Ten more people have been charged in connection with a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme involving Feeding Our Future, a federal program to keep children fed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Monday in Minneapolis.

The 10 face charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering and bribery.

Court documents say they played a role in the scheme by obtaining, misappropriating and laundering millions of dollars that were intended to be used in connection with a program providing meals for underserved children.

“Rather than feed children, the defendants enriched themselves by fraudulently misappropriating millions of dollars in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds,” prosecutors said in a statement.

Last month, a 53-year-old Big Lake woman was the 17th defendant to plead guilty to federal charges relating to the case since the FBI raided Feeding Our Future’s St. Anthony offices early in 2022.

With the latest charges, more than 70 have been charged with defrauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s child nutrition programs during the pandemic, when regulations temporarily were loosened and a variety of businesses and nonprofits were allowed to help feed hungry children while schools were closed. Federal prosecutors have called the scheme the nation’s largest coronavirus pandemic fraud, amounting to more than $250 million.

Authorities said the 10 new defendants are:

Ikram Yusuf Mohamed, 41, of Minneapolis
Shakur Abdinur Abdisalem, 45, of Minneapolis
Aisha Hassan Hussein, 27, Minneapolis
Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf, 57, of Minneapolis
Sahra Sharif Osman, 41, of Savage
Suleman Yusuf Mohamed, 39, of Minneapolis
Gandi Yusuf Mohamed, 43, of Bloomington
Said Ereg, 45, city of residence unspecified
Najmo Ahmed 34, city of residence unspecified
Hoda Ali Abdi, 53, city of residence unspecified

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