Stephen Montemayor

Four people are accused of fraudulently taking out more than $272,000 from Wings teller machines and another $150,000 from other Minnesota institutions.

Two homicides and a pattern of drug trafficking in south Minneapolis are at the heart of the conspiracy trial involving three defendants among 80 charged to date under a crackdown on violent crime.

Thompson’s defense attorneys on Tuesday claimed that drugs and a gun found at the scene belonged to his brother, Damarco Thompson, who was a passenger and also fled that night.

The verdict capped a weekslong trial that featured testimony from fellow gang members turned government cooperatives.

Mohamed Jama Ismail, 51, of Savage, was among multiple people convicted after a seven-week trial and linked to $42 million in fraud proceeds.

Farhiya Ahmed Mohamud, 65, of Bloomington, was charged alongside her son, the ex-chair of the Minneapolis Housing Authority board.

“The murders and shootings alleged in this indictment should shock the conscience of every law-abiding citizen in the city,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said.

A federal jury convicted Doron Tavlin, 69, of Minneapolis, in February for crimes related to a 2018 deal.

Federal judges and defenders alike credit the nonprofit mentor program with helping reduce the number of people who reoffend.

Saul Rodriguez Pineda, 40, had been living illegally in Minnesota and tried to argue that he helped distribute meth under duress by Mexican cartel leaders.