Jonathan Weinhagen Resigns from Mounds View School Board Amid Federal Fraud Allegations
Jonathan Weinhagen, a 42-year-old resident of Shoreview, has resigned from his position on the Mounds View school board effective immediately. This decision comes after allegations surfaced that Weinhagen embezzled over $200,000 from the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce during his tenure as president and CEO. Weinhagen had been a member of the seven-member board since June 2014.
Weinhagen’s resignation was announced by Mounds View Public Schools in a notice to district families and staff on Friday afternoon. The board will need to discuss the process of filling the remainder of his term, which is set to end on January 3, 2028. Despite requests for comment, board chair Diane Glasheen and school district superintendent Chris Lennox did not respond.
Jonathan Weinhagen in a photo submitted for a Mounds View school board candidate profile. (Courtesy of Jonathan Weinhagen)
Allegations of Fraud and Embezzlement
A five-count indictment has been filed against Weinhagen, alleging that he ran a fraud scheme between December 2019 and June 2024. During this time, he reportedly set up sham contracts with a consulting company that he created, depositing money from these contracts into a bank account under the phony company’s name. Weinhagen allegedly used this money for personal expenses.
The indictment also accuses Weinhagen of stealing $30,000 that the chamber had given to Crime Stoppers for reward money following the shootings of three children in Minneapolis in May 2021. After the cases went unsolved, Weinhagen requested that Crime Stoppers return the money in May 2022, directing the nonprofit to send the refund check to his home. He claimed that this was the chamber’s new address and then used the money for personal expenses.
Weinhagen is further accused of using a chamber credit card for personal expenses, including first-class airfare and a two-bedroom oceanfront room in Honolulu. He allegedly created fake documents to make it appear as though these expenses were for legitimate chamber business.
Additional Allegations and Investigation
After leaving the chamber, prosecutors claim that Weinhagen attempted to defraud a bank of $54,661 by falsely claiming on a loan application that he worked for a Minnesota-based restaurant holding company. He provided a phony bank stub showing a $425,000 annual salary, but the bank denied the loan.
Weinhagen’s work history includes a six-and-a-half-year stint at the St. Paul Area Regional Chamber of Commerce, where he served as vice president for over two years before departing in October 2016 for the Minneapolis chamber. His resignation from the Minneapolis organization followed an internal investigation that projected a $500,000 deficit in 2024.
An attorney for Weinhagen is not listed in the federal court file, and he has not responded to requests for comment on the allegations.
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