Leader In Feeding Our Future Fraud Sentenced to 28 Years; Faces More Time for Juror Bribery

Leader In Feeding Our Future Fraud Sentenced to 28 Years; Faces More Time for Juror Bribery

In one of the largest pandemic-era fraud cases in U.S. history, Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, 36, has been sentenced to 28 years in federal prison for his central role in the Feeding Our Future scandal, a scheme that stole tens of millions of dollars from child nutrition programs meant to feed low-income children during COVID-19.

U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel also ordered Farah to serve three years of supervised release and pay $47,920,514 in restitution.

“Farah played a leading role in the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the United States,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota stated. “He abused a program intended to feed vulnerable children, diverting millions of taxpayer dollars for his own enrichment.”

The Scheme: Fake Meals, Real Millions

Prosecutors detailed how Farah and his associates claimed to have served 18 million meals through more than 30 distribution sites, many of which existed only on paper. Meal rosters included blatantly fake names such as “Serious Problem” and “Britishy Melony.”

Evidence showed Farah personally pocketed over $8 million, using the money to buy luxury vehicles, jewelry, and real estate—including overseas property in Kenya. According to court filings, he ran the operation through multiple shell companies, cycling fraudulent invoices and kickbacks to conceal the theft.

At trial in June 2024, a jury convicted Farah on 23 of 24 counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, federal-program bribery, and passport fraud.

Judge Brasel called the scheme “breathtakingly elaborate,” adding that Farah’s actions caused “lasting harm to public trust in vital programs.”

The Juror Bribery Scandal

Farah’s legal troubles deepened after his fraud conviction. In June 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe a juror—known in court documents as Juror 52—offering $120,000 in cash in exchange for a not-guilty vote.

Text messages revealed in trial filings showed Farah telling an associate:

“100 for our freedom is nothing bro … worth trying everything bro.”

The bribe was delivered in a gift bag to the juror’s home. Instead of accepting, Juror 52 immediately alerted law enforcement, allowing the FBI to intercept and investigate the scheme.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson called the attempted bribe “one of the most brazen acts of witness tampering we’ve ever seen,” praising the juror for her courage:

“She could not be bought—and she helped thwart this despicable scheme.”

Farah faces an additional 8–10 years in prison for the bribery charge, to be sentenced separately by U.S. District Judge David S. Doty.

Broader Fallout

The Feeding Our Future scandal has resulted in 73 people charged and 51 convictions to date. Prosecutors estimate the total fraud across all defendants could reach $300 million—making it one of the most significant federal fraud cases in Minnesota’s history, second only to the Tom Petters Ponzi scheme.

“Farah robbed us blind,” Thompson said. “He has done untold damage to this state, particularly to the communities he claimed to serve.”

Fast Facts

MinneapoliMedia