Former Minneapolis chamber of commerce chair pleads guilty to stealing murdered children reward money

A former Minneapolis chief executive embezzled more than $330,000, including donations intended for a reward to solve the murder of two children.

Jonathan Weinhagen, who also had the alias James Sullivan, pleaded guilty on Monday to mail fraud from December 2019 to June 2024. Weinhagen was the president and chief executive of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, Valley News Live reported.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation, finding multiple instances of fraud after an internal financial investigation revealed a $500,000 budget deficit.

One of the most notable cases was Weinhagen’s theft of $30,000 used for a murder reward.

In May 2021, two children were killed, and a third was injured in a series of North Minneapolis shootings. To get more information on the crime, the chamber Weinhagen worked for donated $30,000 to Crime Stoppers Minnesota.

About a year after the donation, Weinhagen asked if the reward had been claimed. When CrimeStoppers confirmed it had not, he requested its return and falsely stated that the chamber had “made a commitment to [its] investors to deploy the resources into the North Minneapolis community.”

Weinhagen also told CrimeStoppers to send the check to his home address after telling them that was the official location of the chamber. The 42-year-old later deposited it for his own personal use.

Another case of fraud occurred when, from December 2019 to April 2021, Weinhagen created a fictional consulting company, Synergy Partners, and entered into three fraudulent consulting agreements with the chamber.

Weinhagen used the alias James Sullivan to sign contracts totaling $107,500, costing the chamber money.

In November 2020, Weinhagen also opened a $200,000 line of credit in the chamber’s name, and he drew $125,000 over the next year to transfer to Synergy Partners for personal expenses.

Prosecutors found in January 2022 that Weinhagen used the chamber’s credit card to pay for a family vacation to Hawaii, including over $15,000 in first-class airfare and an oceanfront hotel room.

The maximum penalty for fraud cases is 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

After Weinhagen’s resignation from the chamber in 2024, prosecutors said he again attempted to commit fraud.

In January 2025, he applied for a $54,661 bank loan, falsely claiming he earned $425,000 annually from a Minnesota restaurant holding company.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Weinhagen faces between 27 and 33 months in prison, will need to make restitution payments totalling $213,200, and will be fined between $10,000 and $95,000.

Weinhagen’s sentencing will be read at a later date.