Minnesota officials are still dealing with a massive food program scam where dozens of Somali-American defendants allegedly stole hundreds of millions meant for hungry kids during the pandemic. Prosecutors say the Feeding Our Future nonprofit and connected vendors claimed they served 91 million meals at over 250 locations, but most sites were fake, or the paperwork was completely fabricated with pet photos and copied attendance lists.
The feds busted 78 people after finding luxury cars, mansions, and international property purchases linked to the stolen cash. One guy got 10 years for funneling $47 million through his restaurant without serving any actual food. Court records show defendants wiring money overseas to buy villas and bragging about cash boxes in text messages.
Governor Tim Walz admitted the state's generosity got exploited by organized criminals and promised a new fraud watchdog position. His attorney general helped shut down the fake nonprofits after noticing the reimbursements jumped from $3.4 million to $200 million in just two years.
The feds busted 78 people after finding luxury cars, mansions, and international property purchases linked to the stolen cash. One guy got 10 years for funneling $47 million through his restaurant without serving any actual food. Court records show defendants wiring money overseas to buy villas and bragging about cash boxes in text messages.
Governor Tim Walz admitted the state's generosity got exploited by organized criminals and promised a new fraud watchdog position. His attorney general helped shut down the fake nonprofits after noticing the reimbursements jumped from $3.4 million to $200 million in just two years.
