Five additional defendants, all Somali, have pleaded guilty to wire fraud in one of the largest pandemic fraud cases in U.S. history, the Minneapolis Feeding Our Future scandal that stole hundreds of millions of dollars meant for hungry children during COVID.
Ikram Yusuf Mohamed, 42, her husband Shakur Abdinur Abdisalam, 46, her sister Aisha Hassan Hussein, 29, Sahra Sharif Osman, 43, and her mother Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf, 59, each entered guilty pleas this week, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The group ran fake food distribution sites under the Feeding Our Future nonprofit umbrella and submitted phony claims for hundreds of thousands to over a million meals that were never served.
They used fake attendance rosters, inflated invoices through a related company, and paid kickbacks to cover their tracks.
Prosecutors say the five stole and laundered a total of $14.6 million in federal Child Nutrition Program funds, money that was supposed to feed kids during COVID but instead funded personal luxuries like rent, furniture, vacations, dining out, and DoorDash orders.
Each defendant’s company received more than $1 million in taxpayer money.
- Ikram Yusuf Mohamed opened multiple sites that pulled in over $6.9 million, hid her role by using family names, created Star Distribution LLC for fake invoices ($4.9 million direct and $1.4 million more), and demanded over $1.3 million in kickbacks.
- Shakur Abdinur Abdisalam ran Inspiring Youth & Outreach LLC, falsely claimed over 1 million meals, received $1.5 million, and paid a $21,000 kickback.
- Aisha Hassan Hussein ran United Youth of MPLS LLC, claimed 1.3 million meals, received $2.2 million, and paid a $166,000 kickback.
- Sahra Sharif Osman ran Youth International Club LLC, claimed nearly 700,000 meals, received $1.4 million, and paid a $7,500 kickback.
- Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf ran Active Mind’s Youth LLC, claimed over 500,000 meals, received $1 million, and paid a $38,500 kickback.
All five pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel.
Each faces up to 20 years in prison.
“I am proud of our team of prosecutors, federal agents, and law enforcement partners who continue to expose the rampant fraud in Minnesota,” U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen said in a press release about the pleas.
This brings the total convictions in the Feeding Our Future scheme to 63 out of 79 charged.
The overall scandal is estimated to have cost more than $250 million in stolen funds nationwide.
The vast majority of defendants charged in the Feeding Our Future case, and in related welfare fraud probes, are Somali.
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States, and the scandal has repeatedly exposed fraud networks operating within that state.
The case gained fresh national momentum thanks to the independent investigation by conservative YouTuber Nick Shirley.
Shirley’s explosive viral video in December documented apparently empty Somali-run daycare centers across Minnesota that were still collecting millions in federal funds.
After my last video exposing over $110 Million in fraud Tim Walz dropped his run for reelection and multiple federal investigations were launched to stop fraud across the country. In this 51 minute video David and I expose another $16 Million in fraud as Minnesota welfare… pic.twitter.com/p5r6BDXqsK
— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) January 14, 2026
Several of the daycares featured in Shirley’s video had directly received Feeding Our Future meal reimbursements totaling millions. His reporting helped trigger broader federal probes, congressional testimony, and the Trump administration’s crackdown on fraud and waste in the state.
The scandal also has direct political ties to Rep. Ilhan Omar.
Omar, who is Somali and represents Minnesota’s heavily Somali 5th District, co-sponsored the 2020 MEALS Act, which dramatically expanded and loosened oversight of the exact child nutrition programs exploited in the Feeding Our Future scheme.
Her campaign later received thousands of dollars in donations from individuals who were subsequently charged with fraud. She gave the money to charity after the scandal broke.
Additionally, Omar held events and appeared in promotional materials at Safari Restaurant, owned by convicted Feeding Our Future fraudster Salim Said, who used stolen funds for a $2 million mansion and luxury shopping sprees.
One of Omar’s former campaign staffers, Guhaad Hashi Said, also pleaded guilty to running a fake food site in the scheme.
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