An Odd Little Rental Property Footnote To Recent "Tax Fraud" Charges Filed By Hennepin County Attorney Against North Minneapolis Resident Rona E. Griffin...

Creative stock photo, blog post by John Hoff


Ah, Some Nice Variety In North Minneapolis Crime! 

The Hennepin County Attorney recently announced charges against a tax preparer who allegedly defrauded the state out of $1.7 million in taxes, reportedly cooking up elaborate false returns for others while neglecting to file any herself. 

The woman, Rona Estelle Griffin, 51, ran a company called "H & H Broker" at 4646 Aldrich Avenue North, according to the...

...long and detailed criminal complaint, posted on the Hennepin County Attorney's website. 

Mainstream media are all over this story, and I don't make a habit of treading in the dirty snow where they've already trod. I only have two things to add: 

1.) It's a rental? What the heck? 

The house at 4646 Aldrich Ave. N. is a RENTAL PROPERTY owned by somebody named Manoj Moorjani of Eden Prairie. And I just find that odd. I mean, if somebody had a lot of money--even money acquired, allegedly, by dishonest means--why wouldn't that person own his/her own home instead of throwing away tens of thousands in potential equity on monthly RENT? 

Or, as I like to call rent, TITHING TO SATAN.

The lack of home ownership, right there, would have been my first clue something didn't add up with the tax preparer, who reportedly duped clients who thought she was just exceptionally skilled at getting them tax returns. 

2.) So many court cases, so many trees! 

Some media are mentioning how Griffin had a lot of civil suits in addition to some worrisome criminal convictions. Here is a copy of what MNCIS shows for civil suits:

73-SX-99-001495EZ OWN TV & APPLIANCE INC vs. RONA GRIFFIN

12/08/1999

Stearns

Conciliation

Closed-Physical File Destroyed

27-CO-00-0424078PROFESSIONAL RECOVERIES PERSONNEL INC ASSIGNEE OF BROOKLYN PET HOSPITAL vs RONA E BROWN

04/24/2000

- Hennepin Civil

Conciliation

Closed

73-S7-00-000988CHECKRITE et al. vs. FRESH START FINANCIAL et al.

08/01/2000

Stearns

Conciliation

Closed-Physical File Destroyed

73-C8-02-004150FORD MOTOR CREDIT COMPANY vs. HEIDI A WESLEY et al.

08/23/2002

Stearns

Civil Other/Misc.

Closed-Physical File Destroyed

73-F3-04-000169RONA ESTELLE GRIFFIN vs. AMY GARNETT BROWN

01/12/2004

Stearns

Expedited Process

Closed

73-S0-04-000033COLLECTION RESOURCES vs. RONA E. GRIFFIN

01/14/2004

Stearns

Conciliation

Converted Closed

71-CX-04-001950STATE OF MINNESOTA vs. RONA ESTELLE GRIFFIN

08/30/2004

Sherburne

Restitution Judgment

Converted Closed

05-FA-05-23RONA E & RICHARD A GRIFFIN VS MELISSA ROSEMARIE HAGEN

01/05/2005

Benton

Jesse,Michael S. ,

Custody

Closed

27-FA-000297199GRIFFIN,RONA,ESTELLE VS BROWN,AMY,GARNETT

01/28/2005

- Hennepin Family

Aldrich, Stephen C.

Family Other

Closed

73-C1-06-002118COLLECTION RESOURCES vs. RONA E GRIFFIN

04/28/2006

Stearns

Transcript Judgment

Converted Closed

73-CX-06-002117COLLECTION RESOURCES vs. RONA E GRIFFIN

04/28/2006

Stearns

Transcript Judgment

Converted Closed

27-FA-06-3167In the Marriage of RONA ESTELLE GRIFFIN vs Richard Allen Griffin

05/10/2006

- Hennepin Family

Karasov, Patricia Kerr

Dissolution with Child

Closed

27-CV-07-21508MCR Receivables Corporation as successor in interest to Household Bank vs Rona Griffin a/k/a Rona Schultz a/k/a Rona E Pendzimas a/k/a Piona Estelle Griffin

