5 Plead Guilty In Feeding Our Future Scheme: Authorities

MINNEAPOLIS — A leader in Minnesota’s sprawling Feeding Our Future scheme pleaded guilty to wire fraud last week, along with several others, including her mother and husband, after the group stole and laundered $14.6 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program money meant to feed children during the coronavirus pandemic, according to authorities.

Ikram Yusuf Mohamed and Shakur Abdinur Abdisalam pleaded guilty on Wednesday, while Aisha Hassan Hussein, Sahra Sharif Osman and Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf pleaded guilty on Friday, authorities said, adding all five pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

“Prosecutors have now obtained 63 convictions scheme-wide, representing the largest number of convictions in a single fraud investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in recent memory,” according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice published Friday.

Mohamed, 42, was a consultant to Feeding Our Future, authorities said. She opened several food sites that received over $6.9 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, according to the department.

“To conceal her involvement, she put the sites and entities in the name of family members, including her husband, mother, and siblings,” the news release said.

Mohamed created a food distribution company with her brother called Star Distribution LLC, which received $1.4 million for fraudulent invoices and $4.9 million directly from Feeding Our Future, authorities said.

She also received over $1.3 million in kickbacks through her company, IM Consultation, according to the department.

Mohamed’s husband, 46-year-old Abdisalam, participated in the scheme through a company called Inspiring Youth & Outreach LLC, which purported to run a food site in Minneapolis, authorities said. Between February and November 2021, the company fraudulently claimed to have served more than 1 million meals, according to the department. Abdisalam and his conspirators supported their reimbursement claims with phony attendance rosters that listed made-up children with fake ages, authorities said. Based on the claims, Inspiring Youth received over $1.5 million, according to the department. Abdisalam also paid a $21,000 kickback to IM Consultation, authorities said.

Mohamed’s sister, Hussein, 29, took part in the scheme as the principal of United Youth of MPLS LLC, according to the department. Hussein purported to run two sites in Minneapolis, authorities said, and from December 2020 through November 2021, she and her conspirators falsely claimed to have served more than 1.3 million meals to children, totaling approximately $2.2 million in fraudulent funds. She also paid a $166,000 kickback to IM Consultation, according to the department.

Osman, 43, participated in the scheme as the principal of a nonprofit called Youth International Club LLC, authorities said. Its food sites were in Hopkins and Edina and purported to serve meals out of community rooms in townhome complexes, according to the department. Between March and November 2021, Youth International fraudulently claimed to have served nearly 700,000 meals and received over $1.4 million, authorities said. Osman also paid a $7,500 kickback to IM Consultation, according to the department.

Mohamed’s mother, Yusuf, 59, took part in the scheme through Active Minds Youth LLC, which purported to run a food site in Minneapolis, authorities said. Between February and June 2021, Active Minds fraudulently claimed to have served more than 500,000 meals and received over $1 million, according to the department. Yusuf also paid a $38,500 kickback to IM Consultation, authorities said.