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Duluth man pleads guilty to criminal sexual conduct with girls

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DULUTH – With freshly selected jurors waiting nearby for the start of an expected days-long trial, a Duluth man facing criminal sexual conduct charges took a last-minute plea deal instead of facing the women he abused when they were children.

Clint Franklin Massie, 49, pleaded guilty Wednesday morning at the St. Louis County Courthouse to the four counts from incidents dating back to 2008-09 when two of his victims were young girls. The deal dismissed one of the counts against him. His sentencing is scheduled for March 20, and he could end up with more than nine years in prison. Massie, who was initially charged in February 2023 and has been out on $300,000 bail, was released until his sentencing.

In each case, the victim was known to Massie — whether they were related or through their shared membership at Old Apostolic Lutheran Church. He was friends with their parents and regarded as a fun, child-free uncle, according to reports from the investigation.

Assistant St. Louis County Attorney Michael Ryan told the court that the victims were satisfied with the deal.

“They have been involved in talking this through,” he said to Judge Dale Harris.

After Massie pleaded guilty, would-be witnesses and their supporters filed into the courtroom filling rows. Massie, dressed in a dark suit coat and khaki pants, turned to look. Ryan questioned him on the victims’ accusations — four specific scenarios where he had touched girls: during a sleepover at his house, when alone on a tractor, or beneath a blanket while others were in the room.

Massie said in court there were a lot of big gatherings and shared meals within this the group. It wasn’t unusual for one of the many children to sit on his lap.

At times Massie paused and said he couldn’t remember exact details or motives. At other times he deferred to what he told investigating officers last year. In each instance he ultimately agreed with the scenario presented by the prosecution.



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2½-year term for onetime Edina financial adviser who stole $1.6M from clients

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A onetime Edina-based financial adviser has received a 2½-year prison sentence for cheating clients out of more than $1.6 million and using the money to buy property in the city.

Kristi Margaret Berge, 48, founder and CEO of Keep Safe Investments, LLC, or KSI Financial, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in St. Paul after pleading guilty to wire fraud in connection with the scheme that ran from mid-2020 to early 2023.

After finishing her prison time, Berge will be on supervised release for two years. Her sentence also calls for her to make full restitution to her victims.

Ahead of sentencing, defense attorney Bruce Rivers argued for his client to receive a term of six months’ home confinement followed by three years’ supervised release.

“Ms. Berge has demonstrated an incredible amount of acceptance of responsibility,” Rivers wrote to the court, adding that she had no criminal history before this case. “Ms. Berge never set out to hurt anyone. Her business took a turn, and she made some serious mistakes along the way and has every intention to repay those who were harmed.”

In response, prosecutors asked for Berge to receive a two-year prison term. They noted in their filing that she earned a degree from Columbia University, worked in London for the Morgan Stanley investment firm and “has been a supportive mother to her children.”

However, the filing continued, “given her education, gainful employment and other job skills, Berge’s decision to commit fraud is certainly puzzling and troubling. … That Berge certainly had the means and professional skills to live comfortably without resorting to crime makes her scheme all the more aggravating.”

According to Berge’s plea agreement and other court documents:



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Manhunt continues for killer of Brian Thompson, UnitedHealthcare CEO

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The Des Moines Register reported that Thompson was valedictorian of his 1993 high school class in Jewell, Iowa. The town is located nearly 3 hours south of the Twin Cities, just west of Interstate 35.

“Brian was a wonderful person with a big heart and who lived life to the fullest,” his wife, Paulette Thompson said in a statement. “He will be greatly missed by everybody. Our hearts are broken, and we are completely devastated by this news. He touched so many lives.”

United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who died Dec. 4. in New York City.

Investigators were releasing no new details as of 7 a.m. Central time on Thursday.

On Wednesday, police said they were examining the contents of a cell phone found in the alley where the shooter fled. They also indicated the e-bike used by the suspect was part of a local cycle-sharing business.

“There [is] GPS on those bikes,” chief detective Joseph Kenny said during the news conference. “We’ll be working with the company.”



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Prison for man stemming from shooting death in Twin Cities home where toddler present

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A 23-year-old man has received a sentence of 3¾ years in connection with a shooting of a resident in his Brooklyn Park home more than two years ago.

Marlon J. White, of Brooklyn Park, was sentenced Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court to second-degree manslaughter stemming from the death of Khalib K. Blunt, 20, on Sept. 28, 2022, at a house in the 7800 block of N. Tessman Drive.

With credit for time in jail after his arrest, White is expected to serve the first 2½ years in prison and the balance on supervised release.

According to the charges and police:

A 911 caller sent police to the home, where they found Blunt down in the entry. Blunt, shot in the chest, died soon afterward at North Memorial Health Hospital.

Officers questioned White at the scene about the gun’s location. He first denied knowing where the gun was but then said he put it in his car parked nearby. An officer found the handgun under the driver’s seat.

White told police he was standing next to Blunt in the living room, heard a gunshot and saw Blunt collapse near the front door. White said he grabbed the gun off the couch, along with his 2-year-old son, and put the gun in his car, then went to Blunt’s aid.

A witness told police he had gone to Blunt’s house that evening, and White was there. They were sitting on a couch smoking marijuana and watching a movie when he heard a gunshot, and saw Blunt get up and rush toward the steps. He said he never saw a gun that evening and didn’t know where it came from.



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