Somali woman pleads guilty in Minnesota food fraud

[Deeq A.]

Minneapolis, Minnesota – A Minnesota woman pleaded guilty on Friday to participating in a sprawling fraud scheme that siphoned millions of dollars from a federal program designed to feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. officials announced.

Ayan Farah Abukar, 43, of Savage, Minnesota, admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in U.S. District Court, according to a statement from Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota, Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

Abukar is one of dozens charged with what federal prosecutors have described as one of the most prominent pandemic-related fraud cases in the United States.

Court documents reveal that Abukar, founder and executive director of the non-profit organization Action for East African People, fraudulently enrolled her organization in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. This program, overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), provides funding to reimburse organizations for meals served to low-income children.

During the pandemic, the USDA waived some of the program’s requirements to ensure wider access to food for children in need.

Prosecutors say Abukar and her co-conspirators exploited these relaxed regulations, falsely claiming to serve meals to thousands of children daily while diverting the funds for personal use.

Inflated claims and kickbacks

Between October 2020 and 2022, Abukar claimed to serve up to 5,000 children a day at multiple sites across Bloomington, Minneapolis, Savage, and St. Paul. Her organization received approximately $5.7 million in federal funds through the program.

However, the investigation revealed that these claims were vastly inflated. Prosecutors detailed how Abukar used the misappropriated funds to purchase a 37-acre commercial property in Lakeville, Minnesota, and an aircraft in Nairobi, Kenya.

Furthermore, Abukar paid over $330,000 in kickbacks to an employee of Feeding Our Future, a non-profit organization that sponsored Action for East African People’s participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program.

Feeding Our Future and another sponsoring organization referred to in court documents as “Sponsor A” were central to the broader scheme, allegedly facilitating fraudulent applications and receiving kickbacks from participating organizations.

Feeding Our Future: A central player

Feeding Our Future, based in St. Anthony, Minnesota, was a significant sponsor of the state’s Federal Child Nutrition Program. As a sponsor, it was responsible for overseeing the program’s implementation by participating organizations, submitting reimbursement claims to the Minnesota Department of Education, and disbursing funds received from the USDA.

The organization and its founder, Aimee Bock, allegedly accepted and facilitated numerous fraudulent applications from organizations like Abukar’s, enriching themselves through kickback schemes.

Bock has maintained her innocence, claiming she and her organization were unaware of the fraudulent activities. However, the scale of the fraud and the involvement of numerous organizations under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship have raised serious questions about its oversight and due diligence practices.

The case results from a joint investigation by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The investigation has led to charges against numerous individuals and organizations involved in the scheme.

“This case is a stark reminder of the importance of safeguarding taxpayer dollars, especially during times of crisis,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick in a statement released to the press.

“The actions of these individuals diverted critical resources away from vulnerable children and undermined the integrity of a vital program.”

Abukar’s sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. She faces a potential sentence of several years in prison and significant financial penalties.