Former Minneapolis Chamber CEO Jonathan Weinhagen Pleads Guilty to Fraud Scheme
Jonathan Weinhagen, the former President and CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, has admitted to defrauding the organization of over $200,000 through a multi-year scheme. Weinhagen, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, according to a recent court proceeding.
Weinhagen’s scheme involved creating a phony consulting company, Synergy Partners, and a fictional owner, James Sullivan. He used this company to enter into fraudulent contracts with the chamber, totaling $117,500. Weinhagen also opened a line of credit in the chamber’s name, borrowing over $125,000 and transferring it to the phony company. To cover up his embezzlement, Weinhagen diverted donations from chamber business members to repay the money he fraudulently obtained.
Jonathan Weinhagen (Courtesy photo)
Weinhagen’s guilty plea includes admitting to spending $15,701 on a chamber credit card for a first-class airfare and a two-bedroom oceanfront room in Honolulu for him and his family. He also created fake documents to make it appear as though the trip was for legitimate chamber business. Additionally, Weinhagen admitted to asking Crime Stoppers to return $30,000 in May 2022 and using the refund for his personal expenses.
Background and Consequences
Weinhagen, a married father of four from Shoreview, was indicted in late October for running the fraud scheme between December 2019 and June 2024. He faces between 27 and 33 months in prison at sentencing and has agreed to pay $213,000 in restitution. Weinhagen will remain free ahead of his sentencing on an unsecured bond he posted on October 23.
Weinhagen’s career in the chamber of commerce began in 2010 when he joined the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce. He spent six and a half years at the chamber, including the last two as vice president, before becoming president and CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce. Weinhagen resigned from the Minneapolis chamber following an internal investigation that projected a $500,000 deficit in 2024. He received nearly $278,000 in salary and other compensation in 2023, according to chamber tax records.
Weinhagen was also a member of the Mounds View school board for over 11 years, resigning on October 24, two days after the federal indictment was unsealed. The school district found no evidence of impropriety in its routine audits, but the school board has asked the district’s auditing firm to review its finances for the duration of Weinhagen’s board service.
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