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.
Two hunters lost in a northeastern Minnesota forest were rescued Monday night with the help of ATV-riding deputies and a drone.
A 29-year-old man is accused of fatally shooting another man in a south Minneapolis alley in August, according to court records filed Monday.
If you're looking for a place to roll the dice, battle a dragon or simply grab a burger, there's a gaming oasis in Chaska, Minnesota, that has all three.
A beloved dog is home safe after spending a night lost and alone in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota.
Three people are dead and four others are hospitalized when a vehicle and a semi truck collided early Tuesday morning near an Interstate 35W off-ramp in southeast Minneapolis, according to police.
A 29-year-old man is accused of fatally shooting another man in a south Minneapolis alley in August, according to court records filed Monday.
If you're looking for a place to roll the dice, battle a dragon or simply grab a burger, there's a gaming oasis in Chaska, Minnesota, that has all three.
A beloved dog is home safe after spending a night lost and alone in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota.
Three people are dead and four others are hospitalized when a vehicle and a semi truck collided early Tuesday morning near an Interstate 35W off-ramp in southeast Minneapolis, according to police.
A second shooting in Edina, Minnesota, within a matter of months has left some residents concerned about public safety. Residents gathered Monday night to discuss the recent gun violence and share concerns about safety in the community.
Two hunters lost in a northeastern Minnesota forest were rescued Monday night with the help of ATV-riding deputies and a drone.
A beloved dog is home safe after spending a night lost and alone in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota.
A suspected drunken driver crashed in a historic central Minnesota cemetery that's home to the remains of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Sinclair Lewis.
Police in St. Cloud, Minnesota, say two boys are in custody after another boy and a woman were assaulted by a group Tuesday afternoon near St. Cloud State University.
Law enforcement shot and killed a man Friday evening amid a standoff in northwestern Minnesota, according to the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office.
The Wisconsin State Patrol says a trooper is in the hospital with severe injuries after falling off a bridge while attempting to end a pursuit.
In downtown Hudson, Wisconsin, a small gallery is making room for a lot of creativity.
A $1.8 billion project to replace the Blatnik Bridge, which links Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, is now underway.
An 18-year-old man has pleaded guilty to killing 10-year-old Lily Peters in Wisconsin four years ago. He was then given a life sentence with the possibility of extended supervision after 25 years.
A Wisconsin prosecutor says he will not file election bribery charges against billionaire Elon Musk even though the state's bipartisan elections commission said he likely broke state law.
A Scouting America committee believes the girl Cameron Scharfbillig brought to the surface of a pool may have died seconds later. The Minnesota Cub Scout, now 9, received the organization's Honor Medal in Sartell.
Automotive collision and refinishing students at Dunwoody College in Minneapolis rebuilt a Hyundai Elantra and gave it to Robert Hanson, a U.S. Navy veteran, through the National Auto Body Council's Recycled Rides program.
For years, Keiona Cook has been weaving communities together, teaching kids from North Minneapolis and Edina to sew together. Now she's taking her work to New York for the city's iconic fashion week.
Natalie Flaherty started I Stand With Anne when she was 10. She's now one of this year's Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes winners, an award for people ages 8 to 18 who are making a positive difference.
In downtown Hudson, Wisconsin, a small gallery is making room for a lot of creativity.
The Senate on Thursday approved a sweeping college sports bill to establish a federal framework for college athletics aimed at protecting student athletes — despite some pushback from some Democrats who argue that it could do the opposite.
Minnesota lawmakers and law enforcement officials are calling for clearer rules and additional safety measures surrounding electric bikes and more powerful e-motos as their popularity continues to grow.
President Trump announced a plan to bring a $15 billion steel plant to Iowa that would involve iron ore from Minnesota while blasting the governor of the North Star State.
President Trump on Monday announced that the company Mesabi Metallics will build a $15 billion steel plant in Iowa over the coming years.
For 39 years, Ron Schutz was an attorney and partner in the national law firm Robins Kaplan. One of his top issues in the attorney general's race is fighting fraud.
It seems just about everyone is paying more for gas right now. But diesel prices are rising even faster. That's a major issue when it comes to school buses.
Tim Wertish and his son drove out to the lot every morning before school. This weekend, nearly 400 classic trucks, pickups and cars go to the highest bidder in Redwood Falls.
Every grain and ingredient that comes through the door is certified gluten-free, co-owner Kasey Pate says, a dedicated facility for a community that lost its taproom when Burning Brothers closed last year.
Sunset to sunrise. Any rain, snow, sleet or hail. And any time you can't clearly make out people and vehicles 500 feet ahead. Three triggers in one statute, and most drivers only know the first one.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services is working with a contractor to correct an autism treatment plan backlog that is frustrating both parents and providers.
A 29-year-old man is accused of fatally shooting another man in a south Minneapolis alley in August, according to court records filed Monday.
A Burnsville, Minnesota, man has been sentenced to life in prison in the fatal stabbing of the mother of his children last year, according to court records filed Monday.
A suspected drunken driver crashed in a historic central Minnesota cemetery that's home to the remains of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Sinclair Lewis.
A 41-year-old man is in custody and faces several criminal charges in connection to last week's kidnapping in Roseville, Minnesota.
Minneapolis police are searching for a motorist involved in a serious hit-and-run crash late Saturday morning on the city's north side.
Monday marked World Rabies Day, a chance to raise awareness about how to stop the spread of the highly deadly disease. Several animals in Minnesota are known to carry it, though some species are much more likely to do so than others.
