Recent content from Stephen Montemayor
Mankato man who pistol-whipped grandmother, fired at Minneapolis police, pointed gun at child admits guilt
Kamau Evans broke into two Minneapolis homes connected to an ex-girlfriend and fired at police before his arrest.
Charges: Suicide attempt ended standoff that closed I-35 in Faribault; 44 pounds of meth found
Passenger said she loaded a needle with meth for the driver as the two fled a state trooper on July 21.
Guilty plea in plot to bribe Feeding Our Future juror with $120,000 cash
Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, 23, of Shakopee, one of five indicted, pleaded guilty Tuesday.
Rare officer v. officer lawsuit over Hennepin County K9 mauling ordered thrown out by federal appeals court
The lawsuit pitted a former Champlin officer bit by K9 during a pursuit against the sheriff's deputy who released the dog named Thor.
Charges: Federal agents link a dozen guns bought in northern Minnesota to California crime scenes
Prosecutors this week charged a 28-year-old Badger, Minn., man with illegally possessing machine gun conversion devices, or "switches," found during a search of his home.
Prison for all 3 men whose Snapchat gun ring sold 'switches,' ghost guns around the Twin Cities
U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank this week sentenced Kyrees Darius Johnson, 22, of Minneapolis, to nearly eight years in prison to conclude the case — which was filed weeks after Johnson was shot 14 times in an attempted carjacking.
U.S. court agrees Minn. age limit on carrying handguns in public is unconstitutional
Minnesotans between 18 and 20 will be able to apply for permits to carry handguns publicly if Attorney General Keith Ellison does not appeal Tuesday's decision.
FBI 'threat assessment' teams around Minnesota try to stop the next mass shooting
Agents, school psychologists and child protection workers have been meeting regularly to devise "off-ramps" for those who might be considering violence.
Fourth defendant pleads not guilty, will remain jailed as Feeding Our Future bribery case proceeds
Abdiaziz Shafii Farah is being charged with bribery in connection with the alleged plot to pay off a juror last month.
2 men plead not guilty, ordered jailed in Feeding Our Future jury bribery case
Judge cites flight risk for the two men, who pleaded not guilty. Three others are charged.
Feeding Our Future attempted bribery case could affect other trials in Minnesota
Legal experts say the attempted bribe of a juror could deter other Minnesotans from serving on a jury, fearing for their safety or privacy.
Woman pleads not guilty to conspiring to bribe a juror in Feeding Our Future trial
Ladan Mohamed Ali will not be jailed as her case proceeds, but she is barred from contacting witnesses or victims in the bribery case.
Feds charge five in plot to bribe Feeding Our Future trial juror with $120K in cash
Five people, including three who were on trial, are now being charged.
Federal charges: Shooting suspect caught in Brooklyn Park with similar switch-enabled gun he had in 2023 drug arrest
According to charges, Raquan Rahjai Johnson allegedly also possessed a Glock with a gold switch when he was arrested for selling drugs as a juvenile in January 2023.
New federal charges halt 're-emergence' of south Mpls. street gang
"Some of the worst of the worst" are indicted on gun, drug charges.
St. Louis Park man sentenced to 10 years for joining, fighting for ISIS overseas
Abdelhamid Al-Madioum has since said he "joined a death cult" and has helped the FBI investigate terror cases around the country.
Biden nominates assistant U.S. attorney to be next Minnesota federal judge
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar called Provinzino "the right person for this moment."
Race-based scholarships at Minnesota State University Moorhead subject of new civil rights complaint
A Rhode Island-based conservative nonprofit made the Minnesota university the latest among a growing list of challenges to race-based education policies since a landmark 2023 Supreme Court ruling.
FBI's 'Pig Dig' helps teach Minnesota law enforcement how to find bodies, preserve evidence
Dubbed the "Pig Dig," this FBI class walks local Minnesota agencies through how to meticulously dig up bodies and evidence at outdoor crime scenes.
