DOJ charges 47 people in Minnesota with stealing $250 million from children's pandemic meal program

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DOJ charges 47 people in Minnesota with stealing $250 million from children’s pandemic meal program


Tuesday September 20, 2022


Aimee Bock, the executive director of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, at an event held for her by vendors at a Minneaolis banquet hall. YOUTUBE

(CNN)The Justice Department on Tuesday announced charges against 47 people accused of stealing $250 million from a federal program designed to provide meals for needy children during the pandemic.

According to the department, the scheme is the largest Covid-19-related fraud uncovered by investigators to date. The defendants are facing a range of charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and paying and receiving illegal kickbacks.

The defendants, prosecutors said, set up a network of shell companies connected to the Minnesota-based nonprofit Feeding our Future, to exploit the federal child nutrition program, which is designed to provide meals to children from low-income families. The program was expanded by Congress at the start of the pandemic to allow more organizations to participate.

“Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota,” the Justice Department said in a release. “These sites, created and operated by the defendants and others, fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed.”

The Department of Justice alleges that despite Feeding Our Future’s knowledge of their own fraudulent claims, they still submitted them to the Minnesota Department of Education, which administered and oversaw the federal program for the state.

“This was a brazen scheme of staggering proportions,” said US Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota. “These defendants
exploited a program designed to provide nutritious food to needy children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, they prioritized their own greed, stealing more than a quarter of a billion dollars in federal funds to purchase luxury cars, houses, jewelry, and coastal resort property abroad.”

“The company went from receiving and disbursing approximately $3.4 million in federal funds to sites under its sponsorship in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021,” part of the indictment read. “In all, Feeding Our Future fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds during the Covid-19 pandemic,” it continued.

The defendants claimed to be feeding thousands of children per day, prosecutors said. To keep up the ruse, the defendants allegedly submitted false invoices for food served to the children and lists of fake names to show who was fed.

Additionally, the Minnesota Department of Education was given “false assurances” that Feeding Our Future was serving the meals as claimed after the department “attempted to perform necessary oversight regarding the number of sites and amount of claims being submitted,” according to the DOJ.

According to prosecutors, the defendants used the proceeds of the scheme to buy real estate in Minnesota, Kenya and Turkey, luxury cars, jewelry, to fund international travel, and more.

Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Luger said an unspecified number of people were arrested in the morning, but some defendants are not presently in the US.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Shawna Mizelle contributed to this report.

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Minnesota nonprofit accused of buying luxury cars, vacation homes with millions meant to feed hungry Kids


Tuesday September 20, 2022
BY JON BLISTEIN

Forty-seven people were indicted in connection to an alleged operation Attorney General Merrick Garland called the "largest pandemic relief fraud scheme charged to date"


Aimee Bock, the executive director of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, speaks out for the first time after accusations the group’s partners defrauded the federal government of millions of dollars, Thursday, January 27, 2022 in St. Anthony, Minn. Bock, appearing with her lawyers Kenneth Udoibok and Nancy Hylden, has not been charged. SHARI L. GROSS/STAR TRIBUNE/GETTY IMAGES

FEDERAL PROSECUTORS HAVE indicted 47 people in connection with an alleged fraud scheme that saw $250 million, meant to help feed hungry kids in Minnesota, instead go to luxury cars, commercial real estate, and vacation homes.

The numerous charges were announced Tuesday, Sept. 20, with the Department of Justice unsealing six separate indictments. In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland described the alleged plot as “the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme charged to date.”

The scheme allegedly centered around the non-profit group, Feeding Our Future, whose founder and executive director, Aimee Bock, was among the 47 people indicted. Bock and others are accused of defrauding the Federal Child Nutrition Program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and helps bring free meals to children in need.

A lawyer for Bock, Kenneth U. Udoibok, tells Rolling Stone, “An indictment does not signify guilt or innocence. It’s the beginning of the criminal process. I’m surprised that Ms. Bock has been indicted because she did nothing worthy of indictment.”

In Minnesota, the state’s Department of Education oversees the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Meals are handed out at designated sites, which must be sponsored by an authorized organization (such as Feeding Our Future). The sponsors are responsible for monitoring the distribution sites and submitting reimbursement claims. The bulk of the reimbursement claims goes back to the sites, though the sponsoring agency retains 10 to 15 percent as an administrative fee.

At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the USDA relaxed some of the requirements to participate in the Federal Child Nutrition Program, allowing for-profit restaurants to participate and for food to be distributed to children outside educational programs. Though these changes were approved to ostensibly make access to food easier during the pandemic, authorities argue that Feeding Our Future exploited them to make off with millions.

