In an intricate web of deception, Ahmed registered ASA Limited LLC with an apparent noble intention: to participate in the Federal Child Nutrition Program, under the umbrella of the now-infamous organization, Feeding Our Future. Aimee Bock, the nonprofit’s executive director and the recently convicted orchestrator of an extensive $250 million fraud scheme, was also involved in submitting his application. The story, however, takes a darker turn beyond the paper trail and legal filings.
Imagine, if you will, the scale of the deception. Within a mere three weeks, ASA Limited reported serving between 2,000 to 3,000 meals daily. Under normal circumstances, such efficiency and outreach would be laudable. But, as federal prosecutors unraveled, these numbers were nothing more than fabricated facades. From September 2020 to September 2021, Ahmed allegedly submitted false claims to the tune of over 1.6 million meals. Just ponder that number for a moment.
Yet, how did he paint such an elaborate lie? The deception went deeper than mere exaggerated numbers. Ahmed, together with his conspirators, crafted counterfeit attendance rosters filled with fictitious names and ages. Can you envision spreadsheet formulas churning out random ages for imaginary children in an after-school program? This was cold, calculated deception.
Instead of feeding children, Ahmed funneled the ill-gotten gains through two shadowy shell companies—1130 Holdings Inc. and Five A’s Projects LLC. The proceeds bought luxuries like a 2022 Mini Cooper and a Brooklyn Park establishment, Kelly’s 19th Hole, both of which are now in the hands of the authorities.
To grease the wheels of this machinery of fraud, Ahmed confessed to distributing over $49,000 in bribes and kickbacks to Abdikerm Eidleh, once a trusted member of Feeding Our Future. This exchange granted ASA Limited access to the federal food program. In turn, Feeding Our Future pocketed nearly $400,000 in administrative dues. Eidleh, alleged to be a pivotal player in enlisting sham meal sites into the program, currently eludes capture. He’s a fugitive under federal scrutiny, believed to have traversed international borders.
“This was a massive pay-to-play fraud scheme that exploited Minnesota and a federal program designed to help children,” remarked Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “We’re committed to holding these defendants accountable.”
The joint efforts of the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service catalyzed this far-reaching investigation. Dubbed the largest pandemic-era fraud case in the U.S. thus far, more than 70 individuals face charges. Prosecutors conservatively estimate losses at approximately $250 million due to falsified meal claims. Of this staggering amount, $60 million in assets thankfully have been retrieved.
Ahmed’s recent plea signifies the 45th conviction in this overarching saga. His choice to confess came on the heels of the prominent convictions of Feeding Our Future’s founder, Aimee Bock, alongside her co-defendant, Salim Said. Their trial lasted five grueling weeks, culminating in a swift verdict that saw them immediately detained.
Legal scholars speculate Ahmed’s guilty plea was influenced by this rapid jury decision. Similar patterns of admissions followed convictions in an earlier trial, where five out of seven defendants faced guilty verdicts. It seems the tide of justice may have also swayed Ahmed in its wake.
Ahmed came to this resolution before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel. The date when he will face sentencing still hangs in the air.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
