U.S. DISTRICT COURT

Woman Sentenced For Commercial Sex Robberies in Fargo

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — A Fargo woman is sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison for a string of violent commercial sex robberies. 20-year-old Harleigh Haugen was also given three years of supervised release in U.S. District Court for conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery. An investigation revealed Haugen and 21-year-old Jordan Kraft conspired with a group of young males…

North Dakota oil executive pleads guilty in fraud scheme

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – A former North Dakota oilfield executive has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges for misleading shareholders about his company’s value, in a scheme that eventually forced it to go bankrupt and led to more than $886 million in losses. Joseph Kostelecky, of Dickinson, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count each of wire fraud and securities fraud.  The…

Man dead after suicide in Fargo federal courtroom

FARGO (KVRR) – A man who had been on trial in U.S. District Court in Fargo is dead after he pulled out an object and cut himself in the throat. North Dakota U.S. Marshal Dallas Carlson says the incident happened Monday afternoon after a jury returned a partial guilty verdict against the man, who had faced terrorizing-related charges. “He produced…

Child Sex Abuse Charges Against Two Men On Red Lake Reservation

RED LAKE, Minn. — Two Red Lake, Minnesota men face federal charges in separate child sexual abuse cases on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. 38-year-old Keith Ehrich and 24-year-old Kory Lussier made their initial appearances Friday in U.S. District Court. Ehrich faces two counts for the alleged sexual abuse of a minor between August 2017 and October 2020. Lussier is…

Man involved in downtown Fargo riot pleads guilty

Errick Toa pleaded guilty for his role in the downtown riot last May

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — A Fargo man that took part in a riot last year pleaded guilty is U.S. District Court to Civil Disorder. Thirty-one-year-old Errick Toa, originally from California, was seen on video stomping on the windshield of an occupied police vehicle. The protests took place in May after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. They started off…

Thief River Falls man indicted on child pornography charges

THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn.–A Thief River Falls man made his first court appearance on Monday after being charged with production, distribution and possession of child pornography. According to the indictment, between February 12, 2020 and February 20, 2020 38-year-old Benjamin Joseph Roggenbuck attempted to use two children to produce sexually explicit content. Roggenbuck also knowingly distributed child pornography and was…

White Earth man charged with robbery, violent assault

WHITE EARTH, Minn.–A Ponsford man has been charged with four counts of assault and robbery following an incident on June 3. Authorities say 22-year-old Wesley Robert Warren reportedly robbed and assaulted a victim with a cinder block. The victim sustained serious injuries during the assault. Warren made his initial court appearance in U.S. District Court in Bemidji on Wednesday. According…

Grand Forks Man Sentenced for Possessing Child Porn

The judge sentenced Nicholas Bartholome to nine years in federal prison

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — A Grand Forks man has been given nine years in federal prison for possessing child porn. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Peter Welte sentenced 28-year-old Nicholas Bartholome to 10 years supervised release following that sentence. Bartholome was also ordered to pay $200 in special assessments to the Crime Victims’ Fund. Between August 2017 and May 2018,…

Wahpeton Man Sentenced After Trafficking Teen For Sex

33-year-old Dustin Gilleo was sentenced in U.S. District Court

FARGO, N.D. — A Wahpeton man is given 10 years in prison for trafficking a teen from South Carolina to his home for sex. 33-year-old Dustin Gilleo was sentenced in U.S. District Court on a charge of Transportation of a Minor. The 16-year-old girl who was reported missing in South Carolina last January and tracked by her phone to the…

Doctor Wins Retaliation Claim Against Clinic

Dr. Robert Roswick was awarded lost wages and benefits.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) _ A federal jury has awarded $1.2 million to a Bismarck doctor who said his employer retaliated against him for speaking out against alleged racial discrimination. Dr. Robert Roswick filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against Mid Dakota Clinic in 2017 claiming he was unjustly disciplined by the clinic’s board of directors for publicly opposing the…