Permanent FBI investigative squad fighting fraud in Minnesota, says new special agent in charge

FBI agents from around the country are fighting fraud in Minnesota. 

There is now a permanent investigative squad on the case, along with a new special agent in charge. Christopher Dotson took over the top position earlier this year. 

"The first five months here in Minneapolis, it's felt like two weeks. And that's because of the amount of work that we're doing here in this office," Dotson said.

Dotson started with the bureau 18 years ago. He leads the Minneapolis field office, covering Minnesota and the Dakotas.

"Minnesota, in particular, has a great storied background of responses to violent crime. At least in the FBI's view," Dotson said.

And it's a top priority for Dotson. 

"While nationwide violent crime is reducing, there are still communities that are struggling, and those include cities like Minneapolis or St. Paul. We're doing our best to root out violent crime with our partners," Dotson said.

He pointed to two dozen recent arrests involving alleged gang members and associates, detailed during a press briefing in June. And says that's just some of what they're doing investigatively.

"A lot investigative techniques are used. Many of them include surveillance. So that could be ground surveillance, air surveillance. It could even be electronic intercepts, better known as a wiretap," he said. "We do undercover activity as well."

While staffing can be a challenge, he says this field office is well staffed, getting extra attention for issues like fraud.

"We're fighting all kinds of fraud: healthcare fraud, childcare fraud, you name it, we're on it," Dotson said.

He says there are more resources in the state because of what the field office is focused on.

"We're calling it a surge of sorts, and so in an epidemic of fraud like we've experienced here in Minnesota, in order to tackle that head-on and quickly, we have brought in additional resources. We also do the same thing to fight violent crime. We can bring in teams of agents from across the nation for specific time to tackle a specific gang, for example, and so that is a resource that we tend to tap into when resources are low," Dotson said. "We don't have that problem here."

He also says the agency is keeping its eye on what it calls online violent extremists, who are recruiting and targeting vulnerable kids, trying to get them in compromising positions with sexually explicit materials.

He says kids in the state have been harmed by this type of blackmail.

"I remind parents that while the internet is access for your kids to the world, it also gives the world access to your kids. So please monitor what they're doing online," Dotson said.

Dotson says community trust is also high on his list, building it through community engagement and transparency. Another focus is recruitment in various positions, including for non-agents.