A 42-year-old St. Cloud man is facing a gross misdemeanor harassment charge after investigators say his repeated threats toward a Coon Rapids law firm caused staff to evacuate and close their building on two consecutive days last week.
Threats Prompt Emergency Closures
According to the criminal complaint filed in Anoka County District Court, the incident began on the morning of October 9, 2025, when Benjamin Ellis Freedland called Midwest Disability, a firm representing him in a workers’ compensation case.
Staff told police that Freedland had become increasingly volatile in recent weeks, showing up at their office unannounced and making aggressive complaints about not receiving his compensation benefits.
During the October 9 call, employee A.K. reported that Freedland’s anger escalated rapidly. He allegedly told her, “My plan is to buy a gun, go to the adjuster’s office, give my daughter to the adjuster, and blow my brains out in front of them.”
The adjuster’s office—identified as SFM Mutual Insurance in Bloomington—was immediately notified, and Coon Rapids officers coordinated with police near Freedland’s home to conduct a welfare check.
Midwest Disability closed their office for the remainder of the day, fearing Freedland might arrive with a firearm.
Business Remains Closed as Threats Continue
The next morning, October 10, staff again reported receiving a disturbing call from Freedland. This time, he allegedly said he planned to kill himself in the firm’s parking lot, telling employees they could “come scrape [his] brains off the front of [his] car.”
The company recorded the call and forwarded it to investigators, who determined the statements were intended to instill fear and disrupt business operations.
The threats prompted a second closure at Midwest Disability, marking two straight days the firm shut down out of concern for safety.
Admission and Mental Health Evaluation
Detective Douglas Barron later contacted Freedland directly. Freedland admitted to making the threats, telling the detective he had been driving around contemplating suicide and considered crashing head-on into a semi truck.
He insisted he did not intend to harm anyone else and subsequently agreed to voluntarily admit himself to a hospital for mental-health evaluation.
Freedland later sent the detective documentation confirming his admission and even phoned from the facility to verify his location.
Criminal Charge and Legal Context
Prosecutors charged Freedland with harassment – causing or reasonably expected to cause substantial emotional distress, a gross misdemeanor under Minnesota Statute 609.749 subd. 2(b)(3).
The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 364 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.
Judge Karin McCarthy signed the order for summons on October 15, 2025, finding probable cause for the charge.
Investigators noted that the disruptions caused by Freedland’s calls met the threshold for harassment under state law because they produced substantial fear and forced the company to alter its operations.
Freedland is scheduled to appear in Anoka County District Court later this month.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This report is based solely on verified facts contained in an Anoka County criminal complaint filed October 15, 2025.