In 2019, Feeding Our Future was receiving and distributing about $3.4 million in federal funds; by 2021, that number had jumped to nearly $200 million. Employees at the organization are accused of recruiting individuals and entities, such as restaurants, to open FCNP sites throughout Minnesota. Shell companies were allegedly created to enroll in the program as sites, too, and additional shell companies were made to launder the money all these sites claimed was going to feed hungry kids.

Feeding Our Family is accused of opening over 250 sites throughout Minnesota. On top of securing and distributing over $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, the non-profit allegedly received over $18 million in administrative fees as well as bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies they were sponsoring. All that money, the DOJ claims, went to purchase everything from luxury vehicles and residential and commercial property in Minnesota to international travel and real estate in Kenya and Turkey.

“This was a brazen scheme of staggering proportions,” U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota said in a statement. “These defendants exploited a program designed to provide nutritious food to needy children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, they prioritized their own greed, stealing more than a quarter of a billion dollars in federal funds to purchase luxury cars, houses, jewelry, and coastal resort property abroad. I commend the work of the skilled investigators and prosecutors who unraveled the lies, deception, and mountains of false documentation to bring this complex case to light.”

While Tuesday’s sweeping indictments are a massive breakthrough, the case against Feeding Our Future has been building for several years. As the Star Tribune reports, the Minnesota Department of Education first questioned Aimee Bock about the drastic uptick in the number of sites her organization was sponsoring in 2020. The DoE even halted payments to Feeding Our Future in early 2021, prompting Blcok to sue the agency for discrimination because the nonprofit worked with minority communities (especially Minneapolis’ large Somali community).

The FBI started investigating Feeding Our Future in May 2021, and on Jan. 20, 2022, agents executed a massive search warrant operation that recovered over $3.5 million from a Feeding Our Future bank account. Additionally, the feds seized over $185,000 from Bock’s personal bank account, and $13,462 in cash, and a 2013 Porsche Panamera from her home.

Following the search warrant operation, Bock defended Feeding Our Future and denied allegations of fraud in an interview with a local Minnesota outlet, the Sahan Journal. “Feeding Our Future does not commit fraud, does not allow fraud, does not condone fraud, and most certainly does not actively participate in fraud,” Bock said. “I personally am passionate about making sure kids have the basic fundamentals of life, food. To read that all of my hard work is being twisted into something that it’s not is hard. It’s really hard.”

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[# Who’s been charged in the Feeding Our Future food fraud investigation?]

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(Who’s been charged in the Feeding Our Future fraud investigation?)

The Department of Justice announced charges against 48 people involved in what federal prosecutors are calling the largest case of COVID-19 pandemic fraud in the country.

Sahan Journal has compiled the names of people listed in six different criminal indictments (that is, charging documents) for their alleged roles in a $250 million scheme to defraud federal child nutrition programs.

None of these individuals have been convicted of any crimes and many have asserted their innocence, directly and through their attorneys.

U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said in a news conference Tuesday that arrests were made today.

Charges so far include conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and bribery. Federal prosecutors said the “defendants obtained, misappropriated, and laundered millions of dollars in program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to children” from low-income families.

Attorneys for several defendants declined comment or did not return messages seeking comment Tuesday. Many defendants did not have attorneys listed for their cases, and were represented by the public defender’s office when they made their first appearance in court Tuesday afternoon.

“My client is going to defend herself fully, and we entered a not guilty plea today and we look forward to defending this in court,” said Amy Conners, who is representing Qamar Hassan.

Kenneth Udoibok, who is representing Aimee Bock, said that his client is innocent. She pleaded not guilty Tuesday.

The following individuals are named in the indictment United States v. Aimee Marie Bock, et al. indictment

  1. Aimee Marie Bock, 41, Apple Valley, founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future.
  2. Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 39, Burnsville, employee of Feeding Our Future.
  3. Salim Ahmed Said, 33, of Plymouth, owner and operator of Safari Restaurant.
  4. Abdulkadir Nur Salah, 36, Columbia Heights, owner and operator of Safari Restaurant.
  5. Ahmed Sharif Omar-Hashim, also known as “Salah Donyale,” 39, Minneapolis, creator of Olive Management Inc.
  6. Abdi Nur Salah, 34, Minneapolis, former senior policy aide to Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey, acquired the nonprofit Stigma-Free International from its previous owner, listed in the indictment as “Individual A.”
  7. Abdihakim Ali Ahmed, 36, Apple Valley, creator of ASA Limited LLC.
  8. Ahmed Mohamed Artan, 37, Minneapolis, became the new president of Stigma-Free International and registered it with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.
  9. Abdikadir Ainanshe Mohamud, also known as “AK,” 30, Fridley, ran the Stigma-Free Willmar food site.
  10. Abdinasir Mahamed Abshir, 30, Minneapolis, ran the Stigma-Free Mankato food site.
  11. Asad Mohamed Abshir, 32, Mankato, ran the Stigma-Free Mankato food site.
  12. Hamdi Hussein Omar, 26, St. Paul, ran the Stigma-Free Waite Park food site.
  13. Ahmed Abdullahi Ghedi, 32, Minneapolis, created ASA Limited LLC.
  14. Abdirahman Mohamud Ahmed, also known as “Chef Abcos,” 54, Columbus, Ohio, owner Afra Grill.

