2014 News Archives

4 charged in $4 million Twin Cities public-assistance scheme. The swindle cost the state about $4 million, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said. It dates back to 2009, according to criminal complaints. (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN, December 17, 2014).

Charges: 'Massive' public benefits fraud alleged in Ramsey County. A husband and wife from Fridley and two accomplices allegedly duped the state out of about $4 million by falsifying work records at their home health care and child care businesses and funneling some of that money into another family-owned enterprise to cover their tracks. (Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, December 17, 2014).

Domestic violence forum in Shoreview asks men to be the difference. Showing a photo of Target Field, Choi said all the Minnesota women who are victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, stalking or sex trafficking could fill the stadium 17 times. (Eastside Review, North St. Paul, MN, November 5, 2014).

Domestic violence forum addresses men’s responsibility. “Help! My daddy is hurting my mommy!” screamed a terrified and sobbing 6-year-old on the phone with a 911 operator. (Shoreview Press, Shoreview, MN, November 5, 2014).

Sex-trafficking convictions double in Minnesota. (A) new report from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Justice Programs shows that convictions for solicitation and promotion of prostitution and sex trafficking jumped from 31 in 2012 to 63 in 2013. (Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, October 15, 2014).

State funding means a safe home for girls to recover. The home is certified by the Minnesota Department of Human Services and leased by Breaking Free, a St. Paul based organization devoted to helping victims of sex trafficking. (East Side Review, St. Paul, MN, October 13, 2014).

A call to men from Ramsey County elected officials: Pioneer Press editorial. As men and elected leaders, Ramsey County officials are taking a stand against sexual and physical violence against women. (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN, September 30, 2014).

Ramsey County officials convene community event on ‘How We Raise Our Boys’. (RCAO, St. Paul, MN, September 2, 2014). Click here for a copy of the event flyer.

Raising boys into nonviolent men is subject of free forum. Choi is describing a culture that he says enables and encourages acts of violence and sexual exploitation of women and children. (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN, September 30, 2014).

Minnesota sex trafficking victims find safety in new shelter. (Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul, MN, August 1, 2014).

Shoreview man charged with filing fraudulent tax returns, failure to pay taxes. According to the complaint, cver that four-year period, the false or fraudulent property tax return statements Badejo allegedly filed earned him $18,176, which is being considered as unreported income rendering his own tax returns as fraudulent in the eyes of the law. (Eastside Review, North St. Paul, MN, July 9, 2014).

Minnesota’s first shelter for child victims of sex trafficking prepares to open. The nation-leading changes will increase penalties for child sex traffickers and require all law enforcement and prosecutors to treat those trafficked under the age of 18 as victims instead of criminals. (MinnPost, Minneapolis, MN, June 30, 2014).

Drug Court Expands in Minn. to get Addicts into Treatment vs. Prison. With new state funding, Drug Court is expanding in Ramsey County and six others.  (KSTP 5 Eyewitness News, St. Paul, MN, June 30, 2014).

Tax preparer charged with filing false returns. A St. Paul tax preparer faces multiple counts of filing fraudulent tax returns after the Ramsey County attorney’s office on Friday charged Olufemi Augustine Badejo with pocketing more than $20,000 in false refunds. (Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, June 27, 2014).

Experts meet in St. Paul to discuss gun violence issues. In St. Paul, 11 of the 19 homicide victims between January 2013 and the present were killed with guns. (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN, June 24, 2014).

Minnesota leads national push vs. sex trafficking. Much like the early 1990s, when Minnesota took a leadership role in efforts to pass the Violence Against Women Act, the state’s work to combat sex trafficking is serving as a national model. (Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, June 12, 2014).

Public safety beat: Financial fraud crooks are getting smarter. East metro authorities gathered recently to discuss a crime trend they say is draining people of their life savings and going underreported: financial fraud. (Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, June 12, 2014).

In St. Paul sting, teacher charged with soliciting teen for sex. Joel Daniel Fowler called in sick Tuesday at his job as a social studies teacher at Olson Middle School and drove to the Cherokee Park area of St. Paul with plans to meet the girl.(Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN, May 29, 2014).

Investigators Target Child Sex Predators During 'Operation Broken Heart'. There’s a demand for underage sex here in Minnesota, and law enforcement officials want the public to know that they’re not putting up with it. (KSTP-TV, St. Paul, MN, May 29, 2014).