Bloomington man given 40 years in child porn case involving at least 22 children
Feds extradited Ibrahim Ghassan Sleyman from the United Arab Emirates last year to face prosecution in a case in which prosecutors say new victims are still being identified.
With guilty plea, feds secure 64th and final conviction in magazine fraud case
The U.S. Justice Department said the scam lasted for at least 20 years and victimized more than 100,000 people in all 50 states.
'Straw' gun buyers often are women in abusive relationships
A Star Tribune review of more than two dozen "straw" gun cases charged since 2014 found that a majority involve women connected to an intimate partner, close friend or relative who leaned on them to get their guns. And many of their cases reveal backdrops of trauma or domestic violence.
Feds accuse two business consultants to Hennepin County of stealing $1 million in pandemic aid
Tezzaree El-Amin Champion and Marcus Alexander Hamilton are accused of submitting more than 100 fraudulent invoices and grant and loan applications through their Futuristic Management Group LLC small business consultancy firm.
Kenya property, dreams of becoming 'multimillionaires' highlight texts in Feeding Our Future trial
The federal trial for seven of the 70 people indicted on fraud charges will begin its fourth week of testimony on Monday.
Witnesses parse trove of text messages as Feeding Our Future trial continues in its third week
A special agent from the Internal Revenue Service's criminal investigations unit will return to the stand as trial resumes Friday after a Thursday break.
Ex-Chief Hennepin County Public Defender Kassius Benson given probation for federal tax evasion
He admitted late last year that he failed to pay taxes withheld for employees of his criminal defense firm.
Sharon Lubinski, first openly gay U.S. marshal and longtime MPD leader, dies at 71
Lubinski came out in 1993 and later became one of the highest serving women in law enforcement nationwide.
Wednesday sentencing for St. Louis Park man who joined ISIS called off, to be rescheduled
Abdelhamid Al-Madioum, now 27, surrendered to Syrian forces in 2019 and has spent years providing valuable information about the inner workings of the terror group he once worked for.
Minnesotan will be sentenced for fighting for ISIS: 'I joined a death cult'
As federal authorities stopped groups of Minnesotans from traveling to ISIS territory a decade ago, Abdelhamid Al-Madioum escaped detection. His survival and return home was no less astonishing.
Suit: Staff at Anoka jail withheld opioid withdrawal meds from inmate who collapsed, was injured
A new federal lawsuit is taking aim at Anoka County and an embattled private for-profit health company contracted to provide services at the county jail.
Member of Highs gang given nearly 20-year sentence in federal racketeering case
Montez Brown, 32, was caught with 9,700 fentanyl pills, thousands of dollars in cash, and two firearms during an April 2023 arrest amid the ongoing federal crackdown on Twin Cities gangs.
Gustavus professor accused of fraud to remain jailed after threatening U.S. Attorney
A magistrate judge on Wednesday ordered the professor to undergo a mental health evaluation while in jail as his fraud case proceeds.
Gustavus Adolphus accounting professor indicted on fraud charges over embezzlement claims
James Anthony Kroger is accused of taking more than $690,000 invested by a business partner and using it on 'extravagant personal purchases' while laundering money and filing a sham bankruptcy claim to conceal the scheme.
FBI arrests Minneapolis man, 59, linked to bombing, vandalizing salon over consecutive years
Michael Allen Francisco allegedly confessed to setting off a bomb at the Studio 411 salon in Minneapolis in 2022 before returning to toss a brick through its window a year later.
Man arrested in probe of Inver Grove Heights bank robbery gets 10-year sentence for illegal gun possession
Deundrick McIntosh pleaded guilty to gun charges last year but his attorney said evidence linking him to robbery was "circumstantial."
Feds: Owatonna man who threatened to kill police at Capitol tried to get shotgun back, build new guns
A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced Dayton Sauke to two more years of prison after he violated the terms of supervised release. Investigators found more posts in support of far-right extremist groups.
