Feeding our Future fraud case: Former Frey aide set to plead guilty

Two brothers, including a former senior aide to Mayor Jacob Frey, are set to enter guilty pleas in the massive Feeding our Future fraud case, days before they were set to face trial.

Feeding our Future case

The backstory:

In September 2022, prosecutors brought charges against dozens of people in the $250 million fraud case.

Prosecutors said the group claimed to serve thousands of meals to children through various organizations during the pandemic, but instead pocketed millions from the Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Feeding our Future guilty pleas

What we know:

Court filings show both Abdi Nur Salah and Abdulkadir Nur Salah will appear in court on Tuesday to change their pleas.

Both Salah brothers were accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Abdulkadir Nur Salah also faced charges of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery and federal programs bribery.

Abdulkadir Nur Salah ran Safari Restaurant, which received more than $16 million in fraudulent funds, prosecutors said.

Abdi Nur Salah, a former aide to Mayor Jacob Frey, ran a nonprofit called Stigma-Free International. Prosecutors say the organization was an end-around to a new policy by the USDA that barred restaurants and nonprofits from enrolling in the Federal Child Nutrition Program directly. Feeding our Future used Stigma-Free to continue collecting federal funds, prosecutors said.

A trial brief claims Abdi Nur Salah also used his political influence to prevent a crackdown on Feeding our Future.

The brief reads: "When [the Minnesota Department of Education] began scrutinizing Feeding Our Future and sites under its sponsorship, Abdi Nur Salah used his political influence to lobby politicians to pressure MDE not to shut down Feeding Our Future and sites under its sponsorship so that he and his co-conspirators could continue to carry out their fraudulent scheme."

What they're saying:

A spokesperson for Mayor Frey provided the following statement in reaction to the guilty pleas: "This marks an important step toward accountability following one of the most deep and offensive betrayals of public trust in our state’s history. The mayor appreciates the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligent and thorough prosecution of this case."

What's next:

The Salah brothers were among four people slated to go to trial next week in Minneapolis. Aimee Bock, the suspected ringleader of the fraud case, and partner Salim Ahmed Said are still slated for trial starting next Monday.

Feeding Our FutureCrime and Public SafetyMinneapolisJacob Frey