In Landmark Sentence, Feeding Our Future Scheme Leader Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison

[Ban Hammer 14,345]

MINNEAPOLIS – Today, United States District Judge Nancy E. Brasel sentenced Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, age 36, to 28 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for his role in a $300 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Farah was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,920,514.

Farah played a leading and role in the Feeding Our Future case, the largest Covid-19 fraud scheme in the United States.  According to public documents, Farah and his co-defendants stole more than $47 million in program funds by claiming to serve 18 million meals to kids at more than 30 food distribution sites.  In June 2024, after a seven-week trial before Judge Brasel, a federal jury convicted Farah of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, false statements in a passport application, conspiracy to commit money laundering, two counts of federal programs bribery, six counts of wire fraud, and 11 counts of money laundering.

Farah was the co-owner of Empire Cuisine & Market, an entity that he enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program in April 2020, during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Farah was among the very first defendants to see an opportunity for fraud and exploit it.  Farah immediately opened a number of fraudulent program sites and began falsely claiming to serve meals to thousands of children per day.  Many of the purported “sites” served no meals at all and were nothing more than parking lots or vacant commercial spaces.

 

more at https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/landmark-sentence-feeding-our-future-scheme-leader-sentenced-28-years-prison

 

[TBoneTX 47,629]

The slimebucket got what he deserved.