Expansion of Feeding our Future case leads to 10 additional charges; involvement of at least 70 individuals in conspiracy discussed

Federal prosecutors have charged an additional 10 individuals in connection with the Feeding Our Future nonprofit in the Twin Cities, bringing the total number of defendants involved in the alleged scheme to steal $250 million from government nutrition programs meant for children in need to 70. The newly charged defendants, including Ikram Yusuf Mohamed and her family members, face charges of wire fraud, bribery, and money laundering. Mohamed is accused of setting up fraudulent meal sites and shell companies to siphon off funds from federal food programs. Her siblings and other relatives are also implicated in the scheme. Others charged in separate indictments include Said Ereg and his wife Najmo Ahmed, who allegedly ran a fake meal site out of a deli, and Hoda Ali Abdi, who operated a fraudulent meal site at her grocery store. The FBI’s investigation discovered that the defendants used various fraudulent tactics to claim reimbursements for meals that were never served to children. The case, which began when the Minnesota Department of Education raised concerns of inflated payments to Feeding Our Future, has led to 17 plea agreements from the defendants. The prosecutors are moving forward with trials for the remaining defendants, with the first major case set to begin in April. The widespread fraud involving dozens of individuals has raised questions about the oversight of federal nutrition programs and highlights the need to protect funds intended to help vulnerable children.

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