This afternoon, at the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis, the operator of Burnsville’s M5 Cafe was found guilty by a jury in only the third-ever courtroom trial in the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal. She was accused of taking around $600,000 out of the free food program.
Fidhin was convicted on nine (9) felony counts including wire fraud, bribery, and money laundering. A tenth felony charge, for money laundering involving a Lexus SUV, was dropped before it reached the jury.
The remaining money laundering charges involved a $310,000 payment on her home in Savage, MN, and tens of thousands of dollars sent back to her native Somalia.
Your correspondent was there earlier in the day for closing arguments. Paul Blume of Fox 9 was there for the verdict and filed this report.
The trial lasted for 11 courtroom days. The jury deliberated for all of 1 hour and 20 minutes before reaching their unanimous verdicts.
Fidhin was released while she awaits sentencing, which will be scheduled for a later date.