A central Minnesota man has been charged with multiple counts of tax fraud and illegally receiving government benefits.
Andrew Freeburg, 45, faces one felony count of failing to file an individual income tax return, one count of willfully failing to pay income tax, four counts of filing fraudulent tax returns, and five counts of wrongfully obtaining assistance.
Court documents allege Freeburg underreported income and filed false tax reports for 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024, while failing to file a return in 2022. He previously pleaded guilty to failing to file taxes for 2016–2019 but has not made restitution payments.
Freeburg ran a business called E-Motors, using funds for personal expenses such as gym memberships and frequent Starbucks visits. People listed as employees on the company website were not actually working there, and Freeburg misrepresented ownership of the business as belonging to his 87-year-old father, who denied involvement.
The Minnesota Department of Revenue reported Freeburg underreported nearly $2 million in personal and business income, resulting in over $186,000 in unpaid taxes from 2020–2024.
Additionally, he allegedly received more than $40,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and medical assistance benefits between 2022 and 2024 that he was not entitled to.
On Monday, Tim O’Malley, appointed by Gov. Tim Walz to investigate the state’s ongoing fraud issues, noted that systemic problems go back decades but emphasized that reforms could address them, citing lack of accountability and poor execution as contributing factors.
