Minneapolis, MN
Jury convicts three members of Minneapolis Bloods gang at racketeering trial
A federal jury on Tuesday convicted three members of the Minneapolis Bloods gang in connection with the murder of two rivals. The case is notable because jurors found one of the defendants guilty of racketeering. It’s part of a strategy by federal prosecutors to use a law written to target East Coast mob families to take down Twin Cities street gangs.
The lead defendant, Desean Solomon, is already serving a 36-year state prison sentence for the 2020 murder of a rival gang member Marcus Banks outside the 200 Club in north Minneapolis.
Now Solomon, 34, faces up to life in prison after jurors convicted him of racketeering and using a gun to commit murder for the benefit of the Bloods gang, which operates in south Minneapolis.
Standing trial with Solomon were Michael Burrell, 44, who was convicted along with Solomon in connection with Banks’ death. Jurors convicted Leontawan Holt, 26, in the 2022 killing of Rayshawn Brown outside a pub in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. Burrell and Holt were each found guilty of using a firearm to commit murder in aid of racketeering, which also carry life sentences.
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Prosecutors in this case not only had to prove the underlying murder charges, they also had to convince jurors that the defendants committed the crimes for the benefit of a gang. Local and federal authorities have long worked together on gang cases because federal sentences are typically longer than state prison terms.
Throughout her closing argument on Thursday morning, Assistant U.S. Attorney Esther Mignanelli Soria said the Bloods are a criminal enterprise because they have a rank structure, a common language, and strictly enforced rules. She said both of the killings stemmed from fights between members of rival groups.
At a news conference Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said the RICO law allows prosecutors to go after an entire criminal organization — not just its individual members.
“One murder at a time is an important and an effective way to go after activity,” Luger said. “But when it’s part of an organization and part of a continuous pattern of crime, it’s better to do it under a statute that allows you to put it all together before one jury.”
Luger noted that testimony from defendants who pleaded guilty and cooperated was key. Soria applauded the courage of victims who stepped forward to testify.
“It is a privilege to do this job,” Soria said. “And it is an even greater privilege to be entrusted with the stories of the members of the community and victims and to be able to amplify those stories in a trial like this one.”
Judge Susan Richard Nelson kept the names of the jurors in the trial anonymous to prosecutors, the defendants and their attorneys. Typically those parties know jurors’ names, even though members of the public know them only by number.
Juror safety is a major concern among federal judges and attorneys in Minnesota after a woman visited the home of a juror in the Feeding Our Future trial in June and attempted to bribe her with a Hallmark gift bag containing $120,000.
Tom Plunkett, Solomon’s attorney, said in his closing that the government never proved that Solomon fired the shots that killed Banks. Karen Mohrlant, who represented Holt, downplayed the rigid gang structure that the government emphasized during the trial.
Mohrlant noted instances of members of rival gangs getting along and even being part of the same extended families. She also argued that Holt was acting in self defense and likely would have died had Rayshawn Brown’s gun not jammed during the Uptown incident.
In his closing, Burrell’s attorney Steven Wolter, argued similarly that the government failed to prove that Burrell killed Marcus Banks and argued that the killing was a personal matter unrelated to the Bloods.
Prosecutors said the fight inside the bar that night started when Solomon and Burrell spotted a man who’d testified against Burell’s younger brother Myon, who was convicted in the 2002 killing of 11-year-old Tyesha Edwards, who was in her house doing homework when a bullet came through the wall of her south Minneapolis homes.
The Minnesota Board of Pardons commuted Myon Burrell’s sentence in 2020 after a joint APM Reports/Associated Press investigation found major problems with the evidence, and an independent expert panel called for his release. Myon Burrell, who was in the courtroom gallery for closing arguments, may be heading back to prison after a Hennepin County judge convicted him on gun and drug charges.
The convictions of Solomon, Holt, and Michael Burrell are part of a prosecution effort that Luger and multiple law enforcement agencies launched last year targeting gangs including the Bloods, Highs, Lows, 10z and 20z.
So far prosecutors have charged 83 people, and nearly four dozen have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial.
WASHINGTON, DC (FOX 9) – The Republic of Somaliland is calling for Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to be extradited after Vice President JD Vance accused her of committing immigration fraud.
Vance accuses Ilhan Omar of immigration fraud
The backstory:
Vance appeared on conservative Benny Johnson’s podcast over the weekend, where he accused the Minnesota lawmaker of fraud.
“Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America. She has been at the center of a lot of the worst fraudsters at the center of the Somali community,” Vance told Johnson.
Omar has been at odds with the Trump Administration and the White House multiple times over accusations that she married her brother to obtain U.S. citizenship. FOX 9 looked into those allegations, and found no evidence that can corroborate that.