The following individuals are named in the indictment United States v. Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, et al.

  1. Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, 33, Savage, owner and operator of Empire Cuisine and Market LLC.
  2. Mohamed Jama Ismail, 49, Savage, owner and operator of Empire Cuisine and Market LLC.
  3. Mahad Ibrahim, 46, Lewis Center, Ohio, president and owner of ThinkTechAct Foundation.
  4. Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, 21, Shakopee, created Nur Consulting LLC.
  5. Said Shafii Farah, 40, Minneapolis, owner of Bushra Wholesalers LLC and brother of Abdiaziz Farah.
  6. Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin, 32, Minneapolis, owner of Bushra Wholesalers LLC.
  7. Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff, 31, Bloomington, chief executive officer of Afrique Hospitality Group.
  8. Hayat Mohamed Nur, 25, Eden Prairie, sister of Abdimajid Mohamed Nur and participator in scheme.

The following individuals are named in the indictment United States v. Qamar Ahmed Hassan, et al.

  1. Qamar Ahmed Hassan, 53, Brooklyn Park, owner and operator of S & S Catering.
  2. Sahra Mohamed Nur, 61, Saint Anthony, ran Academy For Youth Excellence site.
  3. Abdiwahab Ahmed Mohamud, 32, Brooklyn Park, ran Academy For Youth Excellence site.
  4. Filsan Mumin Hassan, 28, Brooklyn Park, ran Youth Higher Educational Achievement site.
  5. Guhaad Hashi Said, 46, Minneapolis, ran Advance Youth Athletic Development site.
  6. Abdullahe Nur Jesow, 62, Columbia Heights, ran Academy For Youth Excellence site.
  7. Abdul Abubakar Ali, 40, St. Paul, ran Youth Inventors Lab site.
  8. Yusuf Bashir Ali, 40, Vadnais Heights, ran Youth Inventors Lab site.

The following individuals are named in the indictment United States v. Haji Osman Salad, et al.

  1. Haji Osman Salad, 32, St. Anthony, principal of Haji’s Kitchen.
  2. Fahad Nur, 38, Minneapolis, principal of The Produce LLC.
  3. Anab Artan Awad, 52, Plymouth, president of Multiple Community Services.
  4. Sharmarke Issa, 40, Edina, creator of a company called Minnesota’s Somali Community and manager of Wacan Restaurant LLC.
  5. Farhiya Mohamud, 63, Bloomington principal and chief executive officer of Dua Supplies and Distribution Inc.

The following individuals are named in the indictment United States v. Liban Yasin Alishire, et al.

  1. Liban Yasin Alishire, 42, Brooklyn Park, president and owner of Community Enhancement Services Inc.
  2. Ahmed Yasin Ali, 57, Brooklyn Park, created a food site run by Lake Street Kitchen in the JigJiga Business Center.
  3. Khadar Jigre Adan, 59, Lakeville chief executive officer of food site run by Lake Street Kitchen in the JigJiga Business Center.

The following individuals are named in the indictment United States v. Sharmarke Jama, et al.

  1. Sharmake Jama, 34, Rochester, principal of Brava Restaurant and Cafe LLC.
  2. Ayan Jama, 43, Rochester, principal of Brava Restaurant and Cafe LLC.
  3. Asha Jama, 39, Lakeville, worked for Brava Restaurant.
  4. Fartun Jama, 35, Rosemount, worked for Brava Restaurant.
  5. Mustafa Jama, 45, Rochester, worked for Brava Restaurant.
  6. Zamzam Jama, 48, Rochester, worked for Brava Restaurant.

The following individuals are named in criminal informations, another form of charging document. Each of the following people are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

  1. Bekam Addissu Merdassa, 39, Inver Grove Heights.
  2. Hadith Yusuf Ahmed, 34, Eden Prairie.
  3. Hanna Markegn, 40, Edina.

One person was arrested and charged via complaint after buying a one-way ticket to Ethiopia that was set to leave Tuesday evening.

  1. Mekfira Hussein.
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