Fraud in Minnesota: Suspect who tried to tamper witness gets 6.5 years in prison
Fraud in Minnesota: Aimee Bock sentenced in Feeding our Future scheme
Aimee Bock was sentenced to more than 41 years in prison Thursday in connection with the Feeding our Future fraud scheme. FOX 9's Mary McGuire was in court.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Lakeville man who admitted in court to his role in the Feeding our Future fraud scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic was sentenced Tuesday to more than six years in prison.
Abdinasir Mahamed Abshir faces sentencing
What we know:
Abdinasir Mahamed Abshir, 33, was sentenced by Judge Nancy Brasel to 78 months, or 6.5 years, in prison. Abshir was also ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution. Abshir has been in custody for 18 months, so his sentence is effectively five more years.
Abshir pleaded guilty to wire fraud for claiming to operate a child nutrition site in Mankato and submitting fake records from April 2020 through January 2022. He ran the Stigma-Free Mankato site under Feeding Our Future, falsely reporting that he served meals to 3,000 children daily out of a small North Mankato restaurant.
Court documents state Abshir also created shell companies, including Horseed Management and Calikamin Enterprise, to funnel millions of dollars in fraud proceeds to himself and others. Authorities say he used the money to buy a 2021 Range Rover, which has since been seized. Abshir admitted to paying more than $100,000 in bribes and kickbacks to a Feeding Our Future employee to secure the site’s participation in the program.
Feeding Our Future received nearly $420,000 in administrative fees for sponsoring the fraudulent site, and Abshir made a $5,750 payment to a GoFundMe account for Feeding Our Future in December 2021. In total, Stigma-Free Mankato received over $5.4 million based on fraudulent claims, according to court documents.
Defense asks for 48-month sentence
Timeline:
Abshir’s fraudulent activity took place from April 2020 to January 2022. Between November 2020 and November 2021, he and his co-conspirators reported serving about 1.6 million fake meals. In February 2025, Abshir tried to interfere with a witness at the trial of his co-defendants by asking them to talk privately before they testified.
Abshir pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court before Judge Brasel. His defense team is asking for a 48-month sentence. Abshir’s plea includes an acknowledgment that his sentence could be increased because he tried to tamper with a witness in the courthouse hallway. Judge Brasel said at Tuesday's sentencing hearing had he not tried to tamper with a witness, the 48-month sentence may be more appropriate.
Judge Brasel said what Abshir did 50 feet from the courtroom — intimidating a witness — undermines the rule of law. She said it was the primary reason for her sentence. She called his decision to intimidate a witness "blatant" and "egregious."
Abshir spoke to Judge Brasel at the hearing, and apologized for his actions.
Abshir was indicted in the original Aimee Bock case, which is part of the broader $250 million fraud investigation into Feeding Our Future and related organizations.
Big picture view:
The Feeding Our Future fraud case is one of the largest pandemic-related fraud schemes in the country. Prosecutors say the scam exploited emergency food programs meant to help children during the pandemic, diverting millions of dollars away from those in need. The scheme involved fake meal counts, false invoices, and shell companies, with dozens of people facing charges. The case has drawn national attention for its scale and the way it targeted vulnerable communities.
The Source: Information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota and court documents, and a sentencing hearing held Tuesday afternoon.