Tuesday February 25, 2025
Credit: Dymanh Chhoun | Sahan Journal
Minneapolis, Minn (HOL) — A Minnesota man accused of defrauding the federal government through the Feeding Our Future program has been ordered into custody after allegedly attempting to intimidate a witness in a related trial.
Federal prosecutors claim that 30-year-old Abdinasir Abshir violated the terms of his pretrial release by approaching a key witness in the ongoing trial of Aimee Bock, the former executive director of Feeding Our Future.
Abshir, who is awaiting his own trial scheduled for August, was arrested Monday after prosecutors alleged he tried to influence Sharmake Jama, a witness who had pleaded guilty in the fraud case and was set to testify. Court filings state that Abshir and an unidentified associate confronted Jama in a courthouse hallway, asking him to step into a restroom for a private conversation—a request Jama interpreted as an act of intimidation.
Jama, who had previously admitted to enrolling his Rochester-based restaurant in the fraudulent scheme, testified about his involvement last week. Several members of his family have also pleaded guilty, and one relative, Fartun Jama, passed away shortly after being charged in the case last year.
Abshir's attorney, Craig Cascarano, denied the allegations, stating that his client offered condolences to Jama, who had recently suffered a family loss.
"He knows who this guy is; he had met him before," Cascarano said. "He wasn't certain it was the same guy, so he came up and said hello and wanted to offer condolences."
Prosecutors, however, argue that the encounter was not a coincidence. They allege that Abshir, who operates a Mankato-based food distribution site implicated in the fraud, had timed his courtroom appearance strategically. Court documents suggest he entered the courtroom when a U.S. Postal Service inspector testified about fraudulent meal claims linked to his food site. Abshir and an unidentified associate allegedly spoke loudly near the jury during the inspector's testimony before being asked to leave by security.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson contended that Abshir's behaviour was part of a broader pattern of obstruction.
"It appeared as though someone informed him of the testimony related to his fraudulent food site," Thompson said, hinting that the information may have come from Salim Said, a co-owner of Safari Restaurant who is currently on trial alongside Bock.
Abshir is among 70 defendants in the sweeping $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud case, one of U.S. history's largest pandemic-related fraud investigations. Prosecutors allege that he ran a site that claimed to serve meals to children during the COVID-19 pandemic but instead submitted falsified reports to receive federal reimbursements.
He is currently being held pending a detention hearing on Friday, where a judge will decide whether he should remain in custody until his trial in August.
Meanwhile, the broader case continues to unfold, with Bock and Said standing trial for their alleged roles in orchestrating the scheme. Prosecutors argue that Bock, the nonprofit's founder, was the central figure behind the fraudulent operation, while Said's Safari Restaurant was one of the scheme's largest beneficiaries.
The court's latest order also imposes stricter restrictions on defendants in upcoming Feeding Our Future-related trials, barring them from approaching witnesses or entering certain courthouse areas unapproved.
Abshir's legal team maintains that his presence at the courthouse and interactions with witnesses have been misinterpreted.
"Him being there that day is not a big deal," Cascarano said. "He has attended many days of this trial and the previous Feeding Our Future trial."
Prosecutors, however, view his actions differently, calling them an attempt to undermine the integrity of the judicial process.
The Feeding Our Future fraud case has exposed one of the most significant misuse of pandemic relief funds in recent history. Between 2020 and 2021, the now-defunct nonprofit and its network of affiliated businesses allegedly exploited federal meal reimbursement programs, falsely claiming to have provided millions of meals to low-income children. Prosecutors say that instead of feeding children, the funds were siphoned into luxury purchases, overseas transactions, and personal enrichment schemes.
Of the 70 people charged, at least 34 defendants have pleaded guilty, while five others have been convicted at trial. The remaining cases, including Abshir's, will be tried later this year.
Abshir's detention hearing on Friday will determine whether he remains behind bars ahead of his August trial. Meanwhile, the high-profile trial of Bock and Said continues, with prosecutors set to present further evidence of the scheme's inner workings in the coming weeks.