10/09/2007

- Hennepin Civil

Default Judgment

Closed

27-FA-09-4777In the Marriage of RICHARD ALLEN GRIFFIN and RONA ESTELLE GRIFFIN

07/08/2009

- Hennepin Family

Quam, Jay

Dissolution with Child

Closed

27-FA-10-6497Hennepin County, Rona E. Griffin vs Amy G. Brown

08/25/2010

- Hennepin Family

Support

Closed

27-CO-13-8271Pro Courier Inc vs Rona E Griffin

11/01/2013

- Hennepin Civil

Conciliation

Closed

27-FA-14-2684In Re the Marriage of: Adetayo Michael Osinowo and Rona Estelle Griffin

04/25/2014

- Hennepin Family

Burke, Kevin S.

Dissolution without Child

Closed

27-CV-HC-14-5691Dolores Fischer vs Rona Griffin

10/20/2014

- Hennepin Housing

Eviction (UD)

Closed

27-CO-14-8669Robert Zellers Hall, Kimberly Hall vs Rona Griffin, HAH Broker Inc

11/19/2014

- Hennepin Civil

Conciliation

Closed

As for the various criminal charges, here's all THAT. Keep in mind these may not all represent convictions:

27-CR-97-013817

GRIFFIN, RONA ESTELLE

07/08/1963

02/18/1997

Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale

Crim/Traf Mandatory

Closed

ASSAULT 5TH DEGREE (DOMESTIC)

27-CR-97-027482

GRIFFIN, RONA ESTELLE

07/08/1963

05/13/1997

Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown

Crim/Traf Mandatory

Closed

THEFT OVER $500 Not applicable - GOC

05-K4-99-001364

GRIFFIN, RONA ESTELLE

07/08/1963

11/23/1999

Benton

Hoolihan, James W.

Felony

Closed

CHECK FORGERY Not applicable - GOC

OFFER FORGEC CHECK Not applicable - GOC

73-T0-02-010623

ST 313420

ST 313420

GRIFFIN, RONA ESTELLE

07/08/1963

08/23/2002

Stearns

Non- Traffic Misdemeanor

Converted Closed

BARKING DOGS

OVER 2 DOGS PER RESIDENCE

49-T3-03-003244

MC 015435

GRIFFIN, RONA ESTELLE

07/08/1963

08/04/2003

Morrison

Speeding-Petty Misd

Converted Closed

SPEEDING 80/65

71-K0-03-001915

GRIFFIN, RONA ESTELLE

07/08/1963

08/15/2003

Sherburne

Galler, Gregory G.

Felony

Closed

THEFT BY SWINDLE Not applicable - GOC

Theft-Take/Use/Transfer Movable Prop-No Consent

02-T5-04-018406

X 727734

X 727734

GRIFFIN, RONA ESTELLE

07/08/1963

06/15/2004

Anoka

Moving - Petty Misd

Closed-Physical File Destroyed

IATT DRIVING P $107

NO PRF INS/OWNER M

71-TX-06-006344

BPD 012164

GRIFFIN, RONA ESTELLE

07/08/1963

07/11/2006

Sherburne

Speeding-Petty Misd

Converted Closed

075/65

71-VB-07-2322

SC165814

GRIFFIN, RONA ESTELLE

07/08/1963

04/23/2007

Sherburne

Crim/Traf Non-Mand

Closed-Physical File Destroyed

Traffic - Speeding - Exceed Limit

34-VB-09-1081

SO 91665

GRIFFIN, RONA ESTELLE

07/08/1963

05/26/2009

Kandiyohi

Crim/Traf Non-Mand

Under Court Jurisdiction

Traffic - Speeding - Exceed Limit 55 mph Where Appropriate 65/55

02-CR-14-7619

020414050384

020414050384

GRIFFIN, RONA ESTELLE

07/08/1963

12/02/2014

Anoka

Crim/Traf Mandatory

Closed

CH TOW AUTHORITY - SNOW

EXPIRED REGISTRATION LESS THAN 6 MONTHS

There is a part of me that finds this case especially irritating. The company in question was started outside of North Minneapolis, but then moved to my neighborhood. What's up with THAT? Is there a general belief if you want to be a criminal, this is where you should live?

On the other hand...white collar crime instead of drug dealing and shootings may represent a kind of...

Odd social progress in the neighborhood!