MINNEAPOLIS — The U.S. State Attorney's office charged two former Hennepin County business consultants with defrauding pandemic aid programs of more than $1 million.
In a release Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said Tezzaree El-Amin Champion, 27, and Marcus Alexander Hamilton, 27, are accused of siphoning funds from federal, state, local and private COVID-19 aid programs. The two used their company Futuristic Management Group LLC to submit fraudulent applications for PPP loans, pandemic relief and other funds.
Champion is the son of Khalid El-Amin and grand-nephew of Senator Bobby Joe Champion. El-Amin played high school basketball at Minneapolis North before continuing on to win a National Championship at the University of Connecticut.
Prosecutors accuse Champion and Hamilton of contracting with Hennepin County for a pandemic relief program called "Elevate Business," also known as "Elevate Hennepin," intended to provide small businesses with free marketing and website assistance.
Through their contract, Hennepin County agreed to pay Futuristic Management for assisting local businesses at no cost.
However, prosecutors say that's not how it happened. According to the charges, Champion and Hamilton billed Hennepin County for work they didn't do and for work that clients also paid them for, though the work was supposed to be free for these clients.
The charges include three counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of theft of government money and one count of "engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity."
Prosecutors also charged Champion with possessing a firearm as a felon. They say he showed clients a firearm and said he always carried it to intimidate them.
This fraud resulted in losses of more than $1 million in COVID-19 pandemic aid and involved more than 100 fraudulent invoices and grant and loan applications.
This isn't the first time Champion has been charged for his business practices. In 2023, a judge ordered him to pay $128,000 to a former business partner who said he never received profits from promised investments.
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