Omar calls allegations ‘a ridiculous lie’
The other side:
Omar responded to Vance’s allegations on Sunday, via FOX News.
“This is rich coming from someone who literally said they were willing to ‘create stories’ to redirect the media,” the statement said. “This is a ridiculous lie and desperate attempt to distract from the pedophile protection party’s unpopular war of choice, increasing gas prices, and rapidly dropping polling numbers.”
Omar sprayed at town hall
Local perspective:
In late January, Omar held a town hall where after calling for then DHS Sec. Kristi Noem to resign over Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities, an attendee stood up and sprayed Omar with a liquid.
The man, later identified as Anthony Kazmierczak, was charged with threats of violence and assault for the attack. The Hennepin County complaint alleges that Kazmierczak told Omar that “you should f–king die” during the attack.
Trump on Omar: ‘Throw her the hell out’
Why you should care:
President Trump made an appearance in Pennsylvania last December, where he highlighted Minnesota’s ongoing issues with fraud.
President Trump blasts Ilhan Omar, Gov. Walz at Pennsylvania rally
President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted Minnesota lawmaker llhan Omar and Gov. Tim Walz over the fraud taking place in the state as federal agents are in the Twin Cities area targeting the Somali population. Trump made the remarks while speaking about the economy at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania.
Trump said in the appearance she married her brother, and “she should get the hell out.”
“You know, that’s called the Great Big Minnesota scam with one of the dumbest governors ever in history. I love this Ilhan Omar, whatever the hell her name is, a little turban. I love her, she comes in, does nothing but bitch. She’s always complaining. She comes from a country where, I mean, it’s considered about the worst country in the world, right?” Trump said. “They have nothing. She comes to our country and she’s always complaining about the constitution allows me to do this. We ought to get her the hell out, she married her brother in order to get in. Can you imagine if Donald Trump married his sister, if I married my sister to get my citizenship? Do you think I would last about two hours, or would it be less? She married her brother to get in, therefore she’s here illegally. She should get the hell out, throw her the hell out.”
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A sunny and warm Sunday is in store for the Twin Cities, with even higher temperatures expected on Monday before a chance of rain and cooler air returns later in the week.
Sunday forecast
Local perspective:
Sunday is starting with some cloud cover before sunshine moves in with highs near 70 degrees around the metro and southern parts of the state.
Winds will be much lighter than Saturday, coming from the south at 5 to 10 mph with only occasional gusts up to 15 mph.
The Brainerd Lakes area will see temperatures in the 60s, while the North Shore will be cooler, which is typical for this time of year.
Sunday’s weather is expected to be dry and pleasant.
Overnight, temperatures will drop to the upper 30s and lower 40s, with some clouds moving in ahead of Monday.
Extended forecast
What’s next:
Monday could be the warmest day of the week, with highs in the lower 70s for the Twin Cities and some spots in southern Minnesota possibly reaching close to 80 degrees.
Winds will shift from southerly to southeasterly and then easterly as the day goes on, but should remain light.
After the warm start to the week, a cold front will move through on Tuesday, bringing a chance for a few rain showers in the early morning.
Temperatures will likely drop to the upper 40s by Wednesday and Thursday, with another front possibly bringing showers late Friday into early Saturday.
The rest of the extended forecast calls for temperatures close to or just below average, with highs in the upper 40s to lower 50s.
The Source: This story uses information from the FOX 9 weather forecast.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Firefighters are investigating the Minneapolis’s second fire fatality of the year after a man died in a house fire Saturday afternoon.
Fatal fire on 28th Avenue South
What we know:
According to the Minneapolis Fire Department (MFD), fire crews arrived shortly after 1:00 p.m. and found smoke coming from the second floor of a single-family home on 28th Avenue South. Bystanders alerted firefighters that someone might be trapped inside.
Crews had to work through heavy debris to reach the upstairs area. It took about 40 minutes to fully put out the fire.
During the primary search, firefighters found a man in his 60s dead on the second floor. No one else was found after searching all the floors.
Minneapolis Animal Care and Control took in a dog found outside the home.
Assistant Chief Wes Van Vickle said, “The department is grateful to the neighbors who alerted fire crews that someone may still have been inside, allowing them to act quickly.”
Fire safety reminders and community response
What they’re saying:
“This afternoon’s tragic loss of life weighs heavily on all of us, and we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,” said Van Vickle.
He also encourages the public to regularly check and maintain smoke detectors and fire extinguishers at home.
There were no other injuries reported. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner is working to confirm the man’s identity.
What we don’t know:
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and the man’s name has not been released.
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