St. Paul schools custodian charged in 7 new sex cases. New charges of sexual misconduct filed Tuesday against a former St. Paul school custodian allege improper behavior with additional students in recent years and the repeated abuse of young family members decades ago. (Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, May 20, 2014).

Minnesota 'safe harbor' law serves as federal model for combating sex trafficking. Their cause has brought them to Mexico, the oil fields of North Dakota and on ride-alongs with Minnesota police, and it’s meant letters and floor speeches about events a world away, in Nigeria. (MinnPost, Minneapolis, MN, May 14, 2014).

East metro pushes to increase cyberbullying intervention. Attention to cyberbullying has been prevalent in recent years, yet studies reveal that the issue remains widespread and difficult to stop. (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN, April 10, 2014).

Ramsey County, St. Paul prosecutors focus on domestic violence, sex abuse cases. The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office and the St. Paul City Attorney’s Office have formed a Joint Sexual Violence Unit which will focus on high-risk/high-lethality domestic violence, sex trafficking, physical or sexual assaults on the elderly, and sexual assaults on vulnerable adults. (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN, April 4, 2014).

City, county prosecutors in Ramsey County tackling worst cases. A  joint prosecution unit of the Ramsey County attorney’s office and the St. Paul city attorney’s office will start working on more of the county’s worst cases, where violent offenders are considered at-risk to kill or victims are particularly vulnerable. (Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, April 4, 2014).

St. Paul's 'outside-the-box' charges nail organized retail thieves. It's not unusual for law enforcement around the country to take similar approaches and charge chronic offenders with burglary or possession of burglary tools, said Richard Mellor with the National Retail Federation. (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN, March 29, 2014).

GPS for Ramsey County domestic violence victims shows promise. A pilot program that uses GPS technology to monitor when alleged domestic violence offenders get too close to their victims has shown promise in Ramsey County, said authorities who want to continue offering it as an option to help keep victims safe.  (Associated Press, Minneapolis, MN, March 9, 2014).

KARE 11 Investigates: Sex Trafficking. The FBI ranks the Twin Cities as one of 13 U.S. cities with a high rate of child prostitution, according to the Women's Foundation of Minnesota. (KARE 11, Minneapolis, MN, March 3, 2014).

Priest abuse cases 'just the beginning,' Ramsey County prosecutor says. As part of its coverage of child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and elsewhere, the Pioneer Press talked with Ramsey County Attorney John Choi. (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN, March 1, 2014).

Minn. lawmakers seek to tighten laws, save residents money. As it turns out, Minnesota is one of the states that fraudsters like most, and underwriters say the effect on premium prices is real. That's why state lawmakers and prosecutors are considering new efforts to stop the drain on residents. (KMSP Fox9, Eden Prairie, MN, February 13, 2014).

Prosecutors say residents' identities stolen with mail. Prosecutors charged two St. Paul men with identity theft Monday, saying they stole hundreds of documents, including bank statements, tax and financial documents and credit cards from mailboxes across the metro area. (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN, February 10, 2014).

Former state worker convicted of ID theft. A former state employee accused of stealing hundreds of individual identities, including Social Security and drivers’ license numbers, was convicted of identity theft Wednesday by a Ramsey County jury. (Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, January 22, 2014).

Longest sentence in MN for sex-trafficking handed down in Ramsey County. A Chicago man was sentenced Friday morning to what Ramsey County authorities believe is the longest prison term in Minnesota for a sex-trafficker. (Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, January 22, 2014).

In St. Paul sex-trafficking case, a record 40-year prison term. Otis Deno Washington had the unenviable fortune of beating his brother's record Thursday in Ramsey County District Court. (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN, January 9, 2014).

Man Gets Longest-Ever Sex Trafficking Sentence In MN History. A 30-year-old St. Paul man received the longest sentence ever imposed on anyone found guilty of sex-trafficking in Minnesota history. (WCCO-TV, St. Paul, Minneapolis, MN, January 9, 2014).

St. Paul man gets record 40-year sentence for sex-trafficking. A jury convicted Washington in November of soliciting someone under 18 to practice prostitution, soliciting an individual to practice prostitution, two counts of promoting prostitution of an individual and conspiracy to engage in sex-trafficking. (Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, January 9, 2014).