By James Berreth 

Editor in Chief  

As a news organization, we are constantly asking questions about the content we publish: What does the public need – or deserve – to know? Is the content newsworthy? Is there a danger that may be averted by publishing material of an otherwise sensitive nature? Is the information already part of the public record? 

We weigh these questions against what we foresee could happen if we do not publish. Depending on where the scale falls, we make our decision. Such is the case in the story of Mark Edward Wetsch, now known as Sheikh Bilaal Muhammad Arafat, and our decision to publish this report, based on publicly available records, about a student at Metro State University. 

To tell this story, we must go back to the 1980s, when Arafat was known as Mark Edward Wetsch and began his career as a registered nurse. By 1989, Wetsch had become director of nursing at the Lake Minnetonka Care Center, according to court records. Those records later indicated that his spending exceeded his reported income during this period. 

As director of nursing, Wetsch was responsible for ordering supplies for the facility. According to court documents and federal prosecutors, between 1995 and 1996 he embezzled funds from his employer to pay Chapter 13 bankruptcy debts. Prosecutors said he set up fake companies, ordered nonexistent supplies, submitted fraudulent invoices, and obtained approximately $85,500. It would be years before he was charged. 

He later held a position at Sholom Home West, an assisted living facility in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, where he was named director of nursing in 1997. According to federal court records, between 1997 and 2005 Wetsch embezzled approximately $1.4 million, which prosecutors said was used to fund personal expenses including travel, motorcycle and home improvements. 

After his release from prison, Wetsch served 33 months following his guilty plea to four counts of mail fraud, according to court records. He later worked with attorney Hank Shea – who prosecuted the fraud cases against him – to deliver a series of lectures titled “The Journey from Caregiver to Convicted Felon” through the University of St. Thomas’ Holloran Center. Publicly, Wetsch presented himself as rehabilitated. 

That perception shifted when Shea said he discovered “previously unknown wrongful behavior” related to Wetsch’s restitution payments, ending their professional relationship. A petition filed in federal court alleged that Wetsch submitted inaccurate monthly financial reports, claiming he earned $29,653 between March 2009 and June 2010. According to that filing, bank records showed deposits exceeding $131,000 during the same period. 

On April 18, 2011, probation officer James Weinberger filed a petition in U.S. District Court alleging those financial discrepancies and a violation of a domestic-abuse no-contact order involving a woman Wetsch married in 2009 and with whom he had a child, according to court records. On May 9, 2011, Wetsch pleaded guilty to violating the order, and by June 14, he was back in prison serving a four-month sentence. Court records indicate that during this period he legally changed his name to Sheikh Bilaal Muhammad Arafat. 

The offenses described thus far were followed by more serious crimes beginning Jan. 11, 2011, when the man the FBI later referred to as the “Man in Black” entered a Bremer Bank in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood. According to federal prosecutors, he used a toy gun that a teller believed to be real to demand cash. Authorities said he went on to commit more than 30 bank robberies before he was arrested and identified as Arafat. 

The relevance of this history is that Arafat is currently seeking a position on the Metro State University Student Association, or MSUSA. Whether Arafat is the best candidate to represent the student body is a question for voters to consider. At present, there is a three-way tie for the final seat, and Arafat is among the candidates. 

I believe in second chances, and I have been the recipient of them myself, having been convicted in 2012 of fifth-degree possession of narcotics and receiving stolen property. There are other justice-impacted individuals involved in MSUSA, including Andre Anderson, who serves on the board and is also a member of this publication, and Brett King, who recently won a seat. Another candidate, pooG DevilDrugChristLord, ran unsuccessfully. This article was published at this time because a concerned student contacted me about Arafat earlier this week, after the election had concluded. 

I contacted Arafat for comment on April 9 via email but did not receive a response by the time of publication. He did, however, copy me on an email he sent to Metro State University President Ginny Arthur, stating in part: “While I take full responsibility for my past, it is neither appropriate nor procedurally just to allow undisclosed and selectively applied factors to influence an official university process at this stage.” 

Court records show that after pleading guilty, Arafat filed numerous appeals and petitions challenging his convictions and sentence, including arguments that his 14-year sentence was unconstitutional. Those records also indicate that a portion of the robberies occurred while he was on supervised release. 

The final position on MSUSA will be decided by the board tomorrow, Sunday, April 12 at 4pm. 

Editor’s Note (Updated April 13, 2026):

Following publication of this article, concerns were raised regarding its timing, scope, and focus.

This report is based on publicly available court records and was published after information was brought forward to the newsroom concerning a candidate in an unresolved MSUSA election. The timing of publication reflects when that information became known and could be independently verified.

The Metropolitan acknowledges that other individuals involved in student government have past criminal histories. This article does not assert that such histories are unique to any one individual, nor that they alone determine a candidate’s qualifications. Rather, it presents verified information relevant to an active campus matter at the time of publication.

The subject of the article was contacted prior to publication and given an opportunity to respond. A statement provided by the subject was included in the article.

The Metropolitan remains committed to accuracy, fairness, and transparency, and welcomes additional perspectives from members of the university community.