We have more courtroom trials stacked up in America’s largest free-food scandal, beginning in August.
The August trial currently includes five defendants, Nos. 11-14 and No. 16. The first four are the remaining members of the Safari restaurant group of defendants. The last is Mahad Ibrahim, the lone holdover from the Empire Cuisine group of defendants, the rest of whom were on trial last year.
Ibrahim had a cameo role in the recent Keith Ellison audio recording drama. Ellison attended a now-infamous meeting with Feeding Our Future figures back in December 2021. The meeting was held at Ibrahim’s corporate offices in Edina.
In an order issued last week by the presiding judge, Nancy Brasel, the start date for the trial was pushed back a week, from August 11 to August 18. The trial is expected to extend into early September.
That cohort will likely drop from five to four tomorrow (Tuesday), as Defendant No. 13, Ahmed Ghedi, makes his second attempt at entering a guilty plea in the case. Last week’s attempt had to be postponed on account of Ghedi’s sudden illness. If it happens, Ghedi will be the 47th conviction in the case and the 40th guilty plea entered.
Following that trial is the September court date for the remaining two defendants of the JigJiga group.
October will see the remaining defendants from the S&S Catering group stand trial. Not yet scheduled, but likely to occur before the end of the year, is the trial of the Ikram Mohamed group.
After that, we have trials to be scheduled for the two newest defendants in the case, which likely will take place in 2026.
We expect there to be more sentences handed down next month for previously convicted individuals.
There likely won’t be a trial for the five defendants in the related juror bribery case. A fourth defendant pled guilty last week and the fifth and final guilty plea is expected to be entered next month.
You will be pleased to hear that the U.S. Attorney is continuing his efforts to recover money and property from those convicted in the case and more indictments are expected in the near future.