North Dakota
North Dakota bill aiming to regulate crypto kiosks, prevent fraud gets mixed reactions
BISMARCK — A bill in the North Dakota House of Representatives aims to regulate cryptocurrency kiosks by limiting deposits, capping fees and requiring fraud detection measures in response to rising concerns over financial scams.
House Bill 1447
would regulate virtual currency kiosks, also known as cryptocurrency kiosks or crypto ATMs. The proposal would license cryptocurrency kiosk operators in North Dakota, limit daily deposits to $1,000, cap fees at 3%, require blockchain analytics to detect suspicious activity and mandate refunds for new customers within 30 days.
Simply put, crypto kiosks allow people to insert cash, turn it into cryptocurrency and deposit it into an electronic wallet. It also allows anyone with an electronic wallet to turn cryptocurrency into cash and withdraw it.
More than $6 million was stolen through cryptocurrency fraud in North Dakota in 2023, and the FBI received over 5,500 complaints involving crypto kiosks nationally in 2023, according to AARP.
Rep. Steve Swiontek, R-Fargo, said scammers are directing people to withdraw money from their bank accounts and put it into the crypto ATMs, where it is deposited directly into the electronic wallets of the scammers.
Contributed / Stacy Kennedy, Gate City Bank
Swiontek chairs the board of Gate City Bank and has worked in banking for over 40 years.
He told a story about a person in North Dakota who received a message from a fraudster posing as a federal employee saying they would purchase child sexual abuse material using the person’s identity, open offshore accounts in the person’s name and that their family would be in danger if they did not comply with the fraudster’s directives. The person took out nearly $25,000 and gave it to the fraudster using a crypto kiosk. The person almost gave the fraudster another $25,000, but after a conversation with a neighbor who worked in law enforcement, they found out they had been scammed.
A fraud investigator for First Western Bank, Jacob Rued, said another way fraudsters often work is to refer to the crypto ATMs as “federal safety lockers” and tell people they are scamming that their money is not safe in their bank and needs to be deposited in the “federal safety locker.”
“If you ever hear that term, or someone you love says that term to you, you and they are being scammed,” Rued said. “That term does not exist.”
Josh Askvig, state director of AARP North Dakota, said that elderly North Dakotans are especially vulnerable to these crypto scams.
Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, questioned the necessity of caps on daily transactions and fees because he believes it would unnecessarily burden a growing industry. He said there are legitimate reasons for people to use the kiosks because if there weren’t, there wouldn’t be successful, publicly traded companies based on them.
“I just don’t believe that there would be a publicly traded company that’s investing in something that’s 99% scams,” Koppelman said. “And that somehow that’s got across (past) all the regulators that deal with the publicly traded companies.”
Koppelman suggested the implementation of a cap on a user’s first five transactions to protect first-time users from scams without impacting those who regularly use the kiosks.
Rued said without the caps on daily transactions, the bill would be useless.
He shared a story about a person who experienced fraud in Minnesota when he took $50,000 out of his bank account, intending to put it all into the kiosk and give it to the scammer’s electronic wallet, but was stopped at depositing $2,000 into the kiosk by Minnesota’s regulations. After he was stopped, he realized he was being scammed and did not give the remaining $48,000 to the fraudster.
“Without that (cap), he would have lost all $50,000,” Rued said. “Now, could he report that to us the next day? Sure. But in all reality, the money is gone. If you know anything about the blockchain and crypto — I mean the whole essence and principle of it is, once it’s out there, the government can’t go get it. No one can exercise control over it.”
Rue noted he was in favor of the cap on fees, as well. The companies that operate the kiosks are “profiting off the losses of these victims,” he said.
Representatives of two companies that operate cryptocurrency kiosks said they were in support of licensing operators of kiosks but not caps on fees and daily transactions.
Director of Government Relations at Bitcoin Depot Ethan McClelland said the cap on transaction fees and daily transaction amounts would make operating in North Dakota unsustainable and drive responsible operators of crypto kiosks out of the state.
The transaction limits “are encouraging scammers to spread transactions around, and it’s hindering our efforts and law enforcement’s efforts to combat fraud,” McClelland said.
Rued disagreed.
“To be perfectly frank with you,” Rued said, “with no disrespect to them, it’s laughable to me that the transaction limit is going to increase the fraud or it’s going to make it more difficult to investigate. My opinion would be the exact opposite — it’s going to decrease fraud.”
Koppelman said the bill will be worked on in a committee before a recommendation is voted on.
North Dakota
Person detained during search for missing West Fargo woman is released – KVRR Local News
FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — A person who was detained during a SWAT raid involving a missing West Fargo woman has since been released.
On Friday evening, Red River Valley SWAT team assisted Fargo Police in serving a search warrant in the 4400 block of Calico Drive South.
Officers were looking for evidence related to 24-year-old Isadora Wengel of West Fargo.
She was last seen early Monday.
Her family says she has a medical condition and needs medication.
Investigators are processing the apartment for evidence and have expanded the investigation to the Fargo landfill.
Police are searching the area where trash from Calico Drive South would be dumped.
They say no one has been arrested, but there is no threat to the public.
Iowa State’s Kevin Dresser discusses dual win over Iowa
VIDEO: Iowa State’s Kevin Dresser discusses dual win over Iowa, the first since 2004
Iowa State wrestling left little to chance on the road against North Dakota State, rolling to a 36-3 win over the Bison on Jan. 11.
The Cyclones won nine of 10 bouts against NDSU, including two by major decision, two by technical fall and a win by fall for MJ Gaitan. Iowa State left the dual with four ranked wins as well.
