Feeding Our Future fraud: Grocery store operator pleads guilty

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minneapolis woman who helped run a grocery store with her husband, that bilked $4.2 million in federal funds as part of the Feeding Our Future scheme, entered a guilty plea in the case.

Feeding Our Future fraud

What we know:

Najimo Ahmed, 35, entered a guilty plea on Monday for her role in the massive $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud case.

Ahmed ran Evergreen Grocery and Deli in Minneapolis with her husband. In April 2020, Ereg enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program through Feeding Our Future.

"Under the direction of her husband, Ahmed signed falsified meal count sheets, including one dated December 31, 2020, claiming Evergreen Grocery and Deli served 3,250 children – twice a day – during the week of January 24, 2021," the U.S. Attorney's Office explains. "Between April 2020 and April 2021, Evergreen Grocery and Deli claimed to have served over 1.4 million meals to children."

Millions bilked from program

Dig deeper:

Authorities said the grocery store bilked more than $4.2 million in payments from Feeding Our Future based on the fake claims.

In total, Ahmed laundered $1.3 million in federal funds through her personal bank account in total, authorities said.

Prosecutors say Ahmed used the money to fund her "lavish lifestyle", including purchases from Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Canada Goose.

What's next:

Ahmed will be sentenced at a later date. Charges are still pending against her husband.