ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found Derrick John Thompson guilty of illegal possession of a firearm and fentanyl following a deadly vehicle crash that killed five victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

Following a five-day trial in U.S. District Court before Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan, Thompson, 28, was found guilty of one count of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possessing a firearm as a felon, and one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

Thompson has not been to trial for the Murders of these ladies:

According to evidence presented at trial, on June 16, 2023, a trooper with the Minnesota State Patrol observed a black Cadillac Escalade speeding north on I-35W, traveling at 95 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour speed zone. The trooper observed the driver, later identified as Thompson, abruptly cut across four lanes of traffic to exit the freeway at the Lake Street exit. The trooper began following the SUV but did not activate the emergency lights or sirens because the trooper did not want to attempt a traffic stop on city streets given the Escalade’s dangerous driving. At the intersection of 2nd Avenue South and East Lake Street, Thompson sped through a red light at the intersection without stopping or slowing. The SUV struck at full speed the driver’s side of a Honda Civic that was traveling lawfully through the intersection. All five occupants of the Honda Civic, four adult females and one juvenile female, were killed. When law enforcement responded to the scene of the crash, witnesses told officers where Thompson fled. Officers found Thompson, wearing clothing that matched the description given by witnesses, sitting on the curb outside of a nearby restaurant. Officers detained Thompson, who was later transported to Hennepin County Medical Center for evaluation.

According to evidence presented at trial, an officer found at the scene a Hertz rental record for the Cadillac Escalade indicating that Thompson rented the vehicle from a Hertz located at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport approximately 30 minutes before the crash. After obtaining a warrant to search the vehicle, officers found a black leather bag on the front passenger side floor that contained a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine, as well as three baggies containing more than 2,000 blue “M-Box 30” fentanyl pills, a baggie containing an additional 14 grams of fentanyl powder, a baggie containing 35 grams of cocaine, and a digital scale. Subsequent testing determined that Thompson’s DNA was present on the firearm, the fentanyl powder, and the cocaine. A search of Thompson’s phone found dozens of texts indicating fentanyl deals.

Because Thompson has multiple prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport Police Department, in coordination with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Calhoun-Lopez and Ruth S. Shnider tried the case.

More info on Derrick Thompson

Views: 15

USAO-MN

Thursday, June 22, 2023

MINNEAPOLIS – Derrick John Thompson has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with illegal possession of fentanyl and a firearm following a deadly vehicle crash that killed five victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on June 16, 2023, a trooper with the Minnesota State Patrol observed a black Cadillac SUV speeding north on I-35W, traveling at 95 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour speed zone. The trooper began following the SUV but did not initiate the emergency lights or attempt to make a traffic stop because the trooper did not want to cause the driver, later identified as Thompson, 27, to continue to drive recklessly on city streets. The trooper observed Thompson abruptly cut across four lanes of traffic to exit the freeway at the Lake Street exit. At the intersection of 2nd Avenue South and East Lake Street, Thompson sped through a red light at the intersection without stopping or slowing. The SUV struck at full speed the driver’s side of a Honda Civic that was traveling lawfully through the intersection. All five occupants of the Honda Civic, four adult females and one juvenile female, were killed. When law enforcement responded to the scene of the crash, witnesses told officers that Thompson had fled on foot through a nearby alley. Officers found Thompson sitting on the curb outside of a nearby restaurant. Officers detained Thompson, who was later transported to Hennepin County Medical Center for evaluation.

According to court documents, an officer found at the scene a Hertz rental record for the Cadillac SUV indicating that Thompson rented the vehicle from a Hertz located at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport approximately 30 minutes before the crash. After obtaining a warrant to search the SUV, officers found a black leather bag on the front passenger side floor that contained a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine, as well as three baggies containing 2,169 blue “M-Box 30” fentanyl pills, a baggie containing an additional 14 grams of powder fentanyl, a baggie containing 13 MDMA pills, a baggie containing 35 grams of cocaine, and a digital scale.

