MINNEAPOLIS — When small businesses struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hennepin County contracted with a number of companies to help reach out to the community and assist with things like applying for grant programs and loans.
One of those companies was Futuristic Management Group, led by CEO Tezzaree El-Amin Champion, who had just finished his supervised release from prison for a crime prosecuted by Hennepin County.
Through a data practices request, KARE 11 News obtained three contracts worth $65,000 total that Hennepin County signed starting in October 2020 for Futuristic Management Group to help other businesses navigate the pandemic.
Now that El-Amin Champion and his business partner are charged in federal court with defrauding the government of $1 million after receiving those contracts, the question remains: Did officials on the administration side of the Hennepin County Government Center know their colleagues on the other side of building spent significant time prosecuting El-Amin Champion for disturbing crimes?
In June 2018, El-Amin Champion pleaded guilty to second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon for shooting a man who owed him money. The same week the Hennepin County Attorney's Office filed that charge in 2017, they also charged him with criminal sexual conduct for allegedly raping a drunk teen. The rape charge was eventually dropped.
El-Amin Champion was incarcerated until June 2019 and on supervised release until June 2020, according to records from the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
Within months of signing the contracts with Hennepin County, a vendor notified the county of suspicious loan applications from businesses assisted by Futuristic Management Group, according to court documents.
Those records also reveal Minneapolis police initiated a fraud investigation in November 2021 and folded that into a joint investigation between the Hennepin County Fraud Unit and federal law enforcement partners.
Because of his felony conviction in 2018, El-Amin Champion was not allowed to possess a gun. But according to the federal indictment charging him with multiple fraud counts, he used a gun to intimidate clients — while being paid by Hennepin County — as he and his partner allegedly signed up clients for fraudulent PPP loans and scammed the government out of $1 million.
A Hennepin County spokesperson would not answer the question of whether they knew of El-Amin Champion's record when they awarded the contracts. Their statement:
"The RFPs and procurement were conducted in compliance with federal and county requirements and processes, and the county ultimately contracted with businesses registered with the Minnesota Secretary of State.
"The county takes great effort to safeguard public resources and takes all allegations of fraud seriously. As soon as the county detected suspicious activity, county staff reported it to the relevant authorities. The county appreciates the work and efforts of the investigating agencies, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and has been cooperating with the investigators throughout the process. Multiple entities were impacted by the alleged fraud, including federal, state, and other local governments, and private pandemic relief programs."
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: