Latest news with #FeedingourFuture
Axios
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Top federal prosecutor says Minnesota's fraud total could surpass $1 billion
Minnesota's acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson says his office has prosecuted a half billion dollars in fraud in state programs in recent years — and the total tally could double by the time it's done. The latest: FBI agents searched several properties last week in connection with what they called "massive" fraud involving Minnesota's Housing Stabilization Services program. The program, which started in 2020 and provided Medicaid dollars for housing for seniors and people with disabilities, paid out over $100 million in claims last year, over 38 times the initial cost estimates. The big picture: The latest investigation comes on top of the $250 million-plus Feeding Our Future scheme, which has already resulted in 48 guilty pleas or convictions. A separate Medicaid-funded program meant to serve people with autism continues to face scrutiny amid fraud concerns and a 2024 FBI raid. What they're saying: "It's an extraordinary problem, the fraud that's pervasive in this state," Thompson told KSTP in an interview this week. Prosecutors have called the new housing stabilization program, one of the first of its kind nationwide, "uniquely vulnerable to fraud." The other side: DFL Gov. Tim Walz defended his administration's handling of the issue in an interview with Axios this week, saying the prosecutions are "counterintuitively a good thing" because it means state and federal investigators are catching — and stopping — fraud. "We want to help people, but we need to be skeptical. And if there's any thought whatsoever [that] these people are doing this, we need to refer them over [to law enforcement]," he said. Zoom in: Walz noted that a recent change in law allowed the state Department of Human Services to freeze payments amid fraud concerns in the housing stabilization program. An FBI search warrant confirms that DHS stopped payments to at least two providers in May, shortly after the law passed. But by that point, the providers had already received millions in reimbursements for what investigators say were false claims, per a federal search warrant. Friction point: Once the money's out the door, it's difficult to claw back. The government has recovered just $60 million in the Feeding our Future case, per KSTP. What we're watching: DHS told the Star Tribune it's opened about 40 investigations into providers connected to a single building in the housing aid case "and stopped payments everywhere we have seen evidence of fraud." "You will see more people going to jail," Walz said of the broader fraud crackdown.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
Police: Gunshots followed Burnsville High school graduation ceremony, but no injuries
Gunshots followed a graduation ceremony Friday at Burnsville High School, according to police. There were reports of multiple altercations west of Burnsville High School at about 8:30 p.m., about 30 minutes after the end of a graduation ceremony at the school. Burnsville police officers on site for the ceremony heard and immediately responded to reports of gun shots, police said. No injuries were reported and four people have been apprehended, according to Burnsville police. The incident remains under investigation. Brooklyn Center attorney suspended by Minnesota Supreme Court Apple Valley woman latest to be charged in Feeding our Future fraud U.S. Customs Border Protection officer charged with possessing child porn Man once convicted in Minnesota of supporting al-Qaida is now charged in Canada for alleged threats Jury finds Milwaukee man guilty of killing and dismembering 19-year-old woman
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Feeding Our Future: Woman charged after trying to fly to Dubai
The Brief A woman is facing criminal charges tied to the Feeding Our Future scandal after authorities say she was caught trying to leave the country. Hibo Daar is accused of fraudulently claiming to serve thousands of meals out of Northside Wellness and being reimbursed by the federal government. She is the 71st person to be charged in the scheme after she booked a flight the same day news broke of an FBI raid on another Feeding Our Future site. