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Former Obama press aide accused of stealing cash, credit cards, from Minneapolis coworkers to buy kratom

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Former Obama press aide accused of stealing cash, credit cards, from Minneapolis coworkers to buy kratom


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A former deputy press secretary for the Obama administration was fired from his Minneapolis city job last week after allegedly stealing cash and credit cards from city employees to purchase an herbal supplement used to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Adam Fetcher, 42, who served as a communications officer for the city for a year before he was terminated, allegedly stole from his fellow city employees after returning from a work-approved, weeks-long rehabilitation program, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has received the case from authorities and is reviewing it, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital has also reached out to Fetcher’s attorney and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for further comment.

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VEGAS LITTLE LEAGUE PRESIDENT ACCUSED OF SPENDING LEAGUE MONEY ON STRIP CLUBS AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION MEDS

Adam Fetcher, 42, who once served as a press secretary in the Obama administration, was fired from his communications job for the city of Minneapolis after he allegedly stole cash and charge cards from city employees to purchase kratom, an herbal drug used to treat opioid withdrawal. (City of Minneapolis Instagram; Getty Images)

Fetcher was captured on surveillance cameras at a Minneapolis smoke shop purchasing kratom, which is used to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms but carries its own risk of addiction.

He allegedly stole a charge card from a city employee’s purse and made a $481 purchase at the Minneapolis Tobacco & Vapor shop, less than a mile from his home, the newspaper reported. Store manager Hamza Zamara said staff helped investigators identify Fetcher as the man who allegedly used fraudulent cards to make the purchase.

Authorities zeroed in on the shop after a woman called the store claiming that someone had made a purchase using her card without permission. When Fetcher visited the shop again, employees took pictures of him and followed him outside, the news report states. They later gave investigators Fetcher’s vehicle’s license plate number.

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OHIO BROTHERS WHO POSED AS MIDDLE EASTERN ROYALTY RECEIVE LENGTHY SENTENCE FOR $21M FRAUD SCHEME

Former U.S. President Barack Obama smiles at the official opening of the Obama Presidential Center on June 19, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais-Pool/Getty Images)

“We told him, ‘Hey, we know what you’re doing,’” Zamara said.

Fetcher, who earned $186,000 annually, was fired on July 1.

“Under Adam’s leadership, the Communications team has reorganized, is fully staffed, and is well positioned to manage the City’s Communications needs,” City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher wrote in an email to staff announcing the termination.

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The email did not explain the circumstances of Fetcher’s departure. However, Kelliher wrote in a separate memo that several city employees had reported missing cash, debit, or credit cards, as well as unauthorized charges, noting the incidents happened between mid-May and June.

A kratom leaf and a vape store sign. (Getty Images)

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“I know this information may be concerning and troubling, and I want to assure you that the City takes this sort of report seriously and has acted accordingly,” she wrote, according to the email obtained by the Star Tribune. “Although we cannot provide additional details, we have no reason at this time to believe there is any ongoing risk of theft.”

In addition to serving as deputy national press secretary for the Obama administration, Fetcher went on to hold senior communications roles for Patagonia, Rivian, and Lyft.

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Minneapolis, MN

Fundraiser set for Forest Lake 18-year-old who fell at Minneapolis grain elevator

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Fundraiser set for Forest Lake 18-year-old who fell at Minneapolis grain elevator


A GoFundMe account has been established for an 18-year-old from Forest Lake who fell about 20 stories within a decommissioned grain elevator last week in Minneapolis.

Ash Ranallo-Korbel, 18, of Forest Lake, was critically injured when he fell from a Minneapolis grain elevator Aug. 3, 2026. (Courtesy of GoFundMe)

The account for Ash Ranallo-Korbel, of Forest Lake (gofund.me/c82a1c87d), was set up by his grandmother. Ranallo-Korbel was injured Aug. 3 at the vacant grain elevator near 37th Street East and Cheatham Avenue in south Minneapolis and has been hospitalized ever since.

Ranallo-Korbel reportedly was hanging from a beam an estimated 20 stories high when he fell. It’s “miraculous” that he survived after falling 20 stories, Minneapolis police Sgt. Garrett Parten said in a news conference the day after the incident.

Minneapolis Interim Fire Chief Melanie Rucker said at the news conference that the teen landed on another flat roof outside the elevator that might have been softer than landing inside the grain elevator.

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About $3,700 had been raised as of Tuesday afternoon for “medical bills, family therapy sessions, food, parking and other expenses that may arise as Ash’s prognosis becomes clearer,” according to the GoFundMe page.

Ash “is an extraordinary 18-year-old who recently graduated and was looking forward to the next chapter of life,” the GoFundMe says. “Ash is a talented artist, a dedicated worker, and someone whose contagious smile and sympathetic soul brighten every room.”



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Luigi Mangione in court ahead of state murder trial

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Luigi Mangione in court ahead of state murder trial


Luigi Mangione, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is appearing in court for what could be the final hearing before his state trial. The judge may also weigh in on whether the trial will be broadcast live, a point of debate between Mangione’s defense and the prosecution. FOX’s Kailey Schuyler reports. 



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Changing with the times to help Minneapolis neighborhoods thrive

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Changing with the times to help Minneapolis neighborhoods thrive


Signe Harriday is the new president and CEO of Pillsbury United Communities, one of Minneapolis’ oldest and largest nonprofit organizations. She started in July after overseeing the organization’s theater, radio station, newspaper and bike shop.

Courtesy Pillsbury United Communities



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