Article

2024-04-29 -Lurid Crime Tales-

7 'Minnesotans' Accused In Massive Scheme to Defraud Pandemic Food Program to stand trial

Why the single quotes around a key word in the headline? Let's cut to the chase:
[DetroitNews] The defendants going on trial Monday before U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel in Minneapolis are Abdiaziz Shafii Farah; Mohamed Jama Ismail; Abdimajid Mohamed Nur; Said Shafii Farah; Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin; Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff; and Hayat Mohamed Nur. They have all pleaded not guilty. Their trial is expected to last around six weeks.

Opening statements are expected Monday in the fraud trial of seven people charged in what federal prosecutors have called a massive scheme to exploit lax rules during the COVID-19 pandemic and steal from a program meant to provide meals to children in Minnesota.

The seven will be the first of 70 defendants to go on trial in the alleged scam. Eighteen others have already pleaded guilty.

Prosecutors have said the seven collectively stole over $40 million in a conspiracy that cost taxpayers $250 million — one of the largest pandemic-related fraud cases in the country. Federal authorities say they have recovered about $50 million.

Prosecutors say just a fraction of the money went to feed low-income kids, and that the rest was spent on luxury cars, jewelry, travel and property.

THE ALLEGED PLOT
The food aid came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was administered by the state Department of Education. Nonprofits and other partners under the program were supposed to serve meals to kids.

Two of the groups involved, Feeding Our Future and Partners in Nutrition, were small nonprofits before the pandemic, but in 2021 they disbursed around $200 million each. Prosecutors allege they produced invoices for meals that were never served, ran shell companies, laundered money, indulged in passport fraud, and accepted kickbacks.

THE BIG PICTURE
An Associated Press analysis published last June documented how thieves across the country plundered billions in federal COVID-19 relief dollars in the greatest grift in U.S. history. The money was meant to fight the worst pandemic in a century and stabilize an economy in freefall.

But the AP found that fraudsters potentially stole more than $280 billion, while another $123 billion was wasted or misspent. Combined, the loss represented 10% of the $4.3 trillion the government disbursed in COVID relief by last fall. Nearly 3,200 defendants have been charged, according to the U.S. Justice Department. About $1.4 billion in stolen pandemic aid has been seized.

Posted by Raj 2024-04-29 16:11|| || Front Page|| [11148 views ] Top
File under: Moslem Colonists

#1 Do I detect a pattern?

Posted by Grom the Reflective 2024-04-29 17:11|| 2024-04-29 17:11|| Front Page Top

#2 How many of these were related to/married to Ilhan?

Posted by Frank G 2024-04-29 17:44|| 2024-04-29 17:44|| Front Page Top

#3 Geeze the comments on Disqus about Noem's dog killing paen would give Frank the vapors.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-29 17:53|| 2024-04-29 17:53|| Front Page Top

#4 ? I think that was a fatal self-own. Not sure where you're going with that

Posted by Frank G 2024-04-29 17:57|| 2024-04-29 17:57|| Front Page Top

#5 Im good with it. Im still breathing.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-29 18:01|| 2024-04-29 18:01|| Front Page Top

#6 Frank likes saying "fatal" but doesn't really know what it means.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-29 18:02|| 2024-04-29 18:02|| Front Page Top

#7 To clarify, people are beating those who rationalize Noem's weird acts like ugly trash.

It's embarrassing some people are going all "muh conservatism" over her damaged behavior.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-29 18:08|| 2024-04-29 18:08|| Front Page Top

#8 "Fatal" as in no VP. The rest is in your mind, such as it is, right now

Posted by Frank G 2024-04-29 18:12|| 2024-04-29 18:12|| Front Page Top

#9 Show me where I've defended her since those comments or STFU. YMMV

Posted by Frank G 2024-04-29 18:14|| 2024-04-29 18:14|| Front Page Top

#10 Right. Your were only talking about her. That's good. She's trash.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-29 18:20|| 2024-04-29 18:20|| Front Page Top

#11 She's a sick twist. Pubs keep falling in love with them.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-29 18:21|| 2024-04-29 18:21|| Front Page Top

#12 Trump already decided on her and will burn himself down. The VA LT Gov would be his best choice.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-29 18:24|| 2024-04-29 18:24|| Front Page Top

#13 And back to fatal, half the Pub commenters think she's a good person for doing what she did.

I don't know my own party anymore.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-29 18:30|| 2024-04-29 18:30|| Front Page Top

#14 Paul Ryan couldn't order someone else to kill his dog.

Think about it.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-29 18:32|| 2024-04-29 18:32|| Front Page Top

#15 Did you think she was a "rising star" until opened her yap?

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-29 18:37|| 2024-04-29 18:37|| Front Page Top

#16 Seriously, half of people commenting say she's a Big Deal.

Im ill...

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-29 18:46|| 2024-04-29 18:46|| Front Page Top

#17 Way too many on the right: "It was just a dog. It was a bad dog. She's hawt. Whatever."

Gross.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-29 19:03|| 2024-04-29 19:03|| Front Page Top

#18 Wait until the press finds out the quarry incident was actually a Mongolian BBQ.

Posted by Besoeker 2024-04-29 21:43|| 2024-04-29 21:43|| Front Page Top

09:43 Mullah Richard
09:27 Warthog
09:11 Mercutio
09:07 AlmostAnonymous5839
08:52 Matt
08:24 Matt
08:20 SteveS
07:43 Procopius2k
07:42 BrerRabbit
07:42 Procopius2k
07:39 Procopius2k
07:36 Procopius2k
07:35 Procopius2k
07:34 trailing wife
07:31 Procopius2k
07:30 NN2N1
07:22 NN2N1
07:18 trailing wife
07:14 Richard Aubrey
07:10 NN2N1
07:09 Besoeker
07:03 NN2N1
06:58 NN2N1
06:58 Besoeker