Because Thompson has a prior felony conviction, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

The complaint charges Thompson with possession of a firearm as a felon, possession of fentanyl, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the charges, Thompson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in federal prison. Thompson, who is currently in state custody in Hennepin County, will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport Police Department, in close coordination with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Calhoun-Lopez and Ruth S. Shnider are prosecuting the case.

A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MN STATE charges

Views: 14

[Photos are from the Hennepin county jail unless noted elsewhere]

The following defendants are charged in the Highs indictment, with all defendants being from Minneapolis, unless otherwise noted below. [25 charged]

• Montez Brown, aka Tez Blood, 31, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Dantrell Johnson, aka Trell Moe, 30, is charged with RICO conspiracy and with using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of murder.

• Gregory Hamilton, aka Lil’ Lord, 27, is charged with RICO conspiracy and using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of murder.

• Keon Pruitt, aka KenKen, 20, is charged with RICO conspiracy and using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of murder.

• Jovan Knight, aka 23, aka JoJo, 23, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

• Tyreese Giles, aka Reese, 22, is charged with RICO conspiracy.

• Josiah Taylor, aka Joker, 29, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Douglas Mobley, aka Nut, 35, of St. Paul, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

• Jarrett Robinson, aka Gator, 25, is charged with RICO conspiracy.

• Trevaun Robinson, aka Tricky Tre, 27, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Isaac Hodge, aka Ike, 46, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

• Christopher Finch, aka Twin, 22, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Tony Jelks, aka BD, 29, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

• Cortez Blakemore, aka Tez, 33, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

• Randy Tate, aka “Randy,” aka 32, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

• Trevoneia Felton, aka Tre, 21, of St. Paul, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

• Chase Robertson, aka Chase Loco, 25, of St. Paul, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Malcolm Samuels, aka Reggie, 24, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

• William Banks, aka Bear, 33, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

• Ronald Washington, aka Black, 36, is charged with RICO conspiracy.

• William Johnson, aka Lil’ Will, 32, is charged with using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of murder.

• Dashaun Morris, aka Mush, 21, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

• Ernest Boyd, aka Shaky Shawn, 42, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Maron Bailey, aka Boonie, 25, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

• Isaiah Bell, 20, of St. Paul, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Additionally, the following defendants are Highs members or associates who were charged in individual indictments: [3 charged]

• Montrell Shief, 23, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of a machinegun.

• Deon Williams, aka Ghost, 28, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

• Dennis Mobley, aka Diddy, 34, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The following defendants are named in the Bloods indictment: [3 charged]

• Desean James Solomon, aka Black, 33, is charged with RICO conspiracy and two counts of using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of murder.

• Michael Allen Burrell, aka Skitz, 42, is charged with using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of murder.

• Leontawan Lentez Holt, aka Leon, aka Shotta, aka Shot Dog, 25, is charged with using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of murder.

Additionally, the following defendants are Bloods members or associates who were charged separately: [11 charged]

• Theodore Harold Bobo Jr., aka Boo, 37 of St. Paul, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, being a felon of possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Jordan Kenneth Edwards, aka J-Bird, 34, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, being a felon of possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Isaiah Lamuel Elisha Ferguson, 26, is charged with firearm conspiracy and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

• Josiah Ferguson, 24, is charged with firearm conspiracy and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

• Demarcus Cortez Garner, 24, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

• Andrew Dayjon Griffin, 32, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

• Obuatawan Holt, aka Bone, 47, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

• Latoya Bea Smith, 47, is charged with knowingly transferring firearms to a felon.

• John Eric Solomon aka Eastside, 33 of Minneapolis, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

• Traigh Sean Tillman, 29, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

• Nathan Walz, aka Fat Nate, aka Fat Blood, aka Fat Boy, aka White Boy Nate, 34, of Prior Lake, is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Views: 339

He is accused of registering his company, Xogmaal Media Group, as a phony Federal Child Nutrition Program meal site under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future.