29 years in federal prison for Pine City man who used Snapchat to victimize hundreds of young girls
Federal prosecutors say Caleb Vincent McLaughlin perpetrated 'by far' one of Minnesota's worst child-exploitation cases.
Apple Valley man led police on high speed chases, found with escalating amounts of drugs and guns in four run-ins since 2020
A federal judge this week sentenced Timothy Allen Torell Wetzstein to 13 1/2 years in prison in what prosecutors described as a 'drug-and-gun-and-fleeing escapade.'
Charges: Girlfriend bought AR-15 style firearms for felon weeks before Burnsville ambush
Shannon Cortez Gooden was legally barred from possessing guns at the time of the Feb. 18 standoff that claimed the lives of three first responders.
Federal grand jury investigating how Burnsville shooter acquired guns
Ex-girlfriend said prosecutors investigating last month's deaths of three first responders asked whether Shannon Cortez Gooden could have forced her to buy guns on his behalf.
Sentencing set for St. Louis Park man who left family to fight for ISIS in 2015
Abdelhamid Al-Madioum lost most of an arm while fighting for ISIS, and has been in custody since surrendering to Syrian forces in 2019.
Federal charges: Aitkin County man illegally possessed guns, child porn, researched police ambushes
Juan Michael Smith allegedly ordered guns to be shipped to a Robbinsdale retailer and had his daughter pick them up in the store.
Minnesota now alleging Fleet Farm violated state law when it sold firearms to straw buyers
A federal judge last week allowed the state to add new allegations to its lawsuit, first filed in 2022.
St. Cloud man gets 10 years for illegal gun possession, pistol used by 5-year-old in fatal shooting
According to charges, Roberto Antwan Williams hid the gun his now-wife's child used to shoot himself.
Federal charges link fatal Dinkytown tobacco shop, Uptown shootings to Minneapolis gang rivalry
A new gun and fentanyl case identified the deceased as members of the north Minneapolis Lows gang.
Three more charged with shipping record amounts of fentanyl to Minnesota inside stuffed animals
Investigators seized more than 66 pounds of fentanyl pills found in six shipments due for the Twin Cities.
Prosecutors reveal Minnesota meth trafficker's bosses: federal prison inmates
A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced John Paul Majerus II to 15 years for conspiring to ship Mexican meth to Minnesota with connections he made during his first prison stint.
Charges: Man caught with 170 pounds of fentanyl, meth, cocaine on return trip from Mexico to Minnesota
The more than 60 pounds of fentanyl allegedly found in Rito Gaxiola Jr.'s Jeep would rival a Minnesota record that involved six people and four months of trafficking by mail.
As trial starts, Owatonna man pleads guilty to child porn charges, threatening to murder sex abuse victim
Michael Lee Kurkowski was arrested in 2022 while traveling to the home of a former victim, carrying zip ties and weapons in his luggage.
Ensuring those barred from owning guns don't get them comes down to 'honor system'
Shannon Cortez Gooden had been prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition for 16 years when he killed two Burnsville police officers and a paramedic last week.
Ex-Medtronic consultant convicted of insider trading; Twin Cities insurance agent acquitted
Doron "Ron" Tavlin was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit insider trading and 10 counts of securities fraud and aiding and abetting securities fraud. The same jury found David Jay Gantman not guilty of all charges
Judge reduces record payout in 2017 police killing of Black man in St. Paul
A federal judge this month concluded that the City of St. Paul should pay far less than the $11.5 million a jury awarded the mother of a man shot dead in 2017.
Suspect in shooting of Burnsville officers and medic had violent past, lost right to own guns
Two orders for protection were filed against the man by women he shared children with. Authorities say the 38-year-old killed himself Sunday after fatally shooting two Burnsville police officers and a paramedic.
Federal sentences imposed in Minneapolis carjacking ring targeting Somali rideshare drivers
A federal judge imposed sentences of between 5 and 8 years this week on three Minneapolis men, with one more to come next week.
