>>Hennepin County Attorney Issues ‘Touhy’ Demands in Federal Shooting Cases
(Minneapolis, MN) – The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) is formally demanding federal records in two high-profile cases: the death of Alex Pretti and the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. Prosecutors say they’ve issued additional “Touhy” requests, the process required to obtain evidence from federal agencies, after learning the FBI would not cooperate with state investigators. The office is seeking materials by March 3rd, including physical evidence, videos and photos, agent statements, medical records related to injuries, involved agents’ names, and relevant policies. The Minnesota BCA continues to investigate separately. The Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice have not publicly detailed their next steps.
>>Duluth Police Link Shell Casings Between Homicide and Later Deputy-Involved Shooting
(Duluth, MN) – Duluth Police say new forensic analysis shows shell casings from a February 10th homicide and a later deputy-involved shooting appear to have been fired from the same gun. Investigators now say 30-year-old Donald Felver and 33-year-old Darius Handy were in a verbal argument shortly before Handy was shot and killed last Tuesday. A truck tied to the incident was registered to Felver, and officers found additional casings after a search warrant on the vehicle. The BCA reported a “high confidence” ballistic match between casings from the homicide scene, the vehicle, and the shell casings recovered later that night when Felver was killed during an exchange of gunfire with St. Louis County deputies. The ATF will conduct further testing.
>>U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins State Lawmakers in Fight Over BWCA Protection
(St. Paul, MN) – U.S. Senator Tina Smith joined a group of state lawmakers and advocates to preserve the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) on the steps of the state capitol on Wednesday. This comes as the U.S. Senate is expected to vote next week on lifting a ban on copper mining in the BWCA. Smith says a Chilean company called Antofagasta wants to develop the area and dig for copper. She said, “Minnesota would be left with the mess while this conglomerate sends the metal to China and sells it for the highest price.” The organization “Save the Boundary Waters” has been fighting the copper mining proposal, saying it will destroy the habitat and wildlife in the Boundary Waters. Republican Congressman Pete Stauber is in favor of the mining, saying it will bring hundreds of jobs and an economic boost to northern Minnesota.
>>U.S. Representative Morrison Urges Trump Administration to Restore Public Health Grants
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison is urging the Trump Administration to restore public health grant funding to four states, including Minnesota. This comes after the Administration cut funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grants that support public health infrastructure and disease prevention. Morrison and nearly 80 of her colleagues have specific questions they would like answered by the administraion like a list of terminated grants and future grants that could be cut, plus an answer to why only four states were targeted. Besides Minnesota, the other states losing funding are California, Colorado, and Illinois.
>>DHS Vehicle and Car Collide in Mankato
(Mankato, MN) – Police in Mankato say they investigated a crash Tuesday involving a car and a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) vehicle. Officers say occupants from both vehicles had minor injuries but declined medical transportation. Their vehicles had minimal damage, and both were able to drive away from the scene. The occupants in the car told KEYC TV they were following the DHS vehicle, and ICE agents rammed into their car. The crash happened near the Mankato Public Safety Center.
>>CA Man Found Guilty of Defrauding Optum
(Minneapolis, MN) – A California man is guilty of defrauding his former employer, Optum, Inc., out of more than $1.2 million. Federal prosecutors say 47-year-old Karan Gupta, a senior director of data analytics at the Minnesota-based UnitedHealth subsidiary, was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, ten counts of wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. Investigators say he hired an unqualified lifelong friend into a managerial role in 2015, gave him a fake resume, and then allowed him to collect a six-figure salary for nearly four years while doing no work. In return, the friend paid Gupta more than half of that salary in kickbacks, using cash deposits and later a debit card tied to a dedicated account. It was uncovered after Optum fired him in 2019. Prosecutors say Gupta abused his position of trust and will now face sentencing at a later date.
>>No Travel Advisory Issued for Highways in South Central Minnesota
(Mankato, MN) – A no travel advisory is issued for state highways in Blue Earth, Brown, Nicollet, and Watonwan counties in south central Minnesota. MnDOT says blowing snow and strong winds are creating limited visibility in the area this afternoon. Officials say drivers are advised not to travel in those counties until conditions improve. You can check the current road conditions at 511.mn.org.
>>DNR EagleCam Shows Adult Incubating Egg in Nest
(Undated) – The Minnesota DNR’s EagleCam now shows adults sitting on an egg in the nest. Officials believe the egg was laid Sunday afternoon, and there could be more on the way. They say eagles usually lay their eggs a few days apart. Eggs normally hatch after 34-39 days of incubation, which means there could be a chick in the nest the third week in March. Wildlife researchers say there will be more activity in the nest as one parent incubates the egg while the other eagle hunts.