Xogmaal Media is described as a “Minneapolis-based Somali marketing, advertising, and communications firm.” It also runs a news site focused on the Somali community.

An affidavit filed in U.S. District Court details internal Feeding Our Future emails that document Xogmaal Media Group moving to “step 2 of the application” before an employee raised concerns about sponsoring the company.

Noor Complaint

Views: 15

According to court documents, Mekfira Hussein, 38, was the president and owner of Shamsia Hopes, a nonprofit corporation located in Brooklyn Center that operated Federal Child Nutrition Program sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Mekfira’s husband, Abduljabar Hussein, 42, created a company, Oromia Feeds LLC, that purported to provide food to children at Shamsia Hopes’ sites in Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis, and Fridley.

Hussein Complaint

Bill from AmericanExperiment has done some research on Mekfira Hussein and her feed the kids: Check it out: Feeding Our Future: Is all hope lost?

Here’s great timeline: Tracking the alleged Feeding Our Future scandal

Views: 37

MINNEAPOLIS — Three individuals have pleaded guilty to their roles in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, Bekam Addissu Merdassa, of Inver Grove Heights, Hanna Marekegn, of Medina, and Hadith Yusuf Ahmed, of Eden Prairie, admitted that between 2020 and 2022, they knowingly and willfully conspired with others to participate in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misappropriate millions of dollars in federal child nutrition program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to underprivileged children.

According to his guilty plea, Merdassa used a non-profit entity called Youth Inventors Lab as a shell company to carry out his scheme. Merdassa and his co-conspirators enrolled Youth Inventors Lab in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. After enrolling in the program, Merdassa and his co-conspirators immediately began submitting claims for reimbursement for purportedly serving meals to hundreds or thousands of children a day. In support of these fraudulent claims, Merdassa and his co-conspirators prepared and submitted fake invoices purporting to document the purchase of food from a vendor, S & S Catering. But Youth Inventors Lab never received any meals from S & S Catering to serve at its site. In total, Youth Inventors Lab claimed to have served over 1.3 million meals between December 2020 through June 2021 and fraudulently received $3,029,786 in reimbursements from Feeding Our Future.

According to her guilty plea, Marekegn enrolled her company, Brava Cafe, in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. In her application, Marekegn claimed that she would be serving meals to up to 4,000 children per day at her restaurant in Minneapolis. In reality, Marekegn had neither the ability to prepare and serve that many meals each day nor that number of children to feed. Marekegn submitted fraudulently inflated invoices for reimbursement in which she claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day. In support of these fraudulent claims, the defendant prepared and submitted fake paperwork, including falsely inflated meal counts. Marekegn also participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as a vendor and paid kickbacks to a Feeding Our Future employee in exchange for the nonprofit’s sponsorship of her company. In total, the company claimed to have served over 2 million meals to children between September 2020 and fall 2021 and obtained approximately $7.1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

According to his guilty plea, Ahmed was an employee of Feeding Our Future and was responsible for monitoring and supporting sponsor sites. Ahmed solicited and accepted kickback payments from several sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Ahmed created and used a shell company, Mizal Consulting LLC, to receive and conceal the kickback payments, which were often disguised as “consulting fees.” In all, Ahmed solicited and received more than $1 million in bribe and kickback payments from individuals and companies involved in the scheme under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Ahmed also created a site under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future called Southwest Metro Youth. Ahmed and his co-conspirators submitted fraudulent invoices for reimbursement in which they claimed to be serving meals to 2,000 children a day at Southwest Metro Youth. In support of these fraudulent claims, Ahmed and his co-conspirators prepared and submitted fake paperwork, including fake meal counts and fake invoices purporting to document the purchase of food from a vendor. In total, Ahmed’s company Southwest Metro Youth obtained more than $1.1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds

The three defendants pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later time.

