The Department of Justice has announced charges against dozens of people allegedly involved in what federal prosecutors are calling the largest case of COVID-19 pandemic fraud in the country.
Sahan Journal has compiled the names of people listed in several different criminal indictments (that is, charging documents) for their alleged roles in a $250 million scheme to defraud federal child nutrition programs.
None of these individuals have been convicted of any crimes and many have asserted their innocence, directly and through their attorneys.
U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said in a news conference on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, that arrests were made that day. More charges were filed later that year and in 2023.
Charges so far include conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and bribery. Federal prosecutors said the “defendants obtained, misappropriated, and laundered millions of dollars in program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to children” from low-income families.
Attorneys for several defendants declined comment or did not return messages seeking comment in September. Many defendants did not have attorneys listed for their cases, and were represented by the public defender’s office when they made their first appearance in court on September 20, 2022.
“My client is going to defend herself fully, and we entered a not guilty plea today and we look forward to defending this in court,” Amy Conners, who is representing Qamar Hassan, said in September.
Kenneth Udoibok, who is representing Aimee Bock, said in September that his client is innocent. She pleaded not guilty.
This list will be updated when new defendants are charged.
The following individuals are named in the indictment United States v. Aimee Marie Bock, et al. indictment
- Aimee Marie Bock, 41, Apple Valley, founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future.
- Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 39, Burnsville, employee of Feeding Our Future.
- Salim Ahmed Said, 33, of Plymouth, owner and operator of Safari Restaurant.
- Abdulkadir Nur Salah, 36, Columbia Heights, owner and operator of Safari Restaurant.
- Ahmed Sharif Omar-Hashim, also known as “Salah Donyale,” 39, Minneapolis, creator of Olive Management Inc.
- Abdi Nur Salah, 34, Minneapolis, former senior policy aide to Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey, acquired the nonprofit Stigma-Free International from its previous owner, listed in the indictment as “Individual A.”
- Abdihakim Ali Ahmed, 36, Apple Valley, creator of ASA Limited LLC.
- Ahmed Mohamed Artan, 37, Minneapolis, became the new president of Stigma-Free International and registered it with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.
- Abdikadir Ainanshe Mohamud, also known as “AK,” 30, Fridley, ran the Stigma-Free Willmar food site.
- Abdinasir Mahamed Abshir, 30, Minneapolis, ran the Stigma-Free Mankato food site.
- Asad Mohamed Abshir, 32, Mankato, ran the Stigma-Free Mankato food site.
- Hamdi Hussein Omar, 26, St. Paul, ran the Stigma-Free Waite Park food site.
- Ahmed Abdullahi Ghedi, 32, Minneapolis, created ASA Limited LLC.
- Abdirahman Mohamud Ahmed, also known as “Chef Abcos,” 54, Columbus, Ohio, owner Afra Grill.
The following individuals are named in the indictment United States v. Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, et al.
- Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, 33, Savage, owner and operator of Empire Cuisine and Market LLC.
- Mohamed Jama Ismail, 49, Savage, owner and operator of Empire Cuisine and Market LLC.
- Mahad Ibrahim, 46, Lewis Center, Ohio, president and owner of ThinkTechAct Foundation.
- Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, 21, Shakopee, created Nur Consulting LLC.
- Said Shafii Farah, 40, Minneapolis, owner of Bushra Wholesalers LLC and brother of Abdiaziz Farah.
- Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin, 32, Minneapolis, owner of Bushra Wholesalers LLC.
- Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff, 31, Bloomington, chief executive officer of Afrique Hospitality Group.
- Hayat Mohamed Nur, 25, Eden Prairie, sister of Abdimajid Mohamed Nur and participator in scheme.
The following individuals are named in the indictment United States v. Qamar Ahmed Hassan, et al.
- Qamar Ahmed Hassan, 53, Brooklyn Park, owner and operator of S & S Catering.
- Sahra Mohamed Nur, 61, Saint Anthony, ran Academy For Youth Excellence site.
- Abdiwahab Ahmed Mohamud, 32, Brooklyn Park, ran Academy For Youth Excellence site.
- Filsan Mumin Hassan, 28, Brooklyn Park, ran Youth Higher Educational Achievement site.
- Guhaad Hashi Said, 46, Minneapolis, ran Advance Youth Athletic Development site.
- Abdullahe Nur Jesow, 62, Columbia Heights, ran Academy For Youth Excellence site.
- Abdul Abubakar Ali, 40, St. Paul, ran Youth Inventors Lab site.
- Yusuf Bashir Ali, 40, Vadnais Heights, ran Youth Inventors Lab site.
The following individuals are named in the indictment United States v. Haji Osman Salad, et al.
- Haji Osman Salad, 32, St. Anthony, principal of Haji’s Kitchen.
- Fahad Nur, 38, Minneapolis, principal of The Produce LLC.
- Anab Artan Awad, 52, Plymouth, president of Multiple Community Services.
- Sharmarke Issa, 40, Edina, creator of a company called Minnesota’s Somali Community and manager of Wacan Restaurant LLC.
- Farhiya Mohamud, 63, Bloomington principal and chief executive officer of Dua Supplies and Distribution Inc.
The following individuals are named in the indictment United States v. Liban Yasin Alishire, et al.
- Liban Yasin Alishire, 42, Brooklyn Park, president and owner of Community Enhancement Services Inc.
- Ahmed Yasin Ali, 57, Brooklyn Park, created a food site run by Lake Street Kitchen in the JigJiga Business Center.
- Khadar Jigre Adan, 59, Lakeville chief executive officer of food site run by Lake Street Kitchen in the JigJiga Business Center.
The following individuals are named in the indictment United States v. Sharmarke Jama, et al.
- Sharmake Jama, 34, Rochester, principal of Brava Restaurant and Cafe LLC.
- Ayan Jama, 43, Rochester, principal of Brava Restaurant and Cafe LLC.
- Asha Jama, 39, Lakeville, worked for Brava Restaurant.
- Fartun Jama, 35, Rosemount, worked for Brava Restaurant. (Court records from July 2023 show that Fartun has since died.)
- Mustafa Jama, 45, Rochester, worked for Brava Restaurant.
- Zamzam Jama, 48, Rochester, worked for Brava Restaurant.
The following individuals are named in criminal informations, another form of charging document. Each of the following people are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
- Bekam Addissu Merdassa, 39, Inver Grove Heights.
- Hadith Yusuf Ahmed, 34, Eden Prairie.
- Hanna Markegn, 40, Edina.
Two people were arrested and charged via complaint after buying tickets to leave the country.
- Mekfira Hussein, who was charged after buying one-way ticket to Ethiopia that was set to leave on the evening of September 20.
- Mohamed Noor, a prominent community journalist and owner of a Xogmaal Media Group in Minneapolis who also goes by Deeq Darajo. Authorities arrested him September 26 in Chicago as he was on his way to Istanbul.
- Abduljabar Hussein, 42, faces charges of wire fraud, bribery, and money laundering. He is married to Mekfira Hussein.
The following individuals were charged on March 13, 2023.
51. Mohamed Ali Hussein, Faribault, president and owner of Somali American Faribault Education (SAFE), a nonprofit organization that operated a food site under Feeding Our Future.
52. Lul Bashir Ali, Faribault, owner of Lido Restaurant, a food site and meal vendor that purported to provide and serve meals at the Somali American Faribault Education site.
53. Mulata Ali, manager of Franklyn Transportation in Minneapolis, which was previously identified as a shell company funneling food-aid money.
54. Kawsar Jama, Eagan, principal of Gedo Community Services and Ahlan Childcare Center Inc.
55. Abdikadir Kadiye, Plymouth, president of Hobyo Health Care Foundation.
56. Abdulkadir Awale, Bloomington, principal of Karmel Coffee and Sambusa King, and the chief executive officer of Nawal Restaurant.
57. Khadra Abdi, principal of Shafi’i Tutoring and Homework Help Center.
58. Ayan Farah Abukar, founder and executive director of Action for East African People, a nonprofit that provided health, housing, and education services to East Africans across Minnesota. The defendant used the nonprofit to enroll multiple food sites.
59. Sade Osman Hashi, chief executive officer of Great Lakes Inc., a food site that also operated as a vendor called Safari Express.
60. Sharon Ross, executive director of House of Refuge Outreach, a nonprofit organization in St. Paul.
The following individuals were charged on January 24, 2024:
61. Said Ereg, 45, owner of Evergreen Grocery and Deli in Minneapolis. His grocery store allegedly claimed $4.1 million in fraud through Feeding Our Future, and paid kickbacks to Abdikerm Eidleh.
62. Najmo Ahemd, 34, wife of Said Ereg, who allegedly participated in the scheme with him.
63. Ikram Yusuf Mohamed, 41, who worked as a consultant for Feeding Our Future. She allegedly opened many food sites as part of the scheme and used her family members’ names to register them.
64. Suleman Yusuf Mohamed, 39, brother of Ikram Mohamed and owner of Star Distribution LLC, a food distribution business. Star Distribution allegedly received $10 million in federal food-aid dollars.
65. Aisha Hassan Hussein, 71, sister of Ikram Mohamed and principal of United Youth of MPLS LLC. Aisha’s company allegedly received $2.1 million in food aid dollars, and she allegedly paid $166,000 in kickbacks to Ikram in exhange for enrollment with the program.
66. Sahra Sharif Osman, 41, principal of Youth International Club LLC, which allegedly operated two food sites under Feeding Our Future and received more than $1.4 million in federal food-aid dollars. Sahra allegedly paid a $7,500 kickback to Ikram Mohamed in exchange for enrollment in the federal Child Nutrition Program.
67. Shakur Abdinur Abdisalam, 45, husband of Ikram Mohamed and owner of Inspiring Youth and Out Reach LLC. Shakur’s company allegedly received more than $1.5 million in federal food-aid dollars, and he allegedly paid a $21,000 kickback to his wife’s consulting company in exchange for enrollment in the Child Nutrition Program.
68. Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf, 57, mother of Ikram Mohamed and owner of Active Mind’s Youth LLC, which allegedly received more than $1 million in federal food-aid dollars. Fadumo allegedly paid $166,000 in kickbacks to her daughter in exchange for enrollment in the Child Nutrition Program.
69. Gandi Yusuf Mohamed, 43, brother of Ikram Mohamed and owner of GAK Properties LLC and GIF Properties LLC. Gandi allegedly used both companies to launder $1.1 million in federal food-aid dollars.
The following individual was charged on February 1, 2024:
70. Hoda Ali Abdi, 53, owner of Alif Halal LLC grocery store in Burnsville. Hoda allegedly enrolled her grocery store into the federal Child Nutrition Program through Feeding Our Future and claimed to provide $3 million worth of meals to underserved children. She also allegedly claimed to serve 242,000 meals at her food site and collect more than $243,000 in food-aid dollars. Hoda is charged with an felony information, meaning she is expected to plead guilty.
The following individual was charged on May 29, 2025:
71. Hibo Daar, 50, served as executive director of the Minneapolis-based Northside Wellness Center. Her organization contracted with Feeding Our Future and allegedly received $1.7 million in federal funding through the organization between 2021 and early 2022. She allegedly claimed that the federal government owed her another $700,000 on top of that — a total of $2.4 million — for meals she purported to serve to underprivileged children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following individual was charged on June 6, 2025:
72. Dorothy Jean Moore, 57, allegedly used Jean’s Soul Food, a catering company run out of her apartment, to defraud the federal government of more than $1.4 million. She is charged with three counts each of wire fraud and money laundering. Moore enrolled two sites at metro churches and claimed that Jean’s Soul Food provided the food served there. From February to June 2021, Moore allegedly claimed to serve more than 300,000 meals at a site in Burnsville and another 300,000 meals at a church in Minneapolis. She is accused of claiming to provide more than 1,500 meals a day, seven days a week.
The following individual was charged on August 5, 2025:
73. Hussein Farah, executive director of New Vision Foundation, allegedly received $2.7 million from the federal government in food money between 2021 and 2022. Hussein Farah operated two food sites and allegedly submitted fake meal counts and attendance rosters. He is charged with one count of wire fraud via an information charge, which means a guilty plea could be on the way. Hussein Farah served on Sahan Journal’s board of directors from 2018 to 2024. Sahan’s board members are not involved in news coverage and day-to-day operations.
The following individuals were charged on September 3, 2025:
74. Ahmednaji Sheikh, 28, allegedly helped his brother Abdiaziz Farah launder millions of dollars in cash overseas to Kenya. Ahmednaji Sheikh, who lives in Kenya, then helped his brother invest fraud proceeds into a 20 percent stake in a Kenyan real estate business. That included Abdiaziz Farah’s purchase of an apartment complex Nairobi National Park. Ahmednaji Sheikh is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
75. Muna Wais Fidhin, 44, ran M5 Café and M5 Care, two food sites where she allegedly claimed to serve 300,000 meals during the pandemic. She allegedly received $1 million in federal food aid money and spent it on personal items like her mortgage and her car. She also allegedly paid $27,000 to Feeding Our Future, her sponsoring organization, in kickbacks. Muna Wais Fidhin is charged with wire fraud, federal programs bribery and money laundering.
The following individual was charged on September 24, 2025:
76. Asha Farhan Hassan, 28, allegedly enrolled her business Smart Therapy, an autism treatment center, in the federal food program. Smart Therapy allegedly stole $465,000 from the federal government through this program. Asha is charged with one count of wire fraud in a federal criminal information, meaning a future guilty plea is likely. Asha is also charged in a separate federal investigation involving alleged autism services fraud. In that investigation, Smart Therapy is alleged to have stolen $14 million in Medicaid money.
The following individual was charged on November 20, 2025:
77. Ousman Camara, 45, is charged with nine counts of wire fraud, federal programs bribery, and money laundering. He allegedly claimed that his north Minneapolis business, K’s Dollar Grocery & Deli, fed $1 million worth of food for 300,000 children. Camara allegedly paid $87,000 in kickbacks to Feeding Our Future and allegedly wired $100,000 abroad.
The following individual was charged on November 24, 2025:
78. Abdirashid Bixi Dool, 36, is charged with seven counts of wire fraud and money laundering. He served on the board of Bilaal Mosque Inc. and Multicultural Resource Center Inc., and allegedly used both companies to operate two food sites and claiming $1.1 million of federal dollars. Abdirashid allegedly made fake invoices claiming to serve 40,000 meals to children every week.
