MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has shut down a nonprofit he called a "sham" nearly four years after it was created.
Ellison called Urban Advantage Services (UAS) a "fraudulent shell company" created around the start of the pandemic to perpetuate fraud. It's one of several nonprofits he sued last year linked to Feeding Our Future, the country's largest COVID-related fraud scheme.
In complaint documents, Ellison alleges UAS was started by Ilo Amba to distribute meals in accordance with funding provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Child Nutrition Program in November 2020.
Amba is married to Minneapolis City Councilor Jamal Osman. The two of them are not facing any charges or wrongdoing.
Ellison ruled UAS racked up several violations and that it never registered as a charitable organization or filed tax forms, abandoned its registered office address and ceased its operations in January 2022.
"They didn't keep proper records, they didn't file tax returns and it's been documented that this nonprofit took $461,000 out of these programs and there has never been any financial accounting for where the money went," said Bill Glahn.
Glahn is a fellow with the Center of the American Experiment, a conservative public policy organization, and has covered the food charity for years.
"I'm not aware that Councilman Osman or his wife have ever answered any questions, other than perhaps to the attorney general, but certainly not the media or to the voters," said Glahn.
Ellison said UAS's participation in the broader scam called Feeding Our Future can be inferred due to the timing of its incorporation and lack of legitimate nonprofit activities. He also said that UAS has strong ties to other organizations whose officers and directors were indicted in that case.
The $250 million scheme exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the pandemic. The U.S. Attorney has since indicted 70 people, nearly 30 of which have either pleaded guilty or have been found guilty in court. More trials are expected to start next year in February.
"Minnesota has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons because of this scandal," said Glahn.
The decision to dissolve UAS was announced by Ellison on Friday, although the agreement was settled in October. Neither Osman or Amba returned several voicemails and an email left by KARE 11.