These cases are the result of an investigation conducted by IRS – Criminal Investigations, the FBI, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Chelsea A. Walcker, Matthew S. Ebert, and Joseph S. Teirab. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

Views: 13

MINNEAPOLIS — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota today announced federal criminal charges against 47 defendants for their alleged roles in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These indictments, alleging the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme charged to date, underscore the Department of Justice’s sustained commitment to combating pandemic fraud and holding accountable those who perpetrate it,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In partnership with agencies across government, the Justice Department will continue to bring to justice those who have exploited the pandemic for personal gain and stolen from American taxpayers.”

“Today’s indictments describe an egregious plot to steal public funds meant to care for children in need in what amounts to the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme yet,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The defendants went to great lengths to exploit a program designed to feed underserved children in Minnesota amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, fraudulently diverting millions of dollars designated for the program for their own personal gain. These charges send the message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners remain vigilant and will vigorously pursue those who attempt to enrich themselves through fraudulent means.”

“This was a brazen scheme of staggering proportions,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. “These defendants exploited a program designed to provide nutritious food to needy children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, they prioritized their own greed, stealing more than a quarter of a billion dollars in federal funds to purchase luxury cars, houses, jewelry, and coastal resort property abroad. I commend the work of the skilled investigators and prosecutors who unraveled the lies, deception, and mountains of false documentation to bring this complex case to light.”

“Exploiting a government program intended to feed children at the time of a national crisis is the epitome of greed,” said IRS – Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Justin Campbell, Chicago Field Office. “As alleged, the defendants charged in this case chose to enrich themselves at the expense of children. Instead of feeding the future, they chose to steal from the future. IRS – Criminal Investigation is pleased to join our law enforcement partners to hold these defendants accountable.”

The 47 defendants are charged across six separate indictments and three criminal informations with charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and bribery.

As outlined in the charging documents, the defendants devised and carried out a massive scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program. The defendants obtained, misappropriated, and laundered millions of dollars in program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to children. The defendants exploited changes in the program intended to ensure underserved children received adequate nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than feed children, the defendants enriched themselves by fraudulently misappropriating millions of dollars in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

The Federal Child Nutrition Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a federally-funded program designed to provide free meals to children in need. The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers the program throughout the nation by distributing federal funds to state governments. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) administers and oversees the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Meals funded by the Federal Child Nutrition Program are served by “sites.” Each site participating in the program must be sponsored by an authorized sponsoring organization. Sponsors must submit an application to MDE for each site. Sponsors are also responsible for monitoring each of their sites and preparing reimbursement claims for their sites. The USDA then provides MDE federal reimbursement funds on a per-meal basis. MDE provides those funds to the sponsoring agency who, in turn, pays the reimbursements to the sites under its sponsorship. The sponsoring agency retains 10 to 15 percent of the funds as an administrative fee.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDA waived some of the standard requirements for participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Among other things, the USDA allowed for-profit restaurants to participate in the program, as well as allowed for off-site food distribution to children outside of educational programs.

Aimee Bock was the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. The indictments charge Bock with overseeing a massive fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship. Feeding Our Future went from receiving and disbursing approximately $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021.

As part of the charged scheme, Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota. These sites, created and operated by the defendants and others, fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed. The defendants created dozens of shell companies to enroll in the program as Federal Child Nutrition Program sites. The defendants also created shell companies to receive and launder the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme.

To carry out the scheme, the defendants also created and submitted false documentation. They submitted fraudulent meal count sheets purporting to document the number of children and meals served at each site. The defendants submitted false invoices purporting to document the purchase of food to be served to children at the sites. The defendants also submitted fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names and ages of the children receiving meals at the sites each day. These rosters were fabricated and created using fake names. For example, one roster was created using names from a website called “www.listofrandomnames.com.” Because the program only reimbursed for meals served to children, other defendants used an Excel formula to insert a random age between 7 and 17 into the age column of the rosters.

Despite knowing the claims were fraudulent, Feeding Our Future submitted the fraudulent claims to MDE and then disbursed the fraudulently obtained Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to the individuals and entities involved in the scheme.

