Latest news with #KeithEllison
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Health
- Miami Herald
Mom abuses her kids, fakes their diagnoses to get Medicaid money, MN cops say
A mother accused of abusing her children for more than five years exploited them to get Medicaid money, Minnesota authorities say. The 34-year-old Crosslake woman, who in June was found guilty on 11 charges, was sentenced Aug. 7 to 468 months in prison, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a news release. Ellison said the mother 'physically, verbally and emotionally abused her three children,' who were 11, 9 and 8 when their mom was arrested in 2022. 'She abused her position of authority,' prosecuting attorney Dominika Kins said in court, according to the Brainerd Dispatch. 'And she stripped them of an actual childhood.' According to a criminal complaint, the mom received more than $35,000 from the state of Minnesota for medical care for her 9-year-old, who was being treated for dropping hemoglobin levels. But an investigation revealed the numbers had deteriorated because his mom was withdrawing blood from him using a syringe and picc line, according to the court documents. She would then make the other two kids dump the blood in a toilet. She also faked diagnoses for her other two children, including making her 11-year-old wear a cast for more than two years, authorities said. 'Another child stated that (their mom) would instruct the child to vomit at the doctor even though he didn't need to, and to cough as if he had asthma, at which time asthma medication was prescribed,' the attorney general said. The mother was accused of having violent outbursts against her children, according to investigators, who said she choked each of them when their rooms weren't clean. 'When Defendant would do this to (the 8-year-old), she could barely breathe and felt like she was about to pass out,' authorities said. '(The child) said her head would start hurting, starts to race, she wouldn't be able to walk right, her vision was blurry, her breathing was 'not so good' and she coughed a lot after.' The children said their mom would often beat them with a spoon, charging cord or a belt, sometimes making them bleed, according to the court documents. Investigators said she would withhold food from her children and made death threats. 'I was never safe,' the 11-year-old child told authorities, according to the court records. The mother was found guilty in June of attempted murder, three counts of child torture, three counts of stalking and four counts of theft by false representation, the attorney general said. He referred to her alleged actions as among the most 'heinous and agonizing' crimes he has seen as the attorney general. 'The facts we proved in court are nothing short of horrifying,' Ellison said in June. 'It strains the imagination and breaks my heart into pieces to think about the torture and anguish — physical, mental, and emotional — that (she) inflicted on her own children.' Crosslake is about a 145-mile drive northwest from Minneapolis.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Minnesota Attorney General joins national effort to stop robocalls
It would be hard to find someone who isn't familiar with the "we've been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty" robocall. However, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and others are working to reach that goal by launching an effort dubbed Operation Robocall Roundup to stop these types of calls from happening in the United States. As part of the Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force's effort, Ellison's office announced Thursday that warning letters are being sent to nearly 100 downstream providers that accept call traffic from 37 telecom companies. In addition, the FCC says it will remove seven providers from the Robocall Mitigation Database. In doing so, other providers won't be allowed to either accept, or route, any calls from their networks. "Minnesotans are sick and tired of these calls, me included," said Ellison. According to his office, Ellison, as well as dozens of other attorneys general, want to stop telecom companies that refuse to follow rules made by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Those rules include responding to government traceback requests, not registering with the FCC's Robocall Mitigation Databases, or filing a plan describing how they will lower the amount of illegal robocalls on their network. The following voice service providers are being sent warning letters: "If these telecom companies do not comply with rules to prevent robocalls, I am prepared to hold them accountable," said Ellison. If you'd like to file a complaint with Ellison's office about robocalls, you can do so by calling 651-296-3353, 1-800-657-3787, or by filling out this form.
