if help doesn't arrive soon, the deep, dark boreal forests we know in northern Minnesota could become mostly grasslands within the next 50 years.
Dozens of students and parents rallied to support diversity programs, but some board members are threatening to block the budget of the state's largest district if it doesn't make some major changes.
A 15-year-old boy is fighting for his life and another is expected to recover after a shooting in north Minneapolis Monday afternoon.
Dozens of students and parents rallied to support diversity programs, but some board members are threatening to block the budget of the state's largest district if it doesn't make some major changes.
A 15-year-old boy is fighting for his life and another is expected to recover after a shooting in north Minneapolis Monday afternoon.
Around 7:30 p.m., residents of Hennepin County received a message instructing them to shelter in place due to police activity in Robbinsdale.
Eight years ago this week, music icon Prince died of an accidental painkiller overdose at his Paisley Park estate.
Some soon-to-be-newlyweds are in shock and out of thousands of dollars after a wedding venue abruptly closed down.
Researchers say if help doesn't arrive soon, the deep, dark boreal forests we know in northern Minnesota could become mostly grasslands within the next 50 years.
A Minnesota state senator was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion of burglarizing a Detroit Lakes home, according to police.
Police in southern Minnesota arrested multiple people Saturday after finding thousands of pills containing fentanyl.
WCCO's Allen Henry breaks down rules and expectations now that weed is legal in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
A 70-year-old Mankato man is recovering after he was struck by an SUV Thursday night.
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 director of Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign in Wisconsin who pushed allegations of widespread fraud that were ultimately debunked has been hired to run the Republican Party of Wisconsin heading into the November election.
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.
Investigators have found at least 265 cats in just three Minnesota homes since late February.
Minnesota State Senator Nicole Mitchell was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion of burglarizing a Detroit Lakes home, according to police. Mitchell has not yet been formally charged.
Protesters have been arrested at Columbia and Yale as they've refused to move, calling for a break from Israel.
A bill that could ultimately ban TikTok in the U.S. will soon head for a vote in the Senate. Here's what experts say to expect next.
A Minnesota state senator was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion of burglarizing a Detroit Lakes home, according to police.
Gov. Tim Walz announced on Monday the appointments of Judge Theodora Gaïtas and Chief Judge Sarah Hennesy to the high court as associate justices.
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 on Thursday voted to delay implementation of a controversial ordinance establishing a minimum wage for rideshare drivers in the city.
The Minneapolis City Council will be considering delaying the implementation of the rideshare ordinance by two months.
A 15-year-old boy is fighting for his life and another is expected to recover after a shooting in north Minneapolis Monday afternoon.
Around 7:30 p.m., residents of Hennepin County received a message instructing them to shelter in place due to police activity in Robbinsdale.
A Minnesota state senator was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion of burglarizing a Detroit Lakes home, according to police.
Jurors in former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York got their first glimpse of the arguments both sides plan to make.
Police in southern Minnesota arrested multiple people Saturday after finding thousands of pills containing fentanyl.
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.
An Eden Prairie family is keeping their son's legacy alive, one year after his sudden death.
Health officials are warning consumers not to consume Infinite Herbs basil sold at some Trader Joe's and Dierberg's stores after 12 people were sickened.
Minnesota lawmakers are considering a bill to tweak the new paid family and medical leave program they passed last year.
Emergency medical services providers say they need a lifeline from the state legislature this session to the tune of $120 million to keep answering calls for help, especially in rural parts of Minnesota.
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.
Mary J. Blige, Cher, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band and Peter Frampton have been named to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Eight years after Prince died from an accidental fentanyl overdose, thousands of his fans are flocking to the Twin Cities.
Taylor Swift broke her own records, Spotify said, and now owns the record for the top three most-streamed albums in a single day.
Max Kepler had two hits and three RBIs in his return from the injured list and the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 7-0 Monday night.
The Minnesota Twins have sent struggling starting pitcher Louie Varland to Triple-A St. Paul and reinstated right fielder Max Kepler from the 10-day injured list.
After one of the best seasons in franchise history, two Minnesota Timberwolves players and head coach Chris Finch are finalists for major NBA awards.
Robin Lod had a goal and two assists and Minnesota United ended Charlotte FC's 13-match unbeaten run at home dating to last season with a 3-0 victory.
Casey Mize pitched six scoreless innings for his major league win since 2021, and Buddy Kennedy homered and drove in three runs as the Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins 6-1.
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.
This weekend, Minnesota has seen the celebration of all things green — as in marijuana. Leading the charge was former Gov. Jesse Ventura, who has his own marijuana startup. As Esme Murphy reports, Ventura’s long legacy also includes one of the most successful third-party candidacies in recent American history.
An emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more students are not going to school. In Talking Points, Esme Murphy talks to the people looking for solutions.
An emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more students are not going to school. Esme Murphy Republican Sen. Julia Coleman, the ranking Republican on the Senate education policy committee about the issue.
An emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more students are not going to school. Esme Murphy spoke Don Ryan, the program manager for Safe Communities, about their efforts to engage with truant students. At the capitol, Murphy spoke with Sen. Steve Cwodzinski about the legislative effort underway to address the issue.
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.
Built in 1857, the stairs were originally wood. Around 1970, concrete replaced wood, but over time, that too crumbled.
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?
It's a yearly expense that Minnesota drivers often aren't too fond of paying. Bill from Otsego wanted to know: How do they calculate license tab fees? Good Question.
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.
Tuesday will start out sunny in the Twin Cities, but more clouds and showers will arrive by midday.
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.
Tuesday will start out sunny in the Twin Cities, but more clouds and showers will arrive by midday.
WCCO meteorologist Lisa Meadows says there will be increasing clouds tomorrow with a high of 60.
WCCO meteorologist Lisa Meadows says rain should be done in the Twin Cities for the evening.
Tuesday will start out sunny in the Twin Cities, but more clouds and showers will arrive by midday.
WCCO meteorologist Lisa Meadows says there will be increasing clouds tomorrow with a high of 60.
Minnesota farmers know it. Gardeners do, too. The average low temperatures in our state are warming quickly, especially in the past 10 years. Because of that shift, some scientists are now sounding the alarm. They say Minnesota's northern forests are on the brink and could disappear within the next 50 years. So what are we doing about it?
New video shows crews in Blaine searching for the remains of a woman who disappeared nearly three decades ago.
One person is in the hospital after an apparent mistake sent a car flying in the wrong direction.