Luxury cars,private villas and overseas wire transfers: CBS News obtained dozens of files and photos that reveal how Minnesota fraudsters blew through hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars as part of one of the biggest COVID-era fraud schemes.
The files document a spending spree in which defendants, many of Somali descent, took taxpayer money meant to feed hungry children and used it to buy cars, property and jewelry. Videos show them popping champagne at an opulent Maldives resort. In a text message, one defendant boasts: “You are gonna be the richest 25 year old InshaAllah [God willing].”
The documents feature exhibits from a recent federal trial, many of which are being made public by CBS News for the first time.The exhibits include:
- A confirmation email for a stay in an overwater villa with a private pool at Radisson Blu Resort Maldives
- Lakefront property in Minnesota
- Receipts showing wire transfers to china and East Africa
- First class tickets to Istanbul and Amsterdam
- A 2021 Porsche macan
- Stacks of cash, texted between defendants
Court exhibit
At the sentencing of a defendant who used taxpayer funds for cars and the Maldives vacation, 24-year-old Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, U.S. District Judge Nancy E.Brasel admonished him, saying: “Where others saw a crisis and rushed to help, you saw money and rushed to steal.” He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $48 million in restitution for his role in the fraud scheme.
Nur is one of dozens who siphoned hundreds of millions in stolen taxpayer funds – with questions still swirling about where all the money went. The crime has drawn renewed attention in rece
Millions in Fraudulent Funds from minnesota meal Programme Sent to China and Somalia
A Minnesota man sentenced to 28 years in prison for his role in a $47 million fraud scheme involving a children’s meal program directed over $1 million to banks in China and sent funds with potential ties to the terrorist group al Shabaab in Somalia.
Abdiaz Shafi Farah, 36, owner and operator of Empire cuisine and Market, contracted with the nonprofit Feeding Our Future to provide meals to children.Prosecutors allege Farah and his co-defendants falsely billed the state for 18 million meals served at over 30 locations,while distributing none.
Court records reveal farah made six wire transfers totaling over $1 million to banks in China between February and July 2021. Additionally, a text message from Farah instructed someone to “please send $1000 to Mogadishu bakara,” referencing a one-time al Shabaab stronghold and the site of the 1993 “Black Hawk Down” incident.
Documents detail Farah’s spending on luxury cars and investment properties, alongside the fraudulent transfer of $3 million to accounts in Kenya.
Minnesota Fraud Scandal: Allegations of Links to Terrorism and Ilhan Omar’s Response
A widening fraud scandal in Minnesota involving members of the Somali community has sparked concerns about potential links to terrorism, prompting a response from Rep. Ilhan Omar. Federal prosecutors have already convicted 61 individuals in the case, with further investigations underway.
The case initially centered around allegations of fraud, but questions have arisen regarding the potential diversion of funds to the terrorist group Al Shabaab. CBS News reached out to Farah’s attorneys for comment,specifically inquiring about weather any of the fraudulently obtained money was directed to Al Shabaab,but did not receive a response.
Rep. Ilhan Omar addressed the allegations on CBS News’ “Face The Nation with Margaret Brennan,” stating that any connection between the fraud and terrorism would indicate a failure of law enforcement and the judicial system. “If there was a linkage in the money that they have stolen going to terrorism, then that is a failure of the FBI and our court system in not figuring that out,” Omar said. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ilhan-omar-alleged-somali-fraud-terrorism-face-the-nation/
The fraud scandal has been developing for some time,and the ongoing investigations suggest the scope of the issue is substantial.The FBI has been investigating large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs, especially those related to food assistance.https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-somali-community-fraud-investigation-ilhan-omar-fbi-al-shabaab/600236941/
pat Milton of CBS News contributed to this report.