10-Feb-2026

Tax Fraud

A Minnesota man has been indicted on felony charges in a multi-million-dollar tax fraud case. A news release issued by the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota says Caesar Munir Wilson has been charged with conspiracy to file false claims for tax refunds, filing a false claim for a tax refund, money laundering, and bank fraud. The indictment alleges the criminal activity occurred from 2022 to 2023. According to federal prosecutors, Wilson filed false tax returns that requested more than $90 million in refunds and conspired in the filing of additional false tax returns requesting a total of more than $210 million in refunds. The news release says Wilson’s fraudulent claims allegedly totaled more than $350 million and resulted in the U.S. Treasury issuing more than $19 million in fraudulent refunds. It is alleged that Wilson used the refund money to purchase a $2.6 million home in Prior Lake, invest in cryptocurrency and other projects, and cover personal expenses. According to the indictment, Wilson advised a group of “sovereign citizens” concerning trusts and taxes and provided them with tax forms and documents for filings. The news release describes “sovereign citizens” as people who wrongly believe that the federal income tax and certain other laws do not apply to a person’s “sovereign persona.” The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation division and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

 

 

 

 

 

09-Feb-2026

Assault Arrest

Three people are in custody after an assault near Garrison on Friday. The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office says they responded to a home near the Mille Lacs and Crow Wing County line south of Garrison regarding an assault. Sheriff Eric Klang says upon investigation, a 20-year-old male was found during a traffic stop in Mille Lacs County and air-lifted to a medical facility. A search warrant was executed at a home on Edgewater Circle in Crow Wing County as part of the investigation as well. A 19-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault, and two juveniles were arrested in connection with the case. The Sheriff's Office says the case remains active, and the condition of the 20-year-old victim is not known at this time.  The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office is being assisted by the Minnesota Bureau of Investigation (BCA), and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Tribal Police Department.

09-Feb-2026

Child Endangerment

A childcare provider has been sentenced to probation for felony child endangerment. The Minnesota Attorney General's Office says a Stevens County Court has sentenced Crystal Searle to five years of probation and 180 days in jail for her role in a brain injury to an infant in March of 2022 in Donnelly. The Attorney General's Office alleges that Searle was babysitting a two-month-old infant and noticed the child needed emergency medical care, but waited 45 minutes for the child's mother to pick him up rather than call 9-1-1. The mother immediately took the child to the emergency room, where doctors discovered he had increased cranial pressure and a subdural hematoma that required brain surgery. The infant survived but spent weeks in intensive care. Searle was providing childcare at her home in Stevens County at the time of the emergency.

09-Feb-2026

Gas Prices

Gasoline prices edged slightly higher in the last week. Average gasoline prices in Minnesota have risen 2.0 cents per gallon, averaging $2.64.  The national average price of gasoline has risen 1.2 cents per gallon, averaging $2.84.   The national average price of diesel has increased 2.9 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $3.61. Gas Buddy says that even though oil prices slipped last week amid reduced geopolitical risk, strengthening seasonal factors are likely to intensify, potentially driving the national average back above $3 per gallon.

 

 

09-Feb-2026

Perham Woman Stabbed

A Perham woman is recovering from serious injuries after a violent assault Saturday morning, an attack that likely would have been fatal had a neighbor not intervened and called 911. The Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office and Perham Police Department responded around 10:16 a.m. on Feb. 7 to a report of an assault in progress at a residential address in Perham. Officers arrived to find that suspect Cyrus Lee Olson, 22, had forcibly entered an apartment occupied by a 45-year-old woman, where he actively stabbed and physically assaulted her. The victim’s neighbor witnessed the attack and intervened, stopping the assault before calling emergency responders. The quick-thinking action likely prevented a homicide, authorities said. The victim managed to flee to a nearby friend’s apartment despite her injuries. Perham EMS crews treated her at the scene for multiple stab wounds and other injuries before transporting her to Perham Hospital. She was later airlifted by Lifelink air ambulance to a regional medical center for advanced care. Her condition is listed as serious. Olson was apprehended shortly after police arrived. He is being held at the Otter Tail County Detention Facility pending his initial court appearance on multiple felony charges, including attempted second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, aggravated robbery and second-degree assault.