The highlight bout of the dual was the opener at 125 pounds between Iowa State’s Stevo Poulin and No. 17 Ezekiel Witt. Poulin got a nice 7-1 win by decision over Witt, with a takedown into a two-point turn in the second period helping decide it. At 5-5 entering the dual, it was a good sign for No. 14 Poulin as he looks to get back on track.
Evan Frost earned the second ranked win of the day at 133 vs. No. 30 Tristan Daugherty. He walked away with a 9-0 major decision with two takedowns and a two-minute ride in the second period. Anthony Echemendia followed it up with a 21-6 technical fall vs. Michael Olson at 141.
To close the first half of the dual, Jacob Frost hung on for an 11-5 win by decision over No. 25 Max Petersen. Frost got out to an early lead with two takedowns in the first period, but had to fend off a late surge in the third period with a takedown to put the match away at 11-5.
Vinny Zerban had a nice bounce-back effort at 157, defeating former NCAA All-American Gavin Drexler at 157. After taking a loss earlier in the week vs. Arizona State, Zerban went wire-to-wire vs Drexler in a 12-5 decision and nearly had a major decision had he not conceded a takedown late in the third period.
Iowa State came out of intermission still rolling. Connor Euton earned a 11-2 major decision over Boeden Greenley at 165, followed by a win by fall for Gaitan at 174 over three-time Iowa state champion Max Magayna and a gritty 4-1 sudden victory for Isaac Dean over No. 26 Aidan Brenot at 184.
CJ Carter was unable to help secure a shutout win for ISU with a 10-4 loss by decision to Devin Wasley at 197, but Yonger Bastida ended the dual on a high note with a 19-4 technical fall over Shilo Jones. at heavyweight.
Iowa State moved to 6-1 in duals. Kevin Dresser’s team has the Cyclone Open up next on Jan. 18, but no dual until Jan. 23 vs. Northern Colorado.
Iowa State wrestling vs. North Dakota State results
- 125: Stevo Poulin (ISU) over Ezekiel Witt (NDSU) (Dec 7-1)
- 133: Evan Frost (ISU) over Tristan Daugherty (NDSU) (MD 9-0)
- 141: Anthony Echemendia (ISU) over Michael Olson (NDSU) (TF 21-6 4:11)
- 149: Jacob Frost (ISU) over Max Petersen (NDSU) (Dec 11-5)
- 157: Vinny Zerban (ISU) over Gavin Drexler (NDSU) (Dec 12-5)
- 165: Connor Euton (ISU) over Boeden Greenley (NDSU) (MD 11-2)
- 174: MJ Gaitan (ISU) over Max Magayna (NDSU) (Fall 1:39)
- 184: Isaac Dean (ISU) over Aidan Brenot (NDSU) (SV-1 4-1)
- 197: Devin Wasley (NDSU) over CJ Carter (ISU) (Dec 10-4)
- 285: Yonger Bastida (ISU) over Shilo Jones (NDSU) (TF 19-4 4:53)
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
High School Basketball logo. Courtesy Midwest Communications.
North Dakota High School Boys | Girls Basketball Scoreboard from Jan 10, 2026
BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=
Alexander-Trinity Christian 81, Divide County 58
Beulah 55, Des Lacs-Burlington 26
Harvey-Wells County 61, Nedrose 51
Killdeer 54, Dunseith 52
Linton 75, Sargent County 32
Milbank, S.D. 64, Hillsboro-Central Valley 61
New Salem-Almont 71, Mandaree 32
Our Redeemer’s 89, Kenmare 32
Parshall 71, Trenton 70
Richey-Lambert, Mont. 57, Beach 55
Rothsay, Minn. 71, Richland 38
Shiloh 70, Oak Grove 59
Watford City 77, South Prairie/Max 64
Westby-Grenora 49, Savage, Mont. 40
White Shield 72, Strasburg 55
Dickinson Trinity Shootout=
Central McLean 70, Bowman County 54
Dickinson Trinity 63, Stanley 22
Wilton-Wing 70, South Heart 51
Ramsey County Tournament=
Championship=
North Star 65, Lakota/Adams-Edmore/Dakota Prairie 57
7th Place=
Warwick 72, Benson County 61
5th Place=
Carrington 53, Griggs-Midkota 45
3rd Place=
Devils Lake 73, Larimore 63
Stutsman County Shootout=
Drake-Anamoose 54, South Border 49
Glen Ullin 47, EKM 44
MPB 63, Washburn 59
Midway-Minto 61, Ellendale 53
Napoleon/G-S 53, Kindred 44
Oakes 69, Kidder County 39
GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL=
Ashby, Minn. 65, Tri-State 49
Benson County 47, Hatton-Northwood 38
Dunseith 46, Killdeer 39
Ellendale 54, South Border 36
Flasher 42, New England 16
Garrison 54, Grant County/Mott-Regent 51
Kenmare 55, Our Redeemer’s 43
Kindred 70, Bottineau 21
Lambert, Mont. 52, Beach 50
Maple River 53, LaMoure 52
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood 57, TGU 54
New Salem-Almont 67, Mandaree 44
North Prairie 67, Westhope 49
Park River 42, Griggs-Midkota 37
Richey-Lambert, Mont. 52, Beach 50
Rothsay, Minn. 65, Richland 32
Sargent County 55, Linton 48
Savage, Mont. 40, Westby-Grenora 33
Shiloh 56, Oak Grove 47
Sisseton, S.D. 66, Oakes 17
Strasburg 39, White Shield 30
Surrey 67, Larimore 38
Trenton 58, Parshall 40
Dickinson Trinity Shootout=
Central McLean 55, Bowman County 41
South Heart 45, Stanley 41
Sanford Pentagon Classic=
West Fargo Horace 70, Tea, S.D. 41
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