Feeding Our Future Fraud Leader Sentenced 28 Years Prison

Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, a key figure in the $300 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme exploiting a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison. Farah and his co-defendants falsely claimed to serve 18 million meals at more than 30 sites, many of which were nonexistent or did not serve meals, stealing over $47 million in public funds. Farah personally profited by more than $8 million, purchasing luxury vehicles and real estate in Minnesota, Kentucky, and Kenya, with some assets and funds overseas beyond U.S. law enforcement reach. After federal investigations, Farah fraudulently obtained a new passport and attempted to flee to Kenya but was arrested; he also pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe a juror with $120,000 for a not guilty verdict and faces additional sentencing. The sentence reflects the judge’s acknowledgment that Farah, who came to the U.S. as a refugee and received significant public support, abused the opportunities given to him, as emphasized by Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson, who condemned Farah for exploiting taxpayer generosity. The Feeding Our Future case has led to over 50 convictions and is considered the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the U.S., with investigations by the FBI, IRS, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service ongoing.