Top Headlines

Feeds

Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office Dwindles, Leading to Release of Violent Felon Cory Allen McKay

Updated (5 articles)

Staff Exodus Reduces Prosecutorial Capacity More than 40 assistant U.S. attorneys left the Minnesota office after the Trump administration returned, shrinking the team to fewer than two dozen as career officials resigned or retired in protest of politicized directives and a blocked immigration investigation, leaving the office severely understaffed and unable to manage its caseload [1].

Case Against Cory Allen McKay Dismissed After Prosecutor Retirement Twelve‑time convicted felon Cory Allen McKay, who faces up to a 25‑year sentence for methamphetamine trafficking, was scheduled for trial next month but walked free when the prosecutor handling his case retired; the U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by Trump appointee Daniel Rosen, dropped the charge without notifying defense lawyer Jean Brandl, who learned of the decision only after McKay’s release [1].

Additional Drug Cases Dropped, Officials Warn Public Safety Risks In the same period, the office dismissed a case involving 7,600 fentanyl pills and 15 pounds of cocaine and another involving three pounds of meth seized in Rochester, illustrating a pattern of dismissals; Minneapolis lawyer John Marti warned the weakened office will limit ability to target fraudsters, sexual predators, violent gangs and drug traffickers, while Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting called McKay’s release a “big public safety concern” [1].

Sources

Videos (1)

Timeline

Jan 7, 2024 – Immigration officer Renee Good is shot dead by ICE officer Jonathan Ross during a raid in Minneapolis, igniting citywide protests and later incidents in which nurse Alex Pretti is shot and Venezuelan migrant Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis is wounded, heightening anti‑ICE sentiment [1].

May 2025 – Attorney General Pam Bondi launches a months‑long crackdown on protest assaults, declaring “severe consequences” for anyone who assaults federal officers during President Trump’s immigration‑crackdown actions, and the Justice Department files 166 federal cases across Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago [5][4].

Dec 18, 2025 – Federal prosecutors reduce or dismiss 55 of 100 felony assault charges and lose every misdemeanor trial, resulting in all five defendants being acquitted; Bondi’s “toughest charges” strategy falters as video evidence shows minor injuries, while DHS records a surge to 238 assaults on ICE agents since the start of Trump’s second term [4][5].

Dec 29, 2025 – U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin dismisses the indictment against TikTok streamer Carlitos Ricardo Parias with prejudice, ruling that prosecutors violated his constitutional right to communicate with counsel while detained at the Adelanto immigration facility, and the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney’s Office says it will evaluate an appeal [3].

Jan 28, 2026 – Attorney General Pam Bondi announces on X that federal agents arrest 16 Minnesota protesters—including Christina Rank and Abdikadir Noor—under 18 U.S.C. § 111 for allegedly assaulting law enforcement, and she signals that additional arrests are expected as tensions remain high after the earlier lethal ICE encounters [1].

Feb 19, 2026 – The Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office, crippled by mass resignations after Justice Department appointees block a joint probe into the Jan 7 shooting of Renee Good, drops the meth‑trafficking case against twelve‑time felon Cory Allen McKay when the lead prosecutor retires, allowing McKay to walk free despite a trial slated for March 2026; officials warn the exodus “poses a big public safety concern” [2].

Social media (2 posts)

All related articles (5 articles)

External resources (7 links)