>>Missing Hiker Found Safe in BWCA
(Lake County, MN) — A missing hiker has been found safe in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA). Lake County Sheriff’s responded to a report of a missing 77-year-old man from Georgia around 11 a.m. Thursday. The man’s daughter thought he could have hiked looking for flowers. A friend found his vehicle at the Blackstone Hiking Trailhead northeast of Ely. An aerial search of the area found the man waving his arms. It’s not known how long he was missing, but officials say he was found exhausted and dehydrated.
>>Guatemalan National Pleas Guilty to Drug Trafficking in Twin Cities
(Minneapolis, MN) — A Guatemalan man has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking. On September 27th, 2021, law enforcement conducted a controlled operation to meet 67-year-old Ramiro Guerra at a previously designated Twin Cities location as part of an ongoing investigation. Once Guerra arrived in a semi-truck from California, officers searched the vehicle. Nearly 72 pounds of methamphetamine and 80 kilograms of cocaine from inside the semi-truck’s cab. Guerra’s sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
>>Twin Cities Man Sentenced to Nearly 8 Years in Prison for Tobacco Store Robbery
(St. Paul, MN) — A Twin Cities man has been sentenced to nearly eight years in prison for aiding and abetting a 2023 Hobbs Act robbery of an Apple Valley tobacco store. On January 23rd, 2023, 32-year-old David Harris helped Deshawn Johnson rob a tobacco store. They fled in a black Dodge Charger, which Apple Valley Police quickly found. Johnson fled the car on foot, while Harris was arrested. Harris lied to officers, saying he was a victim of a carjacking, but a search of the car revealed the men’s planned robbery scheme with ample evidence. On January 9th, 2024, Harris pleaded guilty. On September 27th, 2023, Johnson pleaded guilty to four charges and will be sentenced later.
>>Tareen Dermatology Agrees to Pay Over $1.6M to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Violations
(Minneapolis, MN) — Tarren Dermatology has agreed to pay $1.63 million to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations. CEOs (and “defendants”) Mohiba and Basir Tareen allegedly submitted false claims to Medicare and VA-administered programs for dermatology services and treatments. The services were billed under Dr. Tareen’s supervision on days she wasn’t physically at the clinic, office visits for which the defendants inappropriately waived beneficiary co-pays, and using certain skin grafts when their usage wasn’t justified, as billed.
>>MN AG Ellison Wins $128K in Refunds for Waste-Disposal Company Consumers
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today (FRI) a settlement of over $128,000 in refunds to consumers charged undisclosed fees when using waste management company Allied Waste Services of North America LLC, d/b/a Republic Services. The investigation began because Republic Services charged certain customers a written fee schedule that allegedly disclosed the full set of fees they would pay, leaving out container removal fees. Republic Services owes direct payments to consumers affected and must ensure it clearly and conspicuously discloses its fees in the future.
