The biggest Feeding Our Future-related events scheduled for July will occur on the 17th. We will see two defendants sentenced from the first trial that finished June 2024.
Abdiaziz Farah, now age 36, is considered to be the ringleader of the Empire Cuisine group of defendants, who stood trial last year. He is Defendant No. 15 and No. 19 convicted in the case. Of the 47 defendants (out of 72 total) convicted so far, Farah will become just the 5th individual to be sentenced. Farah has also pled guilty in the related juror bribery case.
Hayat Nur (22/22/6), age 28, was not indicted in the juror bribery case.
Hayat is the older sister of another defendant, Abdimajid Nur (18/21/tbd) who has yet to be sentenced in either the fraud or juror bribery cases.
In this instance, it doesn’t really matter, either way, that it took more than a year to get to sentencing, as both Farah and Nur have been locked up in the Sherburne County jail since the end of the trial. They will receive credit for time served.
The next big event involves one of their former co-defendants, Mahad Ibrahim (No. 17). If all goes according to plan on July 24, Ibrahim will become the 48th conviction and 41st guilty plea, so far.
On July 10, we will have two groups of defendants making court appearances as they prepare for their upcoming trials to be held later this year.
First up are the two remaining defendants (of the original three) from the JigJiga group (Nos. 37 and 38). Their trial is scheduled to begin September 15.
Next up are the three remaining defendants (out of eight) from the S&S Catering group of defendants (Nos. 25, 27 and 28). Their trial is scheduled to begin October 14.
Coming up next month, beginning August 18, is the jury trial of the remaining Safari Restaurant defendants. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for July 24.
Also coming up in August (the 7th) is the sentencing of Filsan Hassan, Def. No. 26, Guilty Plea No. 15, also of the S&S Catering group.