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NEWYou can now listen Fox News articles. HHS QUESTIONS MINNESOTA’S USE BILLIONS OF FEDERAL SOCIAL SERVICE FUNDS IN CONCERNS ABOUT FRAUD: REPORTWhen I sent my answer about what fraud trends I’m seeing at CCAP as I’d been directed, a senior DHS official was in my office, angry and red-faced. Swanson testified that the senior DHS official (Department of Human Services) told him to delete several paragraphs of my document. “I told the official that what they were telling was illegal. I told them that Minnesota law requires all state employees to cooperate and provide information to the OLA as requested. Few days later, I was told by the same official that he had just returned from the commissioner’s offices and they were sending my document to the OLA. Swanson testified that a consultant was paid $90,000 to label his assessments of fraud as made up. He testified that a consultant was paid $90,000 to label his assessments of fraud as made up.Swanson’s testimony Tuesday was heard the same day the FBI raided more than 20 Minneapolis childcare facilities as part of a sweeping federal fraud investigation.Included in the raid was the Quality Learning Center, a daycare made infamous by video blogger Nick Shirley’s December video showing the sign out front misspelled as “Quality Learing Center” and the facility empty.According to Swanson’s testimony, that business shared an address with Salama Childcare Center, the owner of which was indicted for theft and fraud in 2017. Swanson testified he was the investigator who led the investigation that led to the indictment. Swanson and his team had “a front-row seat” as they watched the fraud unfold. They also had regular contact with the perpetrators. “”Beginning 2017, we were shocked and dismayed by the response of senior DHS [Department of Human Services] officers to whom we reported fraud. In hindsight I can see that our team was witnessing the beginnings of a loosely organized criminal organization that was pillaging Minnesota’s public benefit system. He told the committee. Swanson claimed that “a few senior level DHS [Department of Human Services] employees who harassed our unit and abused it for trying to expose the sin of exposing a large amount of fraud in CCAP are still working at DHS today.” Swanson refused to give the names when asked by Kristin Robbins (chair of the committee) because he said there was an ongoing investigation. Federal officials will halt more than $10 billion in funding to 5 states over concerns about non-citizen benefit concerns: ReportSwanson also revealed that Minnesota is allegedly a hotspot for scammers. Swanson said that he heard from many owners and employees that they first heard of the daycare scam while in a refugee camp in Kenya. Swanson said that Minnesota was the easiest place to run a scam and where you could make the most profit. Swanson testified, “I was shown text conversation between owner of center and friend.” “The friend asked the owner, ‘how long are you going do the daycare fraud?’ The owner replied that he would like to buy some nice houses in Nairobi within the next year or two. The owner was receiving public assistance at the time. This text conversation happened while they were on vacation in Dubai. Swanson testified that “Childcare Fraud has been a prevalent issue in Minnesota since 2009”. In recent months, federal officials have focused on the issue. In a March order, Donald Trump called fraud cases “epidemics” and promised to take action. Trump’s executive orders also claimed that Minnesota Democratic leadership had provided “nonexistent oversight” of the issue. This claim was denied by the state’s Democratic Governor. Tim Walz denied. Despite initially suing Trump’s administration for freezing federal funds for Minnesota, Walz celebrated publicly Tuesday’s FBI raids. “Today’s FBI raids happened because our state agencies reported irregular behavior.” It’s the way the system should work, and we will continue to do so as long as fraudsters are around to be arrested,” Walz wrote in a post on X. Members of the Trump administration questioned Walz’s claims of collaboration. “Come again? The FBI, DOJ and our DHS [U.S. Department of Homeland Security] partner drafted and executed each search warrant today. Take credit for our work, while we weed out the fraud that is plaguing Minnesota during your governorship,” FBI director Kash Patel wrote on X on Tuesday. Minnesotan leaders also questioned Walz’s claims of being tough on fraud. “After the OLA report was released, the new Walz Administration took a closer look at it. They closed the criminal investigation division rather than speed up the criminal investigations. This allowed the frauds to continue,” Robbins said.CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APP. People were sanctioned because they overpaid. Then they kept billing the state. Robbins concluded that the Walz administration allowed fraud to flourish by stopping criminal investigations.

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NEWYou can now hear Fox News articles. Body camera footage shows a Florida father fleeing police with his child, before abandoning the child alone in the woods to avoid being arrested. News 6 reports that the incident occurred Saturday when officers from the Daytona Beach Police Department stopped Cory Acree after determining his car matched a description of a vehicle used in a shooting. Acree was then ordered to step out of the car. Acree then allegedly sped off in his vehicle with his young child still in it. Police in Florida arrested a burglary victim after they found drugs during the 911 response: ‘Should have hidden his cocaine’ Acree then parks his car and flees on foot, with his daughter. The officer can be heard saying, “Gotta Black male bailing, small child, Small child,” as Acree ran off into the woods. “Little child bailing out with her. The chase quickly turns chaotic when officers chase Acree into the wooded area, and order him to lie down. Follow us on XOfficers located the young girl in the woods nearby. She told officers that she was experiencing pains in her legs and arms as she was being taken away from the scene. The deputy laughed when the child said “my dad was going faster.” Several officers comforted the child by giving her a rubber duck and a police badge sticker. Acree then appears handcuffed, seated on the floor, as he is taken to custody. News 6 reported that authorities also determined Acree was involved in the shooting that prompted the original traffic stop, but have not released additional information regarding the investigation.

