Another five individuals pleaded guilty in a massive fraud scandal in Minnesota, including one who met with the state’s attorney general, Keith Ellison.
Ikram Yusuf Mohamed, 42, was a consultant for Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit at the center of a federal fraud investigation. Mohamed was identified by the Justice Department as a leader in the massive fraud scheme.
Mohamed pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, according to the Justice Department press release.
In the case of United States v. Mohamed et al, Mohamed purported to run food program sites in Minneapolis and its suburbs, as well as a food distribution entity. The Justice Department said the defendants, Mohamed and her family and friends, worked together to steal and launder $14.6 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program money intended to feed hungry children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In December 2021, Ellison met with members of Feeding Our Future, including Mohamed, The Daily Signal previously reported. She and others complained to Ellison about the Minnesota Department of Education cutting funds from the charity.
Ellison’s spokesman previously told The Daily Signal that the attorney general did not take any action to help the Feeding Our Future organization.
Mohammed said the funding cuts were “a form of violence against our community under the color of law,” according to a recording of the meeting. In response, Ellison referred to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, saying, “He knows that there’s a lot of unfair discriminatory stuff going on with East African businesses, I know it.”