You need one of those old fashioned mechanical stock tickers to keep of with the flood of news regarding fraud in Minnesota.
On Thursday of last week, Mahamoud Warsame, of Metro Area Catering, pled guilty to stealing more than $4 million in the Feeding Our Future fraud. He is the most recent defendant (No. 80) to be charged in the sprawling free-food scandal, and becomes the 69th defendant to be convicted in the case.
According to the terms of Warsame’s plea agreement, he pled guilty to one felony count of wire fraud and he is facing a prison term of 4 to 5 years . He will be sentenced at a later date.
Of the remaining eleven (11) Feeding Our Future defendants, one died of natural causes, and two remain as international fugitives from justice. Cases are still pending against six defendants. Of the final two, both were acquitted in a 2024 courtroom trial, but one (Said Farah) was later convicted in the reated juror-bribery case.
Speaking of the bribery plot, Said’s brother Abdiaziz was sentenced last week to ten years in federal prison for his role in the unsuccessful attempt to bribe a juror in his case. Abdiaziz will serve the extra decade in addition to his 28-year prison sentence in the overall fraud case.
Said Farah is scheduled to be sentenced on October 1.
In other fraud news, from KTTC,
Committing Medicaid fraud in Minnesota now carries a harsher sentence under the state’s newly released sentencing guidelines.
The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission released its 2026 sentencing guidelines, which classify Medicaid fraud exceeding $1 million as a severity level 8 offense, the same classification as criminal vehicular homicide and first-degree burglary.
The change in status means those convicted of stealing more than $1 million will be more likely to see prison time. Earlier this week, state Attorney General Keith Ellison put out a press release taking credit for the policy change.
As a practical matter, it will mean fraudsters will admit up to $999,999.99 of fraud in sweetheart plea deals and walk away free.