In exchange for sponsoring these sites’ fraudulent participation in the program, Feeding Our Future received more than $18 million in administrative fees to which it was not entitled. In addition to the administrative fees, Feeding Our Future employees solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies sponsored by Feeding Our Future. Many of these kickbacks were paid in cash or disguised as “consulting fees” paid to shell companies created by Feeding Our Future employees to make them appear legitimate.

When MDE attempted to perform necessary oversight regarding the number of sites and amount of claims being submitted, Bock and Feeding Our Future gave false assurances that they were monitoring the sites under its sponsorship and that the sites were serving the meals as claimed. When MDE employees pressed Bock for clarification, Bock accused MDE of discrimination and unfairly scrutinizing Feeding Our Future’s sites. When MDE denied Feeding Our Future site applications, Bock and Feeding Our Future filed a lawsuit accusing MDE of denying the site applications due to discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

In total, Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 sites throughout the state of Minnesota and fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. The defendants used the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme to purchase luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota as well as property in Ohio and Kentucky, real estate in Kenya and Turkey, and to fund international travel.

United States v. Aimee Marie Bock, et al., 22-CR-223 (NEB/TNL), charges 14 defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering for their roles the Federal Child Nutrition Program fraud scheme. In April 2020, Safari Restaurant enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. The owners of Safari Restaurant and their co-conspirators opened additional sites throughout the state of Minnesota, as well as dozens of shell companies. Over the course of the fraud scheme, the defendants claimed to have served millions of meals. Based on their fraudulent claims, the defendants received more than $32 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which they misappropriated for their own personal benefit, including expenditures such as vehicles, real estate, and travel.

United States v. Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, et al., 22-CR-124 (NEB/TNL), charges eight defendants with conspiracy, wire fraud, federal programs bribery, and money laundering for their roles the Federal Child Nutrition Program fraud scheme. In April 2020, Empire Cuisine and Market LLC enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Sponsor A. The owners of Empire Cuisine and Market LLC and their co-conspirators opened additional sites throughout the state of Minnesota, as well as dozens of shell companies. Over the course of the fraud scheme, the defendants claimed to have served millions of meals. Based on their fraudulent claims, the defendants received more than $40 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which they misappropriated for their own personal benefit, including expenditures such as vehicles, travel, real estate, and property in Kenya.

United States v. Qamar Ahmed Hassan, et al., 22-CR-224 (NEB/TNL), charges eight defendants with conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering for their roles the Federal Child Nutrition Program fraud scheme. In August 2020, S & S Catering Inc. enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. The owner of S & S Catering and other co-conspirators opened sites across the Twin Cities and claimed to have served millions of meals. Based on their fraudulent claims, the defendants received more than $18 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which they misappropriated for their own personal benefit, including expenditures such as vehicles and real estate.

United States v. Haji Osman Salad, et al., 22-CR-226 (NEB/TNL), charges five defendants with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering for their roles in the Federal Child Nutrition Program fraud scheme. The owner of Haji’s Kitchen LLC and other co-conspirators enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Sponsor A. The co-conspirators opened sites across the state of Minnesota, as well as multiple shell companies. Over the course of the fraud scheme, the defendants claimed to have served millions of meals. Based on their fraudulent claims, the defendants received more than $25 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which they misappropriated for their own personal benefit, including expenditures such as vehicles, real estate, and travel.

United States v. Liban Yasin Alishire, et al., 22-CR-222 (NEB/TML), charges three defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs, federal programs bribery, and money laundering for their roles in the Federal Child Nutrition Program fraud scheme. The owner of Community Enhancement Services Inc. and other co-conspirators opened multiple sites and shell companies in the JigJiga Business Center in Minneapolis. Over the course of the fraud scheme, the defendants claimed to have served hundreds of thousands of meals. Based on their fraudulent claims, the defendants received more than $1.6 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which they misappropriated for their own personal benefit, including expenditures such as vehicles, real estate, and beach property in Kenya.

