A Lakeville man was sentenced Wednesday in federal court to one year of probation for his involvement in the massive Feeding Our Future fraud investigation.
Adan admitted to accepting $1,000 in illicit proceeds and was ordered to pay the same amount in restitution, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported.
uilty.
The $250 million Feeding Our Future case — centered on a St. Anthony nonprofit — is the largest pandemic-era fraud prosecution in the United States. Of the 75 people charged, 50 have entered guilty pleas. Prosecutors say the defendants falsely claimed to have provided millions of meals to children during the COVID-19 pandemic, instead diverting federal reimbursements to purchase luxury cars, real estate, and other high-end goods.
According to court records, Adan and his co-defendants claimed to have served 70,000 meals between December 2020 and April 2021 through Lake Street Kitchen, receiving “significant funds” in return. Federal prosecutors said only a small fraction of those meals were actually distributed.
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Co-defendant Liban Yasin Alishire, who co-operated Lake Street Kitchen and another site, Community Enhancement Services, received more than $1.6 million and pleaded guilty in 2023.
Meanwhile, a former campaign associate of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) pleaded guilty last month to participating in the same scam, adding another chapter to the growing list of controversies surrounding the progressive lawmaker’s political orbit.
Federal prosecutors announced that 49-year-old Guhaad Hashi Said — described by Alpha News as an “enforcer” for Omar’s campaign — admitted in court to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges stem from a wide-ranging fraud targeting a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The conviction many in the Feeding Our Future case is yet another reminder of the vast reach of this fraud and the scale of the crisis we face in Minnesota,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said in a statement. “These crimes are not isolated events. They are part of a web of schemes targeting programs that are intended to lift up Minnesotans and bleeding them dry.
“From where I sit, the scale of the fraud in Minnesota is staggering, and every rock we turn over reveals more. We must be honest and clear-eyed about the scope of this problem, because ending it will take an unyielding, all-hands-on-deck effort from all of us,” Thompson added.
According to court documents, between December 2020 and January 2022, Said exploited the Federal Child Nutrition Program, falsely claiming his nonprofit — Advance Youth Athletic Development — was serving thousands of meals daily to underprivileged children. Incorporated in February 2021, the organization was registered to a residential apartment in the Central Avenue Lofts in Minneapolis.
Beginning in March 2021, Said submitted meal count sheets claiming to have served 5,000 meals per day. From March through December of that year, he claimed to have served more than 1 million meals — but in reality provided only a fraction of that number. Prosecutors say he fabricated meal counts, attendance rosters, and invoices to secure reimbursements.
The scheme brought in roughly $2.9 million in federal funds. Between August and December 2021, Said transferred more than $2.1 million from his organization’s bank accounts to a catering business, ostensibly for food purchases, while using other proceeds to buy real estate, cars, and personal items through a network of shell nonprofits and LLCs, the DOJ said.
Said now faces up to 25 years in federal prison when sentenced. He previously ran for the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018.
Leo’s chest, which had been heaving with labored breaths just moments before, now seemed to settle into a rhythm that was astonishingly smooth and steady. The room, tense with sorrow and expectation, held a collective, incredulous breath. The veterinarian, whose practiced hands had been poised to deliver the final relief, hesitated. Her eyes were wide, scanning Leo’s body for some explanation, as though she were witnessing a miracle unfold before her.
The room remained silent, save for the gentle hum of the overhead lights. The assistant, standing beside the vet, leaned forward, her expression shifting from one of professional detachment to bewildered awe. Leo’s eyes, once cloudy and distant, now held a clarity that had seemed lost forever. His tail, which had lain limp and lifeless, gave a gentle, hopeful wag.
Artem’s heart pounded in his chest. He had steeled himself for this moment, the moment of final goodbye, yet here was his loyal friend, defying the inevitable. Leo’s soulful eyes locked onto his, and in them, Artem saw a flicker of determination, a refusal to bow out just yet.
The veterinarian, regaining her composure, quickly moved to check Leo’s vitals. Her stethoscope, cold and impersonal, met Leo’s chest, but what she heard was not the weakened, irregular heartbeat she had anticipated. Instead, a strong, rhythmic pulse resonated back at her. She glanced at Artem, her expression a mixture of disbelief and cautious optimism.
— This… this is extraordinary, she murmured, barely audible. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Artem dared to hope, his tears of sorrow transforming into tears of tentative joy. He leaned closer to Leo, whispering softly, as if the world had narrowed to just the two of them.
— Is this your way of telling me you’re not done yet, buddy?
Leo, in his silent language, seemed to affirm this. The room that had been a space of impending loss was now charged with a different kind of tension — the tension of hope reborn. The assistant, tears freely flowing, smiled through her emotion, feeling the profound connection between man and dog that seemed to transcend the very boundaries of life and death.
The veterinarian, understanding the gravity of the moment, decided to delay any further action. She knew the flicker of life in Leo’s body might be temporary, but it was a gift nonetheless — a chance for Artem and Leo to share more time together, to rewrite their farewell.
Artem, cradling Leo’s head against his chest, felt a sense of peace and gratitude. Whatever time they had left, whether days or mere hours, he vowed to fill it with love and presence. The clinic, once a somber stage for an end, had transformed into a sanctuary of grace.
As the clinic staff quietly stepped back, giving Artem and Leo their space, the small room was filled with a quiet, powerful energy. Leo’s miraculous turnaround was a reminder of the unpredictable wonder of life, the stubborn resilience of the spirit, and the boundless depths of love between a boy and his dog. It was a moment that none present would ever forget, a chapter in their lives that whispered of miracles and the unspoken bonds that tie us all together.