2 Minnesota women plead guilty in Feeding Our Future fraud scheme
MINNEAPOLIS —Two women from Rochester and Shakopee have pleaded guilty in connection with the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.
Ayan Jama pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and money laundering, and Mekfira Hussein pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Friday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota.
Jama, 45, was a manager of Brava Rochester. In September 2020, her restaurant and Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock applied for enrollment in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Bock's nonprofit, according to federal officials citing court documents.
Jama and others submitted fake attendance rosters claiming Brava served over 1.7 million meals to children, federal officials say. In return, Jama and her co-conspirators received over $4.3 million in federal funds from Feeding Our Future, and over $900,000 from another restaurant.
She used the funds to pay for houses in Rochester, Ohio and Turkey.
Hussein enrolled her nonprofit Shamsia Hopes in the same federal program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Her husband's company allegedly had a contract to prepare meals, which would then be served at Shamsia Hopes sites run by Hussein.
The attorney's office says Hussein submitted fraudulent invoices for reimbursement — including inflated meal counts and false attendance rosters. Hussein received up to $8.8 million in federal funding, which was used to pay off a home in Shakopee and buy a Porsche and GMC truck.
Federal officials say Hussein and her husband also paid over $140,000 in kickbacks, disguised as consulting fees, to Bock and another Feeding Our Future employee.
Sentencing dates for Jama and Hussein have not yet been scheduled.
