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Feeding Our Future verdicts: Full list of each charge and verdict

By FOX 9 Staff
Published  June 7, 2024 3:31pm CDT
Feeding Our Future
FOX 9

First guilty verdicts in Feeding our Future trial

Five out of seven people tried in federal court have been found guilty on multiple counts related to the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal on Friday. More accused conspirators are set to stand trial in the future.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The jury reached a verdict in the Feeding Our Future trial, where seven Minnesotans were accused of a scheme to steal more than $40 million from the federal child nutrition program. 

Five defendants were found guilty on most charges, while the remaining two were acquitted on all charges. 

Here is the full list of each charge and verdict: 

Abdiaziz Shafii Farah

Abdiaziz is guilty on 23 of 24 counts. 

  1. Conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Guilty
  2. Wire fraud: Not guilty
  3. Wire fraud: Guilty
  4. Wire fraud: Guilty
  5. Wire fraud: Guilty
  6. Wire fraud: Guilty
  7. Wire fraud: Guilty
  8. Wire fraud: Guilty
  9. Conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery: Guilty
  10. Federal programs bribery: Guilty
  11. Federal programs bribery: Guilty
  12. Conspiracy to commit money laundering: Guilty
  13. Money laundering: Guilty
  14. Money laundering: Guilty
  15. Money laundering: Guilty
  16. Money laundering: Guilty
  17. Money laundering: Guilty
  18. Money laundering: Guilty
  19. Money laundering: Guilty
  20. Money laundering: Guilty
  21. Money laundering: Guilty
  22. Money laundering: Guilty
  23. Money laundering: Guilty
  24. False statement in passport application: Guilty

Mohamed Jama Ismail

Ismail was found guilty on three of the four counts against him. 

  1. Conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Guilty
  2. Wire fraud: Not guilty
  3. Conspiracy to commit money laundering: Guilty
  4. Money laundering: Guilty

Abdimajid Mohamed Nur

Abdimajid was found guilty on 10 of the 13 counts. 

  1. Conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Guilty
  2. Wire fraud: Guilty
  3. Wire fraud: Guilty
  4. Wire fraud: Guilty
  5. Wire fraud: Guilty
  6. Conspiracy to commit money laundering: Guilty
  7. Money laundering: Not guilty
  8. Money laundering: Not guilty
  9. Money laundering: Not guilty
  10. Money laundering: Guilty
  11. Money laundering: Guilty
  12. Money laundering: Guilty
  13. Money laundering: Guilty

Said Shafii Farah

Said was found not guilty on all nine counts. 

  1. Conspiracy to commit money laundering: Not guilty
  2. Wire fraud: Not guilty
  3. Conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery: Not guilty
  4. Federal programs bribery: Not guilty
  5. Federal programs bribery: Not guilty
  6. Federal programs bribery: Not guilty
  7. Money laundering: Not guilty
  8. Money laundering: Not guilty
  9. Money laundering: Not guilty

Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin

Aftin was found not guilty of all three counts. 

  1. Conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Not guilty
  2. Conspiracy to commit money laundering: Not guilty
  3. Money laundering: Not guilty

Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff

Shariff was found guilty on three of six counts. 

  1. Conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Guilty
  2. Wire fraud: Guilty
  3. Conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery: Not guilty
  4. Federal programs bribery: Not guilty
  5. Conspiracy to commit money laundering: Guilty
  6. Money laundering: Guilty

Hayat Mohamed Nur

Hayat was found guilty on three of five counts. 

  1. Conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Guilty
  2. Wire fraud: Not guilty
  3. Wire fraud: Guilty
  4. Wire fraud: Guilty
  5. Money laundering: Not guilty

The seven defendants were the first of 70 to stand trial in what federal prosecutors have called one of the nation’s largest COVID-19-related fraud cases.

Feeding Our Future verdict: US Attorney's Office reacts [RAW]

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, at a press conference after the verdict, said he is pleased with the verdict. Here's the full press conference.

Attempted juror bribe

Feeding Our Future: Ex-judge compares juror bribe to Jimmy Hoffa

Two jurors have been dismissed in the Feeding our Future federal trial following an "unprecedented" bribe attempt, something a former Hennepin County judge said he’s never heard of happening in Minnesota before and has even compared it to the Jimmy Hoffa trial.

The trial was not without controversy. It took an unusual turn during deliberations when two jurors had to be dismissed. A 23-year-old juror was dismissed after reporting that a woman allegedly dropped off a bag of $120,000 in cash at her Spring Lake Park home in an attempted bribe for a not-guilty verdict. A second juror was released the following day after learning about the alleged bribe attempt from a family member. 

The remaining jurors were immediately sequestered to prevent further attempts or any prejudicial influence. The bag of cash was taken into evidence, and a federal investigation is underway for attempted bribery and jury tampering. The seven defendants were taken into custody and booked since only they and their lawyers would know the jurors' identities.

One of the seven defendants' houses, Abdiaziz Farah, was searched by the FBI days after the attempted bribe.