Minneapolis man charged in million-dollar fraud scheme
A Minneapolis man is accused of participating in a fraud scheme that stole more than $1 million in state, federal and local grants.
Tony Robinson, 41, is charged with five counts of wire fraud and conspiracy offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota.
The attorney's office said from December 2021 to October 2022, Robinson facilitated the submission of false grant progress reports for an organization called Encouraging Leaders.
"Robinson's reports claimed Encouraging Leaders used grant funds to organize events and activities that never occurred, and overstated Encouraging Leaders' involvement in events that had occurred," the attorney's office said. "Robinson's reports also falsely claimed that Encouraging Leaders had assisted various students, when in fact it had not."
Robinson is accused of defrauding the U.S. Department of Justice, Hennepin County, the city of Minneapolis, the Minnesota departments of education and human services, the Minnesota State Arts Board and other agencies.
Tezzaree El-Amin Champion, who founded Encouraging Leaders, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering and illegally possessing a firearm as a felon in February. He was sentenced last month to seven years in prison and five years of supervised release. He also must pay nearly $3.5 million in restitution.
Encouraging Leaders received more than $2.7 million in grants, much of which Champion took for himself, according to court records. During Robinson's alleged involvement in the scheme, more than $1 million was fraudulently taken.
Champion also engaged in fraud using a marketing company he owned called Futuristic Management, court records show. That group stole more than $2.1 million. His co-defendant in that case, Marcus Hamilton, also pleaded guilty.