FBI arrests Redwood Falls man identified as alleged member of Nazi group
Before his arrest for illegally possessing ammunition, Andrew David Munsinger allegedly plotted to build unserialized firearms and talked about his "goals to support the white race."
Nine more charged in latest wave of Feeding Our Future federal fraud case
Newly unsealed indictments outline the charges against a group of relatives and a married couple running a Minneapolis grocery store.
Third man sentenced in August 2020 arson at Target headquarters
Outburst aimed at judge cut Wednesday's hearing short in St. Paul.
Nearly 7 years in prison for Twin Cities man accused of stockpiling for armed police conflict
Federal judge did not impose maximum 10-year sentence sought by prosecutors who warned River Smith posed "unique danger to the public."
Iranian, two Canadian nationals facing federal charges in Minnesota for alleged murder-for-hire plot
According to charges, "criminal network" plotted to kill Iranian dissidents, opposition activists.
Patent infringement lawsuit in Minneapolis had an unlikely star: fake Christmas trees
After staring at trees for more than a week, jury awards $42 million to Taiwanese company.
Sentencing rescheduled for Savage man who called for armed conflict, shared extremist views
River W. Smith, 21, of Savage, is now set to be sentenced on Jan. 30.
On eve of sentencing, beliefs of Twin Cities man who discussed killing cops are under microscope
FBI says River W. Smith, 21, celebrated mass shootings, prepared for armed conflict with police.
Onamia man gets 24 years in federal prison after assaulting girlfriend with unserialized gun
Prosecutors called for decadeslong sentence for Justin Cutbank, citing his history of felonies and the pervasive nature of crimes against Native American women.
Dispute between Blaine council member, Muslim affairs group hurtles forward with new defamation suit
Lori Saroya, ex-leader of CAIR in Minnesota, is suing her former employer — three years after it tried suing her.
DEA reports boom in Minnesota fentanyl pill seizures for 2023
The state outpaced its Midwestern counterparts in busts involving the potentially deadly opioid.
Minnesota man wrongfully imprisoned 25 years in wife's drowning death sues officials
Thomas Rhodes, freed last year, was the first to be released under new Minnesota Conviction Review Unit.
Christian 'Quest for Authentic Manhood' instructor sues Minnesota prison leaders for program ban
The Corrections Department ended the decade-old program last year, saying it excluded gay men and promoted dangerous gender stereotypes.
Federal charges filed against man who shot Minneapolis girl with assault-style rifle New Year's Day
Prosecutors charged James William Turner, arrested last week, with illegally possessing ammunition as a felon.
Supreme Court refuses to consider ex-MPD officer Tou Thao's federal sentence appeal
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals previously upheld his conviction for violating George Floyd's civil rights.
Using ankle monitor data, Feds nab man accused in armed robberies of Twin Cities mail carriers
Suspect was on pretrial release for identity theft and fraud charges in Georgia at time of the November robberies.
Feds use weapons charge to arrest man linked to two Minneapolis homicides in 2022
According to the ATF, Deandre Franklin is a 'prime suspect' in Dec. 19 killing of man previously charged with stealing French bulldog puppies.
The silent toll of gun injuries: 'Survival is only the beginning'
The epidemic of deaths from firearms only tells part of the story. In the shadows, hundreds of Minnesotans hurt by gunfire struggle to repair their lives.
Minnesota joins coalition urging Supreme Court to uphold ban on bump stock devices
The nation's high court is expected to rule next year on whether federal machine gun law applies to bump stocks.
Star Tribune settles class-action lawsuit over video data sharing
The claim stemmed from concerns over information sharing with Facebook about videos watched on the Star Tribune website.
Family, friends of St. Paul's Tou Ger Xiong gather in remembrance
Loved ones of the Hmong-American activist and performer killed recently in Colombia, who gathered Saturday in Woodbury for a memorial, said they're still reeling from his loss.
