Attorney General Ellison, Ramsey County Attorney Choi win agreements and injunctions to prevent gang violence at the State Fair
In AG Ellison’s and RCA Choi’s August 5 civil lawsuits against two gangs, 7 of 10 people named in their lawsuits agree not to attend Fair or be present in Safety Zone around Fair
Ramsey County District Court finds three others are gang members and prohibits them from associating with gang members at Fair or attempting to provoke violence there
Court also declares Minneapolis-based Muddy to be a gang as defined in Minnesota law
August 20, 2026 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Ramsey County Attorney John Choi announced today that they have secured agreements and injunctions in complaints they filed against two gangs and 10 individuals for threats they allege the gangs posed to the safety of Minnesotans attending the upcoming State Fair.
In response to two civil lawsuits Attorney General Ellison and County Attorney Choi filed on August 5 against two gangs, seven of the 10 individuals — three allegedly associated with Minneapolis-based gang known as Muddy and four allegedly associated with South Metro-based gang known as The Ville — have entered a court-enforceable agreement that they will not attend the State Fair or be anywhere within a designated Safety Zone around the fair from August 27, the first day of the fair, until September 8, the day after the fair. In exchange, if the individuals comply with the terms of the agreement, Attorney General Ellison and County Attorney Choi agree to dismiss the legal action against them after the conclusion of the State Fair. The seven individuals who entered into the agreement deny that they are members of the gangs.
In a ruling today, Ramsey County District Court found that three individuals — Nasrudin Abdirashid Warsame, aka “OG” and Bilal Abdi Farah, aka “Bemo,” both ofMuddy, who contested the allegations against them through counsel, and Mustafe Yusuf Omar, aka “Mussy”of Muddy, who did not appear in court or contest the allegations — are members of the Muddy gang. The court prohibited them from associating with other known gang members, confronting or intimidating people, using gang signs, forcing someone to join their gangs, or preventing someone from leaving their gangs at the State Fair and within the Safety Zone from August 27 until September 8.
The court further declared that Muddy is in fact a criminal gang as defined in Minnesota criminal law and referenced in Minnesota’s civil gang nuisance law (Minn Stat. sec. 617.91-97), as Attorney General Ellison and County Attorney Choi had requested the court do in their August 5complaint.
“Criminal law is a tool we use as a society hold individuals accountable after they have committed criminal offenses. Civil law is a tool we can and should use to help prevent crimes before they happen, and that’s what we’ve done here,” Attorney General Ellison said. “When we learned of threats of violence that could endanger everyone at the State Fair, County Attorney Choi and I chose to step in and use the power of our offices and the tools of civil law at our disposal now to protect our beloved State Fair and everyone who attends it. I’m proud that we’ve accomplished that here and I am grateful for the Court’s order. I often say my job as Attorney General is to help people afford their lives and live with dignity, safety, and respect. Today we are showing that safety and dignity go together.
“I thank the Ramey County Attorney’s Office, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the staff of my Office, the Minnesota State Fair, and community partners and violence interrupters who have collaborated closely with us to reach this outcome,” Attorney General Ellison concluded.
“The Muddy and Ville gangs have driven escalating violence in our community, and their planned continuation of that group violence at this year’s State Fair made quick legal intervention necessary,” said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi. “The actions we’ve taken will keep many gang members out of the fair entirely, and the court’s order will stop others from grouping up if they do attend. Let this be unmistakably clear: we will not tolerate continued violence between these groups-- our community and law enforcement stand united to stop it.”
“This latest work by the Attorney General and Ramsey County Attorney is part of a broad, comprehensive effort to make sure the Great Minnesota Get-Together remains the fun, safe experience it has always been," Minnesota State Fair Police Chief Ron Knafla said. "I can’t stress enough the critical role our partnerships with local, state and federal agencies play in continuously evaluating and strengthening every aspect of our public safety operations. This is another example of the proactive coordination and collaboration that takes place year-round to support a safe and secure Minnesota State Fair."
At the hearings, State and County attorneys introduced evidence that Muddy and The Ville are criminal gangs with a history of participating in gang activity, including at past State Fairs. Some of the violent activities they allege the gangs and their members have played roles in include:
- On the last night of the 2024 State Fair, three individuals were shot and wounded in a parking lot approximately one block from the State Fairgrounds. The three victims had exited the fairgrounds and were beginning to enter their car when they were shot by a Ville affiliate who was with other gang members. Their objective was to “hunt” Muddy gang members. The shooter pleaded guilty to 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.
