Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Violent Carjacking Outside Northeast Minneapolis Restaurant, Admits to Two Additional Armed Carjackings in Golden Valley

During a news conference announcing the charges, FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Paul said that the FBI's forensic accountants played a key role in untangling the scheme.

"During this investigation, the FBI followed many trails-including both money trails and paper trails-filled with falsified invoices and receipts, fictitious names, and an inconceivable number of meals allegedly served, all representing an astonishing display of deceit and evidence of outright fraud," he stated.

Although the 18-month long investigation was extremely complex, Paul said the crime was quite simple: "It was just a massive fraud scheme."

To date, the FBI and its law enforcement partners have conducted more than 100 search warrants, completed an additional 100 seizure warrants, and reviewed more than 1,000 bank accounts. U.S. Attorney Andrew Lugar announced that the government so far has been able to recover $50 million from 60 bank accounts, 45 pieces of property, and numerous vehicles and additional items, such as electronics and high-end clothing. Additional seizures are expected.