United States v. Sharmake Jama, et al., 22-CR-225 (NEB/TNL), charges six defendants with wire fraud, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering for their roles in the Federal Child Nutrition Program fraud scheme. In September 2020, Brava Restaurant & Café LLC, a site located in Rochester, Minnesota, enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. The owners of Brava Restaurant & Café and other co-conspirators claimed to have served millions of meals from Brava Restaurant & Café and falsely claimed to have a contract with Rochester Public Schools. Based on their fraudulent claims, the defendants received approximately $4.3 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which they misappropriated for their own personal benefit, including expenditures such as vehicles, real estate, and property on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.

The following defendants are named in the United States v. Aimee Marie Bock, et al. indictment:

• Aimee Marie Bock, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery. Bock was the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future. Bock oversaw the $240 million fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship.
• Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, of Burnsville, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Eidleh was an employee of Feeding Our Future who solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Eidleh also created his own fraudulent sites.
• Salim Ahmed Said, of Plymouth, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Said was an owner and operator of Safari Restaurant, a site that received more than $16 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Abdulkadir Nur Salah, of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Abdulkadir Salah was an owner and operator of Safari Restaurant, a site that received more than $16 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Ahmed Sharif Omar-Hashim, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Omar-Hashim created a company called Olive Management Inc., a site that received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Abdi Nur Salah, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Abdi Salah registered Stigma-Free International, a non-profit entity used to carry out the scheme with sites throughout Minnesota, including in Willmar, Mankato, St. Cloud, Waite Park, and St. Paul.
• Abdihakim Ali Ahmed, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Abdihakim Ahmed created ASA Limited LLC, a site that received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Ahmed Mohamed Artan, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Artan registered Stigma-Free International, a non-profit entity used to carry out the scheme with sites throughout Minnesota, including in Willmar, Mankato, St. Cloud, Waite Park, and St. Paul.
• Abdikadir Ainanshe Mohamud, of Fridley, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Mohamud ran the Stigma-Free Willmar site. This site claimed to have served approximately 1.6 million meals and received more than $4 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Abdinasir Mahamed Abshir, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Abdinasir Abshir ran the Stigma-Free Mankato site. This site claimed to have served more than 1.6 million meals and received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Asad Mohamed Abshir, of Mankato, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Asad Abshir ran the Stigma-Free Mankato site. This site claimed to have served more than 1.6 million meals and received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Hamdi Hussein Omar, of St. Paul, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Omar ran the Stigma-Free Waite Park site. This site claimed to have served more than 500,000 meals and received more than $1 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Ahmed Abdullahi Ghedi, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Ghedi created ASA Limited LLC, a site that received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Abdirahman Mohamud Ahmed, of Columbus, Ohio, is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. Abdirahman Ahmed was an owner and operator of Safari Restaurant, a site that received more than $16 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

The following defendants are named in the United States v. Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, et al. indictment:

• Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, of Savage, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, and false statements in a passport application. Abdiaziz Farah was an owner and operator of Empire Cuisine and Market LLC, a for-profit restaurant that participated in the scheme as a site, as a vendor for other sites, and as an entity to launder fraudulent proceeds. Empire Cuisine and Market and other affiliated sites received more than $28 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Mohamed Jama Ismail, of Savage, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Ismail was an owner and operator of Empire Cuisine and Market LLC, a for-profit restaurant that participated in the scheme as a site, as a vendor for other sites, and as an entity to launder fraudulent proceeds. Empire Cuisine and Market and other affiliated sites received more than $28 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Mahad Ibrahim, of Lewis Center, Ohio, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Ibrahim was the president and owner of ThinkTechAct Foundation, a Minnesota non-profit organization that also operated under the name Mind Foundry Learning Foundation. ThinkTechAct and Mind Foundry created dozens of sites throughout Minnesota, including in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Burnsville, Faribault, Owatonna, Shakopee, Circle Pines, and Willmar. ThinkTechAct received more than $18 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, of Shakopee, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Abdimajid Nur created Nur Consulting LLC to receive and launder Federal Child Nutrition Program funds from Empire Cuisine and Market, ThinkTechAct, and other entities involved in the scheme.
• Said Shafii Farah, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Said Farah, the brother of Abdiaziz Farah, was an owner of Bushra Wholesalers LLC, a shell company used to launder fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Aftin was an owner of Bushra Wholesalers LLC, a shell company used to launder fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff, of Bloomington, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Shariff was the chief executive officer of Afrique Hospitality Group, a shell company used to fraudulent obtain and launder Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Hayat Mohamed Nur, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Hayat Nur, the sister of Abdimajid Nur, participated in the scheme by creating and submitting fraudulent meal count sheets, attendance rosters, and invoices.