CBS News
31-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Minnesota AG reaches $5M settlement with landlord accused of illegally charging renters
More than 4,000 Minnesota renters are eligible to get money back from a property management company accused of overcharging and stealing security deposits. Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a $5 million settlement with Investment Property Group (IPG) on Wednesday. Nearly $2 million of that goes directly to the tenants hit by those practices. The company must also offer more than $3 million in forgiveness for rent and utility debts. IPG has also been ordered to instruct credit reporting and tenant screening companies that the debt has been satisfied. The attorney general sued the company over eviction threats for unpaid utility bills. IPG allegedly imposed unanticipated utility charges on tenants, with some charges being over $200 a month. Though landlords can charge for some utilities separate from rent, they must follow certain regulations and laws, which IPG did not comply with, the attorney general's office said. As part of the settlement, IPG will not charge tenants for gas or gas-related utilities separate from rent. Additionally, the landlord ordered to stop filing, or threatening to file, eviction actions based on unpaid utilities IPG will also provide a $350 rent credit for tenants at certain properties who still rent from the company. Approximately 650 households will benefit from the credit, according to the attorney general's office. Tenants at the following properties may be eligible for the credit: Anyone affected by the settlement will be contacted by the attorney general's office in the coming months.
CBS News
30-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Court orders Lakeville developer that falsely promised homes for Somali families to repay customers
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Tuesday his office secured a judgment against a property development company accused of defrauding Somali immigrant families. On Monday, the Dakota County District Court ordered Nolosha Development LLC and owner Abdiwali Abdullahi to repay their customers, pay civil penalties for violating the law and pay the state's attorney's fees, ruling in favor of the attorney general's office on all claims brought against Nolosha. The court ordered an evidentiary hearing to determine the amount the developer will be expected to pay. That hearing has yet to be scheduled. The court entered a default judgment as a "result of defendants ignoring their legal obligations and interfering with the Attorney General's investigation for years," according to a press release from the Minnesota Attorney General's Office. Last October, Ellison filed a lawsuit against Nolosha, claiming it had been soliciting and collecting money using "deceptive and fraudulent representations," promising hopeful buyers large single-family homes with 0% financing in a community "rich with features many Muslim families seek." The company, however, did not own the land in Lakeville, Minnesota, where it claimed the community would be located. Customers were told that for a $25,000 deposit, the company would design and complete a home per the customer's specifications. Nolosha also advertised they would sell the homes with 20-year no-interest payment plans. The court said Monday that the developer "had no ability to offer such financing incentives." Nolosha told prospective buyers the first phase of construction would be completed by November 2023 and the second phase would be completed by May 2024, but the property was never developed, according to the lawsuit. The City of Lakeville first heard about the development in April 2023 when citizens asked about the project, according to the lawsuit. Nolosha's marketing materials "appeared so outlandishly false" that officials reported it to the police. The company advertised it had 160 plots to sell and once those slots were filled, it began charging customers $500 to be added to a waitlist. The lawsuit alleges there are over 1,500 customers on the waitlist. In all, the company received more than $1 million from more than 160 families, according to the Attorney General's Office.
CBS News
29-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Minnesota, Wisconsin among 22 states to file suit against Trump administration over SNAP users' personal data
Following the U.S. Department of Agriculture's move to acquire personal data about those who receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Tuesday that he has filed a lawsuit, saying the department's request "violates multiple federal privacy laws" as well as the U.S. Constitution. SNAP, otherwise known as the food stamp program, gives low-income Americans credits to be used for buying groceries. Earlier this year, the USDA announced it wanted personal information of all SNAP applicants and recipients, including social security numbers and addresses dating back five years, to prevent fraud and abuse. Ellison's office says a year's worth of SNAP recipient data has sensitive and personal identifying information on more than 400,000 people in Minnesota. Ellison's office says both federal and state law prohibit Minnesota from giving personally identifying SNAP data unless it is necessary for the program, or if there are other limiting circumstances. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has also joined the lawsuit, which includes the attorneys general from a total of 22 states. Aside from Minnesota and Wisconsin, the other states signing onto the suit include California, New York, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, as well as the District of Columbia. Click here to see the data sharing guidance provided by the USDA in early May, and click here to see the executive order issued by Trump regarding what he outlined as the stoppage of monetary waste as well as fraud and abuse.