- On June 6, 2025, Muddy and The Ville gang members were arrested in connection with firing gunshots at rival gang members at a Burnsville High School graduation.
- On June 28, 2025, Muddy gang members assaulted rival gang members in Qamiria Coffee shop. During this incident, chairs were thrown and damage was done to the property. This incident resulted in the arrest of Muddy gang members and charges brought include 3rd-degree riot and disorderly conduct.
- At the 2025 State Fair, Ville members are seen in a video fighting members of a rival gang near the Midway, which caused panic and caused the nearby crowd to scatter. Ville members were also seen throwing gang signs and taunting rival gang members before another fight broke out.
- On May 4, 2026, Muddy gang members were arrested in connection with the Metro State University graduation shooting, which was the result of a conflict between Muddy and their rival The Ville. The charges brought against the gang members include 1st-degree assault, 2nd-degree assault, and 2nd-degree riot.
- On June 27, 2026, Muddy gang members were stopped at a Somali Independence Day community festival for carrying handguns with extended magazines. The individuals stopped were seen roaming the perimeter of the event as if they were conducting surveillance rather than participating in the festivities. This behavior is consistent with past behaviors of Muddy members that have led to violent confrontations with their rival gangs.
Attorney General Ellison and County Attorney Choi allege these activities constitute a public nuisance as defined in Minnesota’s civil gang nuisance law.
They further provide evidence in their complaint that Muddy and The Ville have targeted the 2026 State Fair for gang activities, pointing to several prominent social-media posts in July and August of this year that promote large gang fights at the fair, including one post prominently headlined “Muddy vs Ville.”
Before and throughout this litigation, Attorney General Ellison and County Attorney Choi have collaborated closely with law enforcement, State Fair leadership, violence interrupters, and community leaders to intervene and stop gang violence and intimidation before it occurs.
Attorney General Ellison’s work in using civil law to promote public safety
Over the last several years, Attorney General Ellison and his office have pioneered a large and increasingly influential body of work that uses civil law to complement criminal investigations and prosecutions in holding businesses and corporations accountable for their role in harming public safety. Examples include:
- Attorney General Ellison’s October 2022 lawsuit against Fleet Farm for negligently selling firearms to straw purchasers. The Attorney General’s Office uncovered evidence that over a short period of time, Fleet Farm sold 37 firearms to two straw purchasers. Some of those firearms were recovered in the commission of violent crimes, including at a fatal shooting at a Saint Paul bar in October 2021, that ended in the death of 27-year-old Marquisha Wiley and injuries to 14 bystanders. Another gun Fleet Farm sold to this same straw purchaser was found by a 6-year-old boy in front of his family’s home in September 2021, where the gun was likely discarded by suspects fleeing another public shooting incident. In February 2026, Attorney General Ellison settled the lawsuit for significant policy changes that Fleet Farm agreed to make that will keep Minnesotans safer, as well as a $1 million monetary payment and the disclosure of internal company documents that Attorney General Ellison’s Office uncovered during the lawsuit that show that Fleet a warning about straw purchases. Earlier this week, on August 19, 2026, those documents were released to the public for the first time.
- Attorney General Ellison’s December 2024 lawsuit against Glock for selling handguns that can be—and are being—quickly and easily turned into illegal machine guns because of their design. In August 2025, the Attorney General defeated Glock’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
- Attorney General Ellison’s December 2025 settlement with automobile manufacturers Hyundai and Kia for selling vehicles to Minnesota consumers that lacked industry-standard, anti-theft technology. These vehicles’ lack of this technology had led to That settlement included free hardware fixes for affected vehicles worth more than $500 million, a commitment by the manufacturers to equip future vehicles with industry-standard engine-immobilizer technology, $4.5 million in restitution to eligible consumers, and a $4.5 million payment to the states to defray investigation costs.
- Attorney General Ellison’s 2022-2023 investigation into whether Merwin Liquor and Winner Gas Station were maintaining or permitting an unlawful public nuisance on their properties. Both locations had been the sites of numerous acts of gun violence and had been described as “one of the city’s largest open-air drug bazaars.” This investigation led to a dramatic reduction in drug sales and gun violence outside these businesses.
