Feeding Our Future verdicts: Full list of each charge and verdict
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.
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Guilty
- Wire fraud: Not guilty
- Wire fraud: Guilty
- Wire fraud: Guilty
- Wire fraud: Guilty
- Wire fraud: Guilty
- Wire fraud: Guilty
- Wire fraud: Guilty
- Conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery: Guilty
- Federal programs bribery: Guilty
- Federal programs bribery: Guilty
- Conspiracy to commit money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
- False statement in passport application: Guilty
Mohamed Jama Ismail
Ismail was found guilty on three of the four counts against him.
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Guilty
- Wire fraud: Not guilty
- Conspiracy to commit money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
Abdimajid Mohamed Nur
Abdimajid was found guilty on 10 of the 13 counts.
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Guilty
- Wire fraud: Guilty
- Wire fraud: Guilty
- Wire fraud: Guilty
- Wire fraud: Guilty
- Conspiracy to commit money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Not guilty
- Money laundering: Not guilty
- Money laundering: Not guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
Said Shafii Farah
Said was found not guilty on all nine counts.
- Conspiracy to commit money laundering: Not guilty
- Wire fraud: Not guilty
- Conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery: Not guilty
- Federal programs bribery: Not guilty
- Federal programs bribery: Not guilty
- Federal programs bribery: Not guilty
- Money laundering: Not guilty
- Money laundering: Not guilty
- Money laundering: Not guilty
Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin
Aftin was found not guilty of all three counts.
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Not guilty
- Conspiracy to commit money laundering: Not guilty
- Money laundering: Not guilty
Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff
Shariff was found guilty on three of six counts.
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Guilty
- Wire fraud: Guilty
- Conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery: Not guilty
- Federal programs bribery: Not guilty
- Conspiracy to commit money laundering: Guilty
- Money laundering: Guilty
Hayat Mohamed Nur
Hayat was found guilty on three of five counts.
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Guilty
- Wire fraud: Not guilty
- Wire fraud: Guilty
- Wire fraud: Guilty
- 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.
Attempted juror bribe
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.