The following defendants are named in the United States v. Qamar Ahmed Hassan, et al. indictment:

• Qamar Ahmed Hassan, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Hassan was the owner and operator of S & S Catering Inc., a for-profit restaurant and catering business that participated in the scheme as a distribution site and as a vendor for other sites. S & S Catering received more than $18 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Sahra Mohamed Nur, of Saint Anthony, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Nur ran a site called Academy For Youth Excellence that used S & S Catering as a vendor.
• Abdiwahab Ahmed Mohamud, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Mohamud ran a site called Academy For Youth Excellence that used S & S Catering as a vendor.
• Filsan Mumin Hassan, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Hassan ran a site called Youth Higher Educational Achievement that falsely claimed to serve up to 4,300 meals a day.
• Guhaad Hashi Said, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Hashi ran a site under the name Advance Youth Athletic Development that falsely claimed to serve up to 5,000 meals a day.
• Abdullahe Nur Jesow, of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Jesow ran a site called Academy For Youth Excellence that used S & S Catering as a vendor.
• Abdul Abubakar Ali, of St. Paul, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Abdul Ali ran a site called Youth Inventors Lab that falsely claimed to have served a total of approximately 1.5 million meals in a seven-month period.
• Yusuf Bashir Ali, of Vadnais Heights, Minnesota is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Yusuf Ali ran a site called Youth Inventors Lab that falsely claimed to have served a total of approximately 1.5 million meals in a seven-month period.

The following defendants are named in the United States v. Haji Osman Salad, et al. indictment:

• Haji Osman Salad, of St. Anthony, Minnesota, is charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Salad was the principal of Haji’s Kitchen and received approximately $11.6 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Fahad Nur, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Nur was the principal of The Produce LLC, a vendor and purported food supplier who received more than $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Anab Artan Awad, of Plymouth, Minnesota, is charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Awad was the president of Multiple Community Services, MCA. Awad claimed more than $11 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Sharmarke Issa, of Edina, Minnesota, is charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Issa created a company called Minnesota’s Somali Community and was the manager of Wacan Restaurant LLC. Issa fraudulently caused MDE to pay out more than $7.4 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Farhiya Mohamud, of Bloomington, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Mohamud was the principal and CEO of Dua Supplies and Distribution Inc., a shell company that laundered millions of dollars of fraudulently obtained Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

The following defendants are named in the United States v. Liban Yasin Alishire, et al. indictment:

• Liban Yasin Alishire, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, and money laundering. Alishire was the president and owner of Community Enhancement Services, Inc., a company located in the JigJiga Business Center in Minneapolis. Community Enhancement Services was a cultural mall owned and operated by Alishire and co-defendant Khadar Jigre Adan. Community Enhancement Services received more than $1.6 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Ahmed Yasin Ali, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Ali created a second program site, run by Lake Street Kitchen, and located in the JigJiga Business Center in Minneapolis.
• Khadar Jigre Adan, of Lakeville, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Adan was the CEO of Lake Street Kitchen, which was a program site located in the JigJiga Business Center in Minneapolis.

