Ex-Mpls Chamber CEO Jonathan Weinhagen pleads guilty to mail fraud; faces nearly 3 years, >$200K restitution
Jonathan Weinhagen, the former CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber who had been a Mounds View school board member (he has resigned), pleaded guilty to mail fraud and could face nearly three years in prison and more than $200,000 in restitution. Prosecutors allege he diverted Chamber funds — including about $30,000 earmarked as Crime Stoppers rewards for unsolved 2021 Minneapolis child shootings — through a sham consulting firm called Synergy Partners and an alias “James Sullivan,” opened a Chamber line of credit and drew over $125,000, signed sham contracts generating more than $100,000 for himself, and attempted a fraudulent SoFi loan in a scheme said to have run from December 2019 to June 2024.
📌 Key Facts
- Jonathan Weinhagen, the former Minneapolis Regional Chamber CEO and a former Mounds View school board member, pleaded guilty to mail fraud.
- Under the plea he faces nearly three years in prison and owes more than $200,000 in restitution.
- Federal prosecutors say the scheme ran from December 2019 through June 2024 and included diverting Chamber funds and donations — including about $30,000 the Chamber donated to Crime Stoppers for three unsolved 2021 Minneapolis child shootings — for his personal benefit.
- Prosecutors allege he opened a Chamber line of credit and drew over $125,000, signed sham contracts that generated more than $100,000 for himself, and diverted donations to repay the Chamber debt.
- He is accused of using a sham consulting firm called “Synergy Partners” and an alias, “James Sullivan” — even creating an allegedly fake Legacy.com obituary for that alias — and records show individuals listed as “Jim and Mary Sullivan” donated to his 2023 school board campaign listing Synergy/“Not Employed” as employer.
- He attempted to obtain a $54,661 SoFi loan by falsely claiming employment at a restaurant holding company and a $425,000 salary.
- A federal grand jury had previously indicted Weinhagen, and he resigned from the Mounds View school board amid the federal fraud/embezzlement allegations.
- The Minneapolis Regional Chamber said it is cooperating with the Department of Justice and has implemented governance and process changes over the past 16 months in response to the situation.
📊 Relevant Data
The three unsolved 2021 child shootings in Minneapolis involved Black victims: 10-year-old Ladavionne Garrett Jr. shot on April 30, 2021; 6-year-old Aniya Allen shot on May 17, 2021 and died two days later; and 9-year-old Trinity Ottoson-Smith shot on May 15, 2021 and died later.
The lost children of north Minneapolis — Sahan Journal
In 2021, Black residents in Minneapolis were shooting victims at a rate of one per every 150 Black residents, compared to one per every 3,768 White residents.
Gunfire disproportionately claiming Black victims in Minneapolis, new data show — Star Tribune
In 2023, 79% of Minneapolis shooting victims were Black, and 89% of juvenile shooting victims were Black.
Black individuals, who make up about 18% of Minneapolis's population, were responsible for 88% of homicides in Minneapolis where the race of the offender was known.
Maligning Minneapolis — City Journal
From 2010 to 2020, the White population in Minneapolis decreased from 63.8% to 58.1%, while the Black population remained stable at around 18-19%, with increases in Asian and Hispanic populations.
Demographics of Minneapolis — Wikipedia
📰 Sources (7)
- Jonathan Weinhagen pleaded guilty to mail fraud.
- He could face nearly three years in prison based on the plea.
- He owes more than $200,000 in restitution.
- Publishes the full text and details of the allegedly fake Legacy.com obituary for 'James Sullivan' (age 62; purported death Mar. 28, 2024; survivors named; UMN attendance; 1988 Dukakis North Dakota field organizer; private interment; charity note).
- Notes condolence comments left on the obituary referencing Synergy Partners and the Dukakis campaign before the obituary was taken down.
- Reports that 'Jim and Mary Sullivan' donated $1,200 to Weinhagen’s 2023 Mounds View school board campaign, listing 'Synergy Partners/Not Employed' as employer and using a P.O. Box.
- Jonathan Weinhagen has resigned from the Mounds View school board.
- The resignation is explicitly tied to ongoing federal fraud allegations.
- Jonathan Weinhagen has resigned from the Mounds View school board.
- The resignation comes in the wake of federal embezzlement charges alleging he diverted funds from the Minneapolis Regional Chamber and Crime Stoppers donations.
- Prosecutors allege Weinhagen diverted $30,000 the Chamber donated to Crime Stoppers for three unsolved 2021 Minneapolis child shootings.
- Alleged use of a sham consulting firm “Synergy Partners” and alias “James Sullivan,” including a fake obituary for Sullivan.
- Opened a Chamber line of credit and drew over $125,000, then allegedly diverted Chamber donations to repay it.
- Signed sham contracts generating over $100,000 for himself, per the indictment.
- Attempted to secure a $54,661 SoFi Bank loan by falsely claiming employment at a restaurant holding company and a $425,000 salary.
- Scheme timeframe alleged as Dec. 2019–June 2024.
- Quote from KG Wilson (grandfather of victim Aniya Allen) condemning the alleged theft of reward funds.
- Minneapolis Regional Chamber statement pledging cooperation with DOJ and detailing governance/process changes over the past 16 months.
- Identifies the former chamber executive as Jonathan Weinhagen.
- Reports that a grand jury has indicted Weinhagen in the case.
- Notes he is a current Mounds View school board member.