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Federal agents say a woman suspected of playing a role in the Feeding Our Future scheme was arrested at the airport when she tried to board a flight to Dubai, after fraudulently claiming to serve thousands of meals to children during the pandemic. Big picture view A criminal complaint states Hibo Daar ran Northside Wellness as a meal site during the COVID-19 pandemic and fraudulently invoiced the government for meals that weren't served. Some of the invoices were from Alif Halal, which was run by one of the people who pleaded guilty to wire fraud related to Feeding Our Future in 2024. READ MORE: Feeding our Future fraud: 10 more charged Investigators also connected Northside Wellness to Premium Fresh, an organization that past testimony revealed was used to substantiate fraudulent reimbursement claims for Feeding Our Future, the complaint states. An October 20, 2021, email from Daar to Aimee Bock, who is seen by prosecutors as the ringleader of the scheme, included invoices from Premium Fresh and Alif Halal. READ MORE: Feeding Our Future trial: Aimee Bock admits fraud, just not by her The complaint also cites records showing that Northside Wellness received about $1,780,000 in reimbursements for meals supposedly served to children while only spending about $2,000 on food. Subpoena and arrest When federal agents tried to serve Northside Wellness a grand jury subpoena for documents in April 2025, her attorney did accept the records subpoena, but "neither accepted nor declined" the invitation to speak with investigators, according to the complaint. Law enforcement then served a search warrant on New Vision Foundation in connection to the Feeding Our Future scheme on May 22, 2025. The raid, and its affiliation with Feeding Our Future, was reported by local media. That same day, Daar booked a flight to Dubai and was set to depart MSP on May 25, 2025, and return on June 2. Investigators say people fleeing the country often book return flights to hide the fact that they do not intend to return to the United States. Daar was arrested at the airport. The backstory Prosecutors said Bock was the ringleader in the massive fraud scheme that bilked $250 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the scheme, Feeding Our Future enlisted food vendors and restaurants which claimed to serve thousands of meals to children during the pandemic. But, authorities say those vendors either lied or inflated the number of meals they served and pocketed the excess funds. Since the fraud was exposed in 2023, 70 people have been charged in the case. Thirty-seven defendants have pleaded guilty. Five were convicted at trial last year and and now Bock and Said have been convicted. READ MORE: Feeding Our Future verdict: Aimee Bock and Salim Said found guilty The other side At trial, both Bock and Said denied any wrongdoing in the fraud case. In court, Bock argued she was lied to by vendors. Prosecutors also presented witnesses who were named on the nonprofit's board – but said they weren't aware they were board members until they were contacted by journalists or authorities. Bock claimed she had communicated with the members but admitted no formal meetings were held. Said claimed he did indeed serve the meals he reported, claiming "it got so busy we had to have officers working, off-duty officers, every day, seven days a week." However, in video shown at the trial, the FBI set up cameras around the restaurant. The video showed some meals being picked up during that time but nowhere near the 4,000 to 6,000 meals per day the restaurant claimed to serve. The Source This story used information from a criminal complaint and past FOX 9 reporting.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lakeville Area Schools OKs $30,000 settlement on Black Lives Matter posters
Following a lawsuit involving posters featuring Black Lives Matter, the Lakeville Area Schools Board of Education approved a $30,000 settlement April 8. In a lawsuit filed more than two years ago, a group of residents alleged their First Amendment rights were violated when the school district allowed posters featuring 'Black Lives Matter' to be placed in classrooms, while not permitting the display of posters that read 'All Lives Matter' or 'Blue Lives Matter.' In a 5-1 vote, with board member Amber Cameron absent and member Carly Anderson opposed, the board approved the settlement April 8. 'We appreciate the many different perspectives shared. Lakeville Area Schools remains committed to continuing to partner with our families and community to provide a safe, respectful, engaging, rigorous, and collaborative learning environment where every student belongs, is valued and can succeed,' the district said in a statement provided Wednesday. Ahead of voting, Anderson said she felt the settlement approval was a premature decision, referencing the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision in June to reverse the lawsuit's dismissal by a lower court. 'The Eighth Circuit decision was based on assuming that everything that the claimants were claiming could be possible in any scenario. And so to me, I believe we should have gone through the discovery process, which would have meant gathering all the information relevant to the case. In that situation, what I've understood from our legal counsel is that we are on very good footing, that they felt like what our district did was within the grounds of government speech, and that we had an excellent case,' Anderson said. In January, the Lakeville school board voted to remove the series of posters from district buildings. The posters are part of a series of 'inclusive' posters ordered by the district in 2021, two of which said 'Black Lives Matter,' and were distributed to staff members when requested. Upper Midwest Law Center represented plaintiffs Bob and Cynthia Cajune, Kalynn Kay Aaker, and Aaker's minor children in the lawsuit, which argued that the district violated their First Amendment rights 'by engaging in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.' 