The following defendants are named in the United States v. Sharmake Jama, et al. indictment:

• Sharmake Jama, of Rochester, Minnesota, is charged with wire fraud, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Sharmake Jama was a principal of Brava Restaurant and Café LLC. Brava Restaurant received approximately $4.3 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
• Ayan Jama, of Rochester, Minnesota is charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Ayan Jama was a principal of Brava Restaurant and Café LLC. Ayan Jama also created shell companies to launder fraudulent proceeds.
• Asha Jama, of Lakeville, Minnesota is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. Asha Jama worked for Brava Restaurant and created shell companies to launder fraudulent proceeds.
• Fartun Jama, of Rosemount, Minnesota is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. Fartun Jama worked for Brava Restaurant and created shell companies to launder fraudulent proceeds.
• Mustafa Jama, of Rochester, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. Mustafa Jama worked for Brava Restaurant and created shell companies to launder fraudulent proceeds.
• Zamzam Jama, of Rochester, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. Zamzam Jama worked for Brava Restaurant and created shell companies to launder fraudulent proceeds.

Criminal informations:

• Bekam Addissu Merdassa, of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Plead Guilty 13 October 2022
• Hadith Yusuf Ahmed, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Plead Guilty 13 October 2022
• Hanna Marekegn, of Edina, Minnesota, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Plead Guilty 13 October 2022

United States Attorney Andrew Luger thanks the IRS–Criminal Investigations, FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their collaboration and skilled investigative work in bringing these indictments.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Chelsea A. Walcker, Matthew S. Ebert, and Joseph S. Teirab are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Seven Minneapolis Men Face Federal Charges for Violent Crimes

Charges include carjacking, firearms violations, and drug trafficking occurring in the area of Chicago and Franklin

Charged: Albert Walter Bratton III, Marion Quintel Ware, Namiri Love Laquandas Tanner, Shamar Jamareus Scott, Anthony Shaquan Kemp, Devon Martell Harmon, and Tiray Yvonne Dyson.

MINNEAPOLIS – Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats today announced federal charges against seven individuals for violent criminal activity, including carjacking, drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and possession of a machine gun.

According to court documents, in mid-2021, law enforcement had documented a recent increase in gang activity along with numerous violent incidents, including shootings and murders, in and around the intersection of Chicago Avenue and Franklin Avenue in south Minneapolis. On June 10, 2021, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department conducting surveillance in the area observed several individuals engaging in what appeared to be hand-to-hand drug deals. When officers approached the group, Albert Walter Bratton, III, 26, attempted to flee on foot, but officers were able to apprehend him after he stumbled and fell. After Bratton fell, officer recovered a Glock model 43, 9 mm semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine, which Bratton had removed from his waistband. Officers later recovered from Bratton’s possession two baggies containing a total of approximately 10 grams of crack cocaine, divided into several smaller baggies for distribution. Bratton has been charged via criminal complaint with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, on June 15, 2021, Marion Quintel Ware, 19, carjacked a 2007 Ford Focus by using force, violence, and intimidation against the victim. A recently unsealed indictment charges Ware with one count of aiding and abetting carjacking.

According to court documents, on July 21, 2021, Namiri Love Laquandas Tanner, 21, was in possession of a .40-caliber Glock pistol with a high-capacity magazine, equipped with an attached conversion device, commonly known as a “glock switch” or “auto-sear.” These devices are designed to convert a semi-automatic weapon to shoot automatically by a single pull of the trigger and are classified as machine guns under federal law. A recently unsealed indictment charges Tanner with one count of possession of a machine gun.

Four additional defendants have been indicted for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Shamar Jamareus Scott, 21, is charged with one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. Anthony Shaquan Kemp, Jr., 22, is charged with one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. Devon Martell Harmon and Tiray Yvonne Dyson, both 38, are each charged with one count of possessing ammunition as a felon. All four defendants have previous felony convictions and are therefore prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.

The defendants made their initial appearances earlier today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz.

These cases are being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

These cases are the result of an investigation led by the Minneapolis Police Department, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Secret Service.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amber M. Brennan and Harry M. Jacobs.

DOJ

Views: 4