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1 month ago | 
sahanjournal.com | joey peters |Andrew Hazzard
Jurors began deliberations Wednesday morning in the trial of Aimee Bock and Salim Said, who are charged in the Feeding Our Future fraud case. Jurors must decide whether prosecutors proved seven criminal counts against Bock and 20 against Salim Said. Both face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery and federal programs bribery. Salim Said is also charged with money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
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1 month ago | 
sahanjournal.com | joey peters |Andrew Hazzard
Federal prosecutors closed their case against Aimee Bock Tuesday with a simple message: Don’t overthink it. “It’s been a long trial, but it’s not a complicated one. Trust your eyes. Trust your common sense,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry Jacobs told jurors.
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2 months ago | 
sahanjournal.com | Alfonzo Galvan |Katelyn Vue |Abe Asher |joey peters
Get in touchDo you have a news tip or story idea to share with us? Did you witness an incident that you think we should write about? We want to hear from you. Send us an email at [email protected]. Be as detailed as possible. Leave us a message at 612-548-4344. Have questions about your recurring donation to Sahan Journal, want to change your donation, or interested in becoming a sustainer? Contact us at [email protected].
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2 months ago | 
sahanjournal.com | joey peters |Andrew Hazzard
A former Faribault restaurant owner testified Tuesday that she defrauded the federal government out of millions of dollars under directions from Aimee Bock and another Feeding Our Future employee. Lul Ali, who pleaded guilty in 2023 to stealing more than $5 million, broke down as she testified about her involvement in the estimated $250 million fraud scheme. Lul, 58, blamed Bock and Feeding Our Future for encouraging entire families to participate in the scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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2 months ago | 
sahanjournal.com | joey peters |Andrew Hazzard
A Minnesota Department of Education official testified Tuesday that the agency verified addresses of food sites before approving them to receive federal funding, but left further vetting to a nonprofit that allegedly led the theft of $250 million. The information came on the second day of testimony in the federal trial of Aimee Bock, the former executive director of Feeding Our Future.
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Jan 16, 2025 | 
sahanjournal.com | joey peters |Katrina Pross
The lead prosecutor in the Feeding Our Future fraud investigation revealed Thursday that a defendant scheduled to stand trial next month threatened to kill a witness, underscoring the case’s high stakes and history of unexpected turns. The shocking detail came out as a defense lawyers and prosecutors argued about whether alleged violence and gang affiliation involving defendants Abdulkadir Nur Salah and Salim Said should be admitted as evidence at trial.
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Dec 22, 2024 | 
sahanjournal.com | joey peters
This year saw the long-awaited first trial in the biggest COVID-19 fraud in the country, when some defendants in the Feeding Our Future case finally saw their day in court. But what grabbed the most attention came at the end of the trial, when some of the defendants attempted to bribe a juror in exchange for acquittals for all seven defendants on trial. The trial wasn’t the only news in 2024 related to the sprawling fraud investigation.
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Dec 12, 2024 | 
sahanjournal.com | joey peters
FBI agents raided two Minnesota autism care providers Thursday morning, marking a significant development into an ongoing FBI investigation into alleged Medicaid fraud. The two providers have ties to the Feeding Our Future fraud case, according to a search warrant unsealed Wednesday, and received more than $11 million in federal Medicaid payments for their autism work between 2021 and 2023.
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Dec 2, 2024 | 
sahanjournal.com | joey peters
State Senator Omar Fateh declared his candidacy Monday morning for Minneapolis mayor in next year’s city election. Flanked by 14 supporters at the rotunda in Minneapolis City Hall, Omar described himself as a “husband, renter, son of Somalia and a longtime advocate for working people.” Omar, a Democrat, said it’s getting harder “to build our lives” in Minneapolis, and accused Mayor Jacob Frey and “the status quo” of failing the city’s residents.
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Nov 19, 2024 | 
sahanjournal.com | joey peters
Newly disclosed text messages in the Feeding Our Future juror bribery case show suspects haggled over their plans and plotted to deceive each other amid a whirlwind of excitement and uncertainty. “100 for our freedom is nothing bro,” Abdiaziz Farah wrote after the $120,000 bribe was delivered, according to new court documents filed by federal prosecutors.