A potential merger between Allina and Sutter health has concerned community members pushing for patient and worker protections.
Doctors Council SEIU and Allina Health have been working toward an agreement for three years.
The headlines surrounding Artificial Intelligence's rapid advancement have been tough to digest recently. WCCO wanted to know how to manage anxiety caused by AI.
The virus has struck poultry producers in at least five counties in a single month. Nationally, nearly 23 million turkeys have been put down since 2022 — even as U.S. farmers raise 45 million fewer birds than they did a decade ago.
From Janet Jackson and Mary J. Blige to Prince and Michael Jackson, the legendary Minneapolis producers share the stories — and sounds — behind some of their most memorable records.
Challenging documentaries and award-winning features are among the offerings of New York City's leading cinema event, starring such luminaries as Pedro Pascal, Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore and Godzilla.
Taylor Swift announced her new single "Patient Zero" earlier this week, saying she has been "impatiently waiting" to announce that it will be out on Friday.
A Tennessee judge granted Dolly Parton's estate a temporary restraining order Wednesday against the late singer's nephew Bryan Seaver and his private security company.
An autopsy by the Greenville County Coroner's Office determined Hayden Panettiere's death was due to an accidental overdose of several drugs, including fentanyl.
A new season begins and the Minnesota Timberwolves' top star, Anthony Edwards, finds himself in a new situation.
According to an analysis from McKinsey and Company, revenue from women's sports has grown 4.5 times faster than revenue from men's sports, creating new opportunities both on and off the field. WCCO introduces a Minneapolis woman who is helping secure brand deals for women athletes.
Minnesota Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson is recovering from an ankle sprain he suffered during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has avoided long-term injury, head coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday.
The Minnesota Vikings are moving on from former first-round pick quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
The Minnesota Lynx's electrifying guard, Olivia Miles, has been named the Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year.
For 39 years, Ron Schutz was an attorney and partner in the national law firm Robins Kaplan. One of his top issues in the attorney general's race is fighting fraud.
For 39 years, Ron Schutz was an attorney and partner in the national law firm Robins Kaplan. One of his top issues in the attorney general's race is fighting fraud.
One of the big races in the Twin Cities in November is the contest for Hennepin County Attorney.
Former acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk and DFL state Rep. Cedric Frazier are competing to succeed Mary Moriarty, whose tenure has drawn controversy over sentencing and a Hennepin County investigation into federal agents during Operation Metro Surge.
The constitutional amendment would raise the contribution to schools by $33 per pupil for each school. That would take the fund's current contribution of $68 per pupil to $101 per pupil.
The town of Lindstrom, Minnesota, is known for its unique water tower, but an unlikely discovery is bringing back memories of another landmark.
From making the paper for Crayola crayons to getting a visit from Mr. Rogers. John Lauritsen shares the history behind a Little Falls paper mill, and how its ruins have become its future, in this week's Finding Minnesota.
Built in 1886, the Prospect House was once a resort hotel. The third floor is preserved to show what the hotel looked like back then, but for Jay Johnson, the real history is in the basement.
For nearly a half century, the Haunted Mansion at the Minnesota State Fair has been scaring people silly.
It is one of the most uniquely shaped buildings at the Minnesota State Fair, and it holds nearly 80 years of history.
Monday marked World Rabies Day, a chance to raise awareness about how to stop the spread of the highly deadly disease. Several animals in Minnesota are known to carry it, though some species are much more likely to do so than others.
The leaves have been changing, the temperature has been dropping, and the pumpkin flavored coffee drinks are flowing.
The headlines surrounding Artificial Intelligence's rapid advancement have been tough to digest recently. WCCO wanted to know how to manage anxiety caused by AI.
If you're buying ground beef at the grocery store, there's a good chance that part of it came from a country outside the United States.
It's the fifth time in six years that Minnesotans are approaching fall during a drought. The time of year is right when homeowners typically start repairing their yards. Is it worth fighting back now or simply waiting until spring?
The Minnesota State Fair has unveiled its new foods for 2026.
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Tuesday night.
A look at the newest addition to the polar bear population at St. Paul, Minnesota's Como Zoo.
From food shelves to school programs, our team is proud to serve where it matters most.
Rain exits Tuesday evening, but another round of dense fog could develop behind it, WCCO meteorologist Joseph Dames reports.
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.
Rain spreads west to east throughout Tuesday in Minnesota with a widespread quarter inch to an inch possible. Highs will be in the upper 60s in the Twin Cities.
Rain spreads west to east throughout Tuesday in Minnesota with a widespread quarter inch to an inch possible, says meteorologist Joseph Dames.
Twin Cities students should stay dry at the bus stop on Tuesday morning, but people in the area may want to have an umbrella handy in the afternoon, according to NEXT Weather meteorologist Chris Shaffer.
Rain exits Tuesday evening, but another round of dense fog could develop behind it, WCCO meteorologist Joseph Dames reports.
If you're looking for a place to roll the dice, battle a dragon or simply grab a burger, there's a gaming oasis in Chaska, Minnesota, that has all three.
A convicted political assassin has asked a judge to approve a gag order against the Minnesota lawmaker and his wife he shot multiple times last year, plus more of the day’s top stories.
Three people are dead and four others are hospitalized when a vehicle and a semi-truck collided early Tuesday morning near an Interstate 35W off-ramp in southeast Minneapolis, according to police.
Rain spreads west to east throughout Tuesday in Minnesota with a widespread quarter inch to an inch possible, says meteorologist Joseph Dames.