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Crime, Law and Justice
Matt Sepic

Feeding Our Future defendant pleads guilty, admits to diverting millions to co-conspirators

Four people in suits stand behind podium
Minnesota U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger speaks during a press conference about 10 new charges in the case against Feeding Our Future at the U.S. District Court in Minneapolis on March 13, 2023.
Stephen Maturen for MPR News file

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A 16th person has admitted taking part in a conspiracy to defraud federal child nutrition programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since late 2022, federal prosecutors in Minneapolis have charged five dozen people with stealing $250 million from food programs meant for children in need. Prosecutors say the money went instead to buy cars, luxury goods, jewelry and property in the United States, Kenya and Turkey.

The case is so large that authorities grouped the defendants into separate indictments.

Ahmed Sharif Omar-Hashim is the first charged in the lead indictment that includes Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock to plead guilty. Bock has pleaded not guilty.

In court, Omar-Hashim admitted that he falsely claimed to have served 3,000 children a day from a small St. Cloud deli and sent much of the $7.5 million his company collected to his co-conspirators.

Omar-Hashim also admitted paying thousands in kickbacks to a Feeding Our Future employee.

The first trial in the case is set for late January.