MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis man was sentenced to seven years in prison after admitting to stealing about $3.5 million from COVID pandemic programs.

Tezzaree El-Amin Champion pleaded guilty in February to wire fraud, money laundering, and possession of a firearm as a felon in connection with a pandemic fraud case that attempted to defraud federal, state, local, and private COVID-19 relief programs out of approximately $6 million in total. As part of the sentencing, Champion will also need to pay nearly $3.5 million in restitution.

Champion’s company, Futuristic Management Group, scammed the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, as well as Hennepin County’s Small Business Relief grant program by dramatically overstating app

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