US Attorney Erica MacDonald, AG Keith Ellison announce joint Minnesota COVID-19 Action Team
[KSTP]
United States Attorney Erica MacDonald and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Monday jointly announced the formation of the Minnesota COVID-19 Action Team (MCAT), a coordinated statewide effort focused on investigating and prosecuting unlawful activity associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and enforcing all state and federal laws and executive orders to put an end to it.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the MCAT urges the public to report any COVID-19-related criminal behavior, scams, price-gouging, cybercrimes, hate crimes or other unlawful activity to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. The Attorney General’s Office has established a dedicated COVID-19-focused complaint form that is live as of Monday.
“Together, we are living through an extremely challenging and unprecedented time. Unfortunately, there are bad actors who seek to exploit these challenges by preying on vulnerable individuals for a quick financial profit, launching a myriad of insidious cyber scams, or carrying out bias-motivated acts of violence. This type of criminal activity is reprehensible and will not go unpunished,” said MacDonald. “The MCAT’s number one priority is the safety and security of all Minnesotans during this extremely challenging time. We are marshalling all available resources to meet that mission.”
Minnesotans with any concerns or complaints about unlawful activity related to COVID-19 may also call the Attorney General’s Office at 651-296-3353 or 1-800-657-3787.