MINNEAPOLIS — Another defendant has entered a guilty plea in the Feeding Our Future food program scandal.
Abdulkadir Awale, 50, of Bloomington, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in federal court Tuesday.
Sixty people have been charged in the case, with most accused of keeping money from the Federal Child Nutrition Program that was sent to reimburse the nonprofit Feeding Our Future for providing meals to children during the pandemic.
KARE 11's Lou Raguse reports Awale claimed to be a vendor for various meal sites that
According to federal prosecutors, Awale admitted that he fraudulently received $11.8 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds while claiming his businesses were serving meals to children in need; Awale also paid kickbacks to a Feeding Our Future employee in exchange for helping him participate in the fraud. Court documents state Awale used the funds to pay off his mortgage, withdraw cash, and buy vehicles.
In a news release, U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said Awale agreed to pay more than $2.1 million in restitution.
Awale is the latest defendant to reach a plea deal. Last week, Mohamed Ali Hussein and Lul Bashir Ali each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in federal court. Huessin and Ali were part of a second wave of defendants charged in March in connection with the fraud scheme.
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