Minneapolis Non-Profit Director Charged With Defrauding DOJ, State Agencies: Feds

ST. PAUL, MN — A Minneapolis nonprofit director has been charged in an scheme that defrauded multiple government agencies and grant programs out of more than one million dollars, according to federal prosecutors.

Tony Robinson, 41, made his initial court appearance Tuesday on an indictment charging him with five counts of wire fraud and conspiracy offenses.

Prosecutors say Robinson worked with Tezzaree El-Amin Champion, founder and leader of the Minneapolis-based non-profit Encouraging Leaders, to submit fraudulent grant applications and false progress reports.

Robinson served as operations director at the organization.

According to the indictment, he helped Champion misuse substantial amounts of grant money by preparing fabricated progress reports for federal, state, and private funders. Those reports claimed the organization held events that never happened and assisted students it never worked with.

Prosecutors say Robinson and others retained significant portions of the grant funding for themselves.

The fraud targeted the U.S. Department of Justice, Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, the Minnesota Department of Education, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and additional organizations, authorities said.

According to the indictment, Robinson worked with a freelance contractor in Africa to draft and submit many of the false progress reports between December 2021 and October 2022. The reports overstated the organization’s involvement in legitimate events and listed nonexistent programs and youth services, prosecutors said.

The overall scheme caused more than 1 million dollars in losses to victims, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Champion was charged separately and previously pleaded guilty.

On Nov. 18, U.S. District Judge Katherine M. Menendez sentenced him to 84 months in prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $3,479,575 in restitution.

In sentencing Champion, Judge Menendez said his conduct was "relentless" and "reflects a scale and a depth that is disturbing."

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson and Matthew D. Forbes are prosecuting the case.