Feeding Our Future
Feeding our Future was a non-profit organization based in Minnesota.
In 2022, members of the organization were accused of defrauding the state's USDA-funded school nutrition programs of at least $250 million over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.[1][2] On September 20, 2022, the U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced federal charges against 47 former Feeding Our Future employees for their involvement in the nation's largest pandemic-related fraud scheme.[3][2]
In the spring of 2024, a group of seven individuals were the first to go to trial. Near the end of the trial, an attempt was made to bribe a juror in the case to vote to acquit with $120,000 in cash.[4][5][6] The juror reported the incident and was dismissed to avoid the appearance of impropriety, along with another who heard about the incident from a relative. The jury was sequestered for the remainder of the trial. Of the first seven defendants, five were convicted on most charges against them, while two were acquitted.[7] Several weeks later, five individuals, including three of the defendants from the first trial, were indicted on charges related to the bribery. One of those indicted for bribery had been acquitted of fraud during the trial.[6]
In July 2024, Abdimajid Nur, one of those convicted in June in the scheme, pleaded guilty to one count of bribing a juror.[8] By September 2024, 19 more defendants had pled guilty, for a total of 24 guilty verdicts (including Nur and the other four defendants found guilty in the trial earlier that year).[9]
A federal Court handed down the first sentence on October 15, 2024. Mohamed Ismail received a 12 year sentence, two of the three counts involved conspiracy.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Feeding Our Future, Attorney General Race, Opioid Crisis". Twin Cities PBS. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ a b Montemayor, Stephen; Meitrodt, Jeffrey (September 21, 2022). "Feeding Our Future founder among 48 people charged in $250 million federal food aid fraud scheme". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. Attorney Announces Federal Charges Against 47 Defendants in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme" (Press release). U.S. Department of Justice. September 20, 2022. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ Fahrenthold, David A.; Londoño, Ernesto (June 3, 2024). "A Mazda, a Gift Bag of $120,000 and a Dismissed Juror". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ "Fraud trial juror reports getting bag of $120,000 and promise of more if she'll acquit". Associated Press. June 3, 2024. Archived from the original on June 4, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Montemayor, Stephen; Smith, Kelly (June 26, 2024). "New charges: Feeding Our Future juror was followed for days, given list of instructions with $120k in cash to acquit". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ Smith, Kelly (June 7, 2024). "Jury finds five of seven defendants guilty in Feeding Our Future trial". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ Peters, Joey (July 24, 2024). "Feeding Our Future defendant pleads guilty in attempt to bribe juror with $120,000 Feeding Our Future defendant pleads guilty in attempt to bribe juror with $120,000". Sahan Journal. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ Krauss, Louis (September 18, 2024). "Former Minneapolis Housing Authority board chair pleads guilty to wire fraud in Feeding Our Future case". Star Tribune. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ Glahn, Bill (October 15, 2024). "Mohamed Ismail gets 12 years in Feeding Our Future case". [[1]]. Retrieved October 17, 2024.