The Minnesota Pine to Prairie Gang and Drug Task Force (Task Force) is publishing fraudulent statistics and baseless claims in a county newsletter that is mailed out to mislead the public.
“Investigative work done by the Pine to Prairie Task Force in Polk County in 2013 initiated 171 cases against local drug kingpins and dealers,” said the spring 2014 edition of the Polk County Newsletter.
The assertions are simply not true.
Facts and evidence shows the statistics and assertions, compiled by an unknown person and published in the Polk County Newsletter, is propaganda and misinformation published with the express intent of deceiving the public regarding the true activities of the Task Force.
Evidence shows the Task Force is grossly inflating numbers to justify its existence and on-going funding. It is also fabricating and embellishing to create the false impression of a 'war on drugs'.
In yet another layer of deception, there is a true concern for public safety connected to the bizarre and reprehensible conduct of prosectors across Northwest Minnesota and North Dakota.
The diabolical campaign appears evil and ritualistic.
On April 25, 2015, Write Into Action filed the following report: Rape victim terrorized by Polk County Attorney and task force agents - Agents strategically target PTSD time windows to incite drug sales from mentally ill woman
The report details how the Task Force is gathering intelligence from addicts that were in drug and alcohol rehabilitation therapy together, to better exploit any weakness a targeted addict may have, including mental illness and rape trauma PTSD.
GREG WIDSETH
Polk County Attorney Greg Widseth has been specifically named as an active participant in a prosecutorial rampage brought against Christina Schmiedt, a rape survivor from Polk County, Minnesota.
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| Greg Widseth |
According to a source, Task Force agents made eight unsuccessful attempts to cause Schmiedt to sell drugs. Frustrated, they then specifically targeted the time-window surrounding the anniversary of her rape because she has PTSD and suffers mental illness. Agent knew she would vulnerable during that time window. They obtained the information from their confidential informant (CI) that had been in treatment with Schmiedt.
According to a source, the Task Force's agent was high on drugs. The agents were either providing the CI drugs and/or situations where she could purchase and do drugs with government money.
"The Pine to Prairie team has one of the highest arrest rates in the state. It works extensively with drug task forces in adjacent counties and throughout Minnesota and in North Dakota, too," the Newsletter said.
Widseth and his team are boasting arrest numbers that include rape victims that are stalked by agents that target time-winodws of PTSD episodes to conduct their undercover 'operations'.
Widseth, the chief prosecutor in Polk County, is an advisor to the Task Force advisory board.
Widseth's associations, activities, and sick sentiments may cross over into North Dakota.
On October 31, 2014, Valley News Live filed: Justice Is Fleeting For 2 Grand Forks Women Who Claim Rape
The Valley News story reveals former Grand Forks County States Attorney Peter Welte refused to prosecute a man that appears to be a serial rapist.
Suspicion surrounds Welte.
PETER WELTE
Welte abruptly and inexplicably withdrew his application for a judgeship and resigned in late 2014 to go into private practice.
But he stayed busy.
He was quickly brought in by the Fraternal Order of Police to represent UND police officer Jared Braaten, the rookie cop that shot David Elliott, an unarmed man, in front of the Emergency Room at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks.
That mysterious pursuit and shooting remains under investigation by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal of Investigation (BCI).
DAVID JONES
However, while the BCI investigates what actually appears to be an attempted 'hit' (murder) on David Elliott, Welte's replacement, State's Attorney David Jones, issued an undated 'opinion letter' stating he believed Braaten acted within the law when he shot Elliott.
ALAN ROGALLA
In January, 2015, Pennington County Prosecutor Alan Rogalla came under intense public scrutiny and outrage after he got caught extending favors to a friend, Sally Mumm, who stole money from the government and abused mentally handicapped clients.
Reports from the Minnesota Department of Human Services show Mumm's license to provide adult foster care was revoked after an investigation.
Descriptions of Mumm's abuse against innocent mentally handicapped adults are hard to imagine and absorb - but not for Rogalla.
Mumm abused completely helpless people, doing things such as forcing a mentally handicapped client to literally freeze in a porch.
Write Into Action learned from a whistleblower that Mumm starved a client for months; giving her only yogurt because she was "too fat"; and locked the client in the basement of her house while she went out for supper.
Rogalla had not brought any criminal charges against Mumm and was confronted by the angry public. He then claimed there was 'on-going' investigation in the Mumm case.
Responding to public outrage, which was featured in a Valley News Live story regarding a petition to have Rogalla removed from office, Rogalla announced he would have his prosecutorial decision regarding Mumm reviewed by Red Lake County Prosecutor Michael LaCoursiere.
MICHAEL LACOURSIERE
LaCoursiere is a defendant in a deprivation of rights case filed in U.S. District Court (Holmseth v. City of East Grand Forks et al).
LaCoursiere is accused of assisting police and prosecutors in a scheme that involved passing a message to a journalist (Timothy Charles Holmseth) that the police were going to lie on the witness stand, as well as execute a long term plot to have him placed in state prison if he insisted on a jury trial.
RONALD GALSTAD
The prosector LaCoursiere is accused of assisting is his long time friend, East Grand Forks City Attorney Ronald Galstad.
Galstad is named as a defendant in Holmseth v. City of East Grand Forks et al.
Galstad remains under intense public scrutiny regarding his involvement in the Boardwalk Enterprises loan-fraud money-laundering scheme, which involves over one half of a million dollars that disappeared on Galstad's watch.
The formal Complaint in Holmseth's federal lawsuit shows both Galstad and LaCoursiere interacting directly with Lt. Detective Rodney Hajicek, East Grand Forks Police Department in conspiratorial activities.
Emerging evidence now shows Hajicek blatantly lied to the Grand Forks Herald when he said missing person Jenna Stai was not an informant for the Task Force.
On April 25, 2015, Write Into Action filed: Drug Task Force blackmailed Jenna Stai with cell phone numbers - Missing girl was forced to work as confidential informant against her will
Evidence shows the Task Force is being illegally used to support a criminal operation that involves money-laundering, theft of public funds, and organized crime.
According to a federal whistleblower, there is major drug trafficking operation being run from Minneapolis, through the Grand Forks area into Canada. Law enforcement and public officials in both Northwest Minnesota and North Dakota are involved, the source said.
Evidence shows local officials used the Task Force in an effort to cover up their illegal activities.
In December, 2012, Aeisso Schrage, Task Force, requested a search warrant for an investigative journalist’s (Holmseth's) computer.
Holmseth had conducted interviews with law enforcement’s suspects in the HaLeigh Cummings kidnapping and was also investigating local corruption.
Holmseth is an award-winning news reporter; has official clearance to work in secure areas of a federal facility; was deemed a credible witness by the FBI in the HaLeigh Cummings kidnapping case; and there was no legitimate reason for a 'gang and drug task force' to request a warrant for his computer.
Holmseth’s computer completely disappeared for over three months while his journalistic and legal work-product, which included interviews regarding a kidnapping, murder, and money laundering, was secretly illegally searched.
The case is presently being heard by the Honorable Donovan W. Frank.