Woman pleads guilty to role in Feeding Our Future fraud scheme after arrest before Dubai flight
According to an agreement filed Friday in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota, Hibo Daar pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Daar in November 2020 applied to open a food distribution site in Minneapolis using Northside Wellness Center Corporation, a for-profit company in which she was executive director, in the Federal Children Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future, court documents said. The application was submitted together with the nonprofit's founder, Aimee Bock.
The site claimed to serve 52,000 meals in January 2021. Prosecutors say that by April of that same year, they claimed to serve 40,000 meals every week.
The business asked for over $2.4 million in reimbursement claims, according to court documents. A bank account that Daar controlled received more than $1.7 million from those claims.
Charges said Daar transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to family, associates and herself. She also paid $72,000 in kickbacks from Northside Wellness to a Feeding Our Future employee to make sure the reimbursement claims were processed.
Federal agents took Daar into custody at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport before she could board a flight to Dubai in May 2025, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
According to the plea agreement, Daar could pay up to $1,790,095 in restitution. She faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Her next hearing is scheduled for Sunday afternoon, according to court documents.
At least forty-five defendants, including Daar, have pleaded guilty or been convicted in the Justice Department's Feeding Our Future investigation.
Bock, who was convicted for her role in the scheme in March, has since filed motions requesting acquittal.
The scheme diverted $250 million in federal funds during a time when the rules were relaxed in order to keep the U.S. economy running.
Note: The above video first aired on May 27, 2025.Frankie McLister
contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man charged with killing a top Minnesota House Democrat is expected to plead not guilty
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The man charged with killing the top Democrat in the Minnesota House and her husband, and wounding a state senator and his wife, is expected to plead not guilty when he's arraigned in federal court on Thursday, his attorney said. Vance Boelter, 58, of Green Isle, Minnesota, was indicted July 15 on six counts of murder, stalking and firearms violations. The murder charges could carry the federal death penalty, though prosecutors say that decision is several months away. As they announced the indictment, prosecutors released a rambling handwritten letter they say Boelter wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel in which he confessed to the June 14 shootings of Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. However, the letter doesn't make clear why he targeted the Hortmans or Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who survived. Boelter's federal defender, Manny Atwal, said at the time that the weighty charges did not come as a surprise, but she has not commented on the substance of the allegations or any defense strategies. The hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dulce Foster will also serve as a case management conference. She plans to issue a revised schedule with deadlines afterward, potentially including a trial date. Prosecutors have moved to designate the proceedings as a 'complex case' so that standard speedy trial requirements won't apply, saying both sides will need plenty of time to review the voluminous evidence. 'The investigation of this case arose out of the largest manhunt in Minnesota's history," they wrote. "Accordingly, the discovery to be produced by the government will include a substantial amount of investigative material and reports from more than a dozen different law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels.' They said the evidence will include potentially thousands of hours of video footage, tens of thousands of pages of responses to dozens of grand jury subpoenas, and data from numerous electronic devices seized during the investigation. Boelter's motivations remain murky. Friends have described him as an evangelical Christian with politically conservative views who had been struggling to find work. Authorities said Boelter made long lists of politicians in Minnesota and other states — all or mostly Democrats. In a series of cryptic notes to The New York Times through his jail's electronic messaging service, Boelter suggested his actions were partly rooted in the Christian commandment to love one's neighbor. 'Because I love my neighbors prior to June 14th I conducted a 2 year long undercover investigation,' he wrote. In messages published earlier by the New York Post, Boelter insisted the shootings had nothing to do with his opposition to abortion or his support for President Donald Trump, but he declined to elaborate. 'There is little evidence showing why he turned to political violence and extremism,' the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, Joe Thompson, told reporters last month. He also reiterated that prosecutors consider Hortman's killing a 'political assassination.' Prosecutors say Boelter was disguised as a police officer and driving a fake squad car early June 14 when he went to the Hoffmans' home in the Minneapolis suburb of Champlin. He shot the senator nine times, and his wife eight times, officials said. Boelter later went to the Hortmans' home in nearby Brooklyn Park and killed both of them, authorities said. Their dog was so gravely injured that he had to be euthanized. Boelter surrendered the next night.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Second person arrested for throwing sex toy at WNBA game, allegedly hit man and his 9-year-old niece in stands