'With the Eighth Circuit's decision clearly signaling that the school district's policy was constitutionally unsound, Lakeville Schools wisely reversed their policy and removed the posters from district facilities,' Upper Midwest Law Center said in a statement on its website. 'Because that was what the plaintiffs had sought in the lawsuit, they agreed to dismiss their claims in the settlement in return for the District paying $30,000 in legal fees to the Upper Midwest Law Center.' Lakeville North basketball coach John Oxton announces retirement High school hockey coach, Lakeville officer returns home 2 months after injury Jury convicts alleged ringleader of massive Feeding our Future fraud scheme Another Buck Hill skier wins Alpine worlds medal: Paula Moltzan High School Football: Cretin-Derham Hall hires Ben Burk as football coach
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
Feeding Our Future: Juror bribe attempt leads to third guilty plea
The Brief A third defendant pleaded guilty for the attempted bribe of a Feeding Our Future juror. The bribe attempt was made during the first Feeding Our Future trial in 2024. The juror reported the attempted bribe after being told more money would come if they voted to acquit. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Federal prosecutors secured another guilty plea for the attempted bribery of a jury member in the Feeding Our Future trial. The latest man to plead guilty, Abdulkarim Farah, of Minneapolis, admitted to coordinating and facilitating an attempted bribery of Juror 52 during the first Feeding Our Future trial in 2024. Big picture view Court documents say five people are accused of trying to bribe Juror 52 with $120,000 for a not-guilty vote for defendants in the Feeding Our Future Trial. Prosecutors accused Farah of conspiring with his brothers and other people to target the juror at her home and deliver the bribe. Investigators determined that Farah "conducted surveillance of Juror 52 and Juror 52's house" and removed a license plate from a rental car used to deliver the money, according to court documents. Farah also recorded the delivery of the bribe money and deleted the Signal messaging app with the video on it after the incident was disclosed in court, authorities say. Said Farah, Abdiaziz Farah, and Abimajid Nur, who were defendants in the initial trial, along with Abdulkarim Farah and Ali, face charges related to this bribery attempt. The jury in the original case was sequestered after the incident, and the bribed juror was dismissed. Abdimajid Mohamed Nur pleaded guilty in July to attempted bribery and was also convicted on other Feeding Our Future crimes. READ MORE: Feeding Our Future juror bribe: 5 indicted in 'chilling attack' on justice system Ladan Ali, of Seattle, pleaded guilty shortly after the attempted bribe was discovered. She is the woman who delivered the bag of money and explained there would be more coming if the juror voted to acquit, court documents say. READ MORE: Feeding our Future: Juror bribery attempt leads to guilty plea What they're saying Authorities praised the actions of the juror for not taking the money and reporting the attempted bribe. "The attempted bribery of Juror 52 is a shameful chapter in Minnesota history," said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick in a written statement. "Juror bribery strikes at the heart of the criminal justice system. It is unacceptable—in Minnesota and in the United States—and can never be repeated. In contrast to the reprehensible behavior of the defendants, I am grateful for Juror 52, who is the true hero of this story. Juror 52—who could not be corrupted and immediately alerted law enforcement—represents the best of Minnesota." READ MORE: Feeding Our Future: defendant who tampered with witness pleads guilty An FBI agent who investigated the attempted bribery spoke to the significance of the crime and impact such actions have on the rule of law. "Attempting to corrupt the judicial process through bribery strikes at the very foundation of our justice system," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate efforts to undermine the rule of law and the fair administration of justice." Dig deeper The jury ultimately delivered a split verdict, convicting five dependents on most charges while acquitting two others. The ringleader, Aimee Boch, was found guilty in March 2025 along with Salim Said. READ MORE: Feeding Our Future verdict: Aimee Bock and Salim Said found guilty The Source This story used information shared in a news release from the United States Department of Justice and past FOX 9 reporting.