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NEWYou can now hear Fox News articles. Images from surveillance video outside of the Washington Hilton Ballroom obtained by The Washington Post shows several Secret Service agents reacting to Cole Allen, 31 as he allegedly tried to gain entry to the room which was teeming high-level officials, including Trump and Vice President JDVance, as well as the first and second lady. Agents can be seen tearing down one of the two magnetometers while the suspect ran toward them. One agent draws his gun and fires on the suspect. Four muzzle flashes are visible in the photos. A Wednesday court filing from federal prosecutors said the agent fired five shots, but did not strike Allen.CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER ENTERTAINER OZ PEARLMAN RECALLS ‘SURREAL’ MOMENTS DURING AND AFTER SHOOTINGTSA agents, who often partner with Secret Service for security at events featuring the president, can also be seen witnessing the mayhem, as well as a plainclothes security guard who, in one frame, can be seen unholstering his sidearm.According to the Wednesday court filing, Allen was running toward the stairs that descend into the ballroom.He held a Mossberg 12-gauge pump-action shotgun with both hands raised parallel to the ground aimed in the direction of the stairs, and fired one shot.The court documents say Allen fell to the ground and was apprehended. One agent was injured in his bulletproof vest. He was taken to hospital with minor injuries. “Allen faces charges for attempting to assassinate President of the United States and discharge of a gun during a crime. He will also face “many other charges.” “He was arraigned on Tuesday in federal court.CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPHe will be back in court Thursday morning for a hearing to determine whether he should be held in custody pending trial.Fox News Digital has reached out to Allen’s attorneys.

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Federal prosecutors obtained a guilty plea on Wednesday from a father-daughter duo accused of selling counterfeit art purported to be from famed contemporary artists.

Erwin Bankowski, 50, and Karolina Bankowska, 26, are facing maximum sentences of 20 years in prison, as well as restitution of up to $1.9 million. Prosecutors say the pair were selling “lies on canvas,” going so far as to generate false ownership histories for the counterfeit works they sold.

“These two individuals didn’t just sell counterfeit art – they undermined trust, exploited buyers, and attempted to profit from fraud. In this instance, the FBI with its partners has made it clear that those who manipulate the market for personal gain will be caught and held accountable,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle.

“From 2020 through 2025, the defendants, who are father and daughter, conspired to consign for auction over 200 counterfeit artworks.  The Counterfeit Works were allegedly painted by famed artists,” the DOJ wrote in a statement.

ANCIENT RARE CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS STOLEN IN ALLEGED SCHEME BY MAN USING MULTIPLE ALIASES

Those artists included Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Banksy, Raimond Staprans, Richard Mayhew, and Native American artist Fritz Scholder.

“To make some of the Counterfeit Works appear to be legitimate, the defendants generated false histories of prior custody and ownership, also known as provenance. To do so, they conducted research to represent falsely that some of the Counterfeit Works had been in private collections of individuals associated with the artists, had been owned by since-closed art galleries, or had been in the private collections of corporations that were no longer in operation,” the DOJ wrote.

“The defendants chose galleries and corporations that were no longer operating to make it difficult for galleries and potential buyers to verify the purported provenance of the Counterfeit Works,” the statement added.

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The DOJ says the defendants consigned the fake pieces to art galleries and auction houses throughout the U.S., which then attempted to sell them to buyers for prices of up to $160,000.  Over the course of their scheme, the defendants defrauded victims out of at least $2 million.

The father and daughter — Polish citizens living in New Jersey — pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresenting Native American–produced goods, the latter charge stemming from their duplication of the Luiseño artist, Fritz Scholder.

In court on Tuesday, Bankowska told a judge that her “conduct was wrong and I am guilty.” Her attorney, Todd Spodek, said his client had placed more than $1 million in an escrow account.

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Through a Polish interpreter, Erwin Bankowski also apologized. His attorney, Jeffrey Chabrowe, added that his client had “regrettably made a terrible decision in an effort to support his family.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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A man living overseas has been arrested in a nearly 40-year-old cold case after authorities say DNA evidence linked him to the 1989 kidnapping and sexual battery of a young Florida girl. 

Young Tom Talmadge, 69, was taken into custody at his home in Cavite, Philippines, on April 23 after local authorities received information regarding the case from U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) of the Philippines said in a press release. 

The development comes after Hillsborough County authorities issued a warrant for Talmadge’s arrest in March, according to officials.

DNA CRACKS 35-YEAR COLD CASE MYSTERY AS ACCUSED KILLER’S NEW NAME MELTS UNDER COPS’ HEAT

Authorities allege Talmadge was at the bowling alley Tampa Lanes when he approached a 7-year-old girl and offered her coins to play arcade games in 1989, FOX 13 reported. 

He then allegedly lured the young girl into his car and sexually battered her, authorities said, according to the outlet.

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Immediately following the incident, Talmadge allegedly dropped the child off at a second bowling alley nearby and fled the scene. 

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The young girl’s disappearance sparked a frantic search by Tampa Lanes employees until a man at the second bowling alley recognized the child and facilitated her return, the outlet reported.

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The case ultimately ran cold for nearly 40 years, until investigators with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement used genealogical research and preserved DNA evidence to identify Talmadge as a suspect, authorities said. 

His arrest was a result of the BI’s #ShieldKids campaign, an initiative launched “to protect children from foreign sex offenders,” the agency said.

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“We will continue to work closely with international counterparts to protect Filipino children and uphold justice,” Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said in a statement. “Foreign fugitives who commit crimes against children will find no refuge here.” 

Following his arrest, Talmadge was transported to the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, where he awaits extradition to the United States.

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He faces charges of sexual battery on a victim less than 12 years old by an adult, lewd and lascivious acts on a child, and kidnapping to commit a felony on a child, according to the BI. 

The Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.