A second man has been arrested for throwing a green sex toy at a WNBA game, a trend in which there are now five known incidents. Kaden Lopez, 18, was arrested on Wednesday after police said he was caught on video throwing a the object toward the court at the Phoenix Mercury's game against the Connecticut Sun, according to Fox 10 Phoenix. The object did not reach the court, instead hitting a bystander and his 9-year-old niece. Lopez was reportedly booked into jail on suspicion of disorderly conduct, assault and public display of explicit sexual material. From Fox 10: "Video footage shows Lopez, sitting in his seat, he retrieves the green dildo from his sweater front pocket then throws the dildo forward. He then stands up and leaves the area," a court document read. Lopez reportedly apologized for his actions and described them as a "stupid prank that was trending on social media." Documents reportedly show he bought the sex toy on Monday to take it to the game. The man who was struck by the toy reportedly wants Lopez prosecuted, as do the WNBA and the operators of the Mercury's PHX Arena: "The adult male victim was interviewed. He stated he was watching the WNBA game with his 9-year-old niece, when something hit his back then fell to the ground next to them. He realized the object that hit him was a dildo. He desires prosecution," the court document read. The first known incident occurred on July 29, when a toy landed on the court at a Golden State Valkyries-Atlanta Dream game. Similar objects have made it to the courts at a Chicago Sky and Los Angeles Sparks game, with the latter appearing to hit Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham on Tuesday. On the same night as that Sparks game, sex toys were also thrown at a New York Liberty game and the Mercury game, with both staying in the stands. These all appear to be the work of different people. The person who allegedly threw the toy in Atlanta has since been arrested and identified as Delbert Carver, 23, per He reportedly faces charges of disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure and criminal trespass. No suspects had been identified from the other games until Lopez, but it was reported at the time of his arrest that Carver wasn't responsible for the second incident in Chicago. Overall, the WNBA has taken a very dim view toward these people, warning that anyone who does this will face immediate ejection, criminal charges and a minimum one-year ban from games. Some players were amused by the first couple incidents, but others have raised safety concerns, including Cunningham. Sparks coach Lynne Roberts also blasted the activity as simply idiotic: "It's ridiculous. It's dumb. It's stupid," Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said after the game of the string of incidents. "It's also dangerous, and you know, player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things. "I think it's really stupid." Similar concerns were raised by Buffalo Bills employees a few years ago about the trend of throwing sex toys on the field at New England Patriots games. All of these incidents have created questions of security for the WNBA. So far, the league has announced no changes, though it's possible the threat of prosecution and public identification could aid prevention going forward.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Second man arrested for throwing sex toy at WNBA game, allegedly hit man and his niece in stands
A second man has been arrested for throwing a green sex toy at a WNBA game, a trend in which there are now five known incidents. Kaden Lopez, 18, was arrested on Wednesday after police said he was caught on video throwing a the object toward the court at the Phoenix Mercury's game against the Connecticut Sun, according to Fox 10 Phoenix. The object did not reach the court, instead hitting a bystander and his 9-year-old niece. Lopez was reportedly booked into jail on suspicion of disorderly conduct, assault and public display of explicit sexual material. From Fox 10: "Video footage shows Lopez, sitting in his seat, he retrieves the green dildo from his sweater front pocket then throws the dildo forward. He then stands up and leaves the area," a court document read. Lopez reportedly apologized for his actions and described them as a "stupid prank that was trending on social media." Documents reportedly show he bought the sex toy on Monday to take it to the game. The man who was struck by the toy reportedly wants Lopez prosecuted, as do the WNBA and the operators of the Mercury's PHX Arena: "The adult male victim was interviewed. He stated he was watching the WNBA game with his 9-year-old niece, when something hit his back then fell to the ground next to them. He realized the object that hit him was a dildo. He desires prosecution," the court document read. The first known incident occurred on July 29, when a toy landed on the court at a Golden State Valkyries-Atlanta Dream game. Similar objects have made it to the courts at a Chicago Sky and Los Angeles Sparks game, with the latter appearing to hit Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham on Tuesday. On the same night as that Sparks game, sex toys were also thrown at a New York Liberty game and the Mercury game, with both staying in the stands. These all appear to be the work of different people. The person who allegedly threw the toy in Atlanta has since been arrested and identified as Delbert Carver, 23, per He reportedly faces charges of disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure and criminal trespass. No suspects had been identified from the other games until Lopez, but it was reported at the time of his arrest that Carver wasn't responsible for the second incident in Chicago. Overall, the WNBA has taken a very dim view toward these people, warning that anyone who does this will face immediate ejection, criminal charges and a minimum one-year ban from games. Some players were amused by the first couple incidents, but others have raised safety concerns, including Cunningham. Sparks coach Lynne Roberts also blasted the activity as simply idiotic: "It's ridiculous. It's dumb. It's stupid," Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said after the game of the string of incidents. "It's also dangerous, and you know, player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things. "I think it's really stupid." Similar concerns were raised by Buffalo Bills employees a few years ago about the trend of throwing sex toys on the field at New England Patriots games. All of these incidents have created questions of security for the WNBA. So far, the league has announced no changes, though it's possible the threat of prosecution and public identification could aid prevention going forward.
