Star Tribune
Minneapolis woman pleads guilty for role in Feeding Our Future scheme
A Minneapolis woman pleaded guilty on Friday to wire fraud for her role in the Feeding Our Future scheme, and admitted to running a business that stole millions from the government by falsely inflating the number of meals it claimed to serve to children.
Khadra Abdi, 42, admitted in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis that she stole more than $3.4 million in fraud money from the federal government as part of the Feeding Our Future scheme between 2020 and 2022. As part of her plea agreement, Abdi’s other charges related to wire fraud and money laundering will be dismissed at sentencing.
Abdi operated a Hopkins-based business called Shafi’s Tutoring and Homework Help Center, which was created prior to the pandemic and the Feeding Our Future scheme. In April 2020 Abdi signed a contract with Aimee Bock, the executive director of Feeding Our Future, for Shafi’s Tutoring to serve as a site to feed low-income children under the Federal Child Nutrition Program.
The tutoring business claimed to have served 1.1 million meals to children, federal charges say. Instead, only a “small fraction” of those reported meals were served, and the business falsely-inflated its meal number reports, prosecutors said.
Abdi gave some of the $3.4 million in fraud money to other members of the scheme, and used at least $202,000 to pay herself, charges say. Some of the funds allegedly went to personal spending for credit card and loan payments, cable TV, clothing and nail salon services.
Abdi admitted that she purchased two vehicles partially with fraud money. She agreed to forfeit properties and vehicles she bought with fraud money, and she is required to pay back the $3.4 million she received as restitution.
Asked by U.S. Assistant Attorney Matthew Ebert if her co-defendant Abdulkadir Awale operated as a fraudulent food vendor who did not provide food to Shafi’s Tutoring as reported on invoices, Abdi initially pushed back.
“Food was served at the site,” Abdi said through a Somali interpreter. “I cannot speak to the invoices.”
Minnesota could see the first winter storm of the season next week following a blissfully warm fall.
The weather will decidedly shift into winter next week, with a storm system moving into the Minnesota and Wisconsin area Tuesday, said National Weather Service Twin Cities meteorologist Brent Hewett. The storm system will bring rain, and possibly heavy rain, with temperatures in the 40s, he said.
Those further north or west with cooler temps could see some snow from that storm system. In the Twin Cities metro, the weather will likely stick to rain, he said.
“Behind that system, there’s still a pretty good amount of uncertainty, but we’ll definitely see a shift towards cooler temperatures, with highs in the 30s and lows in the 20s,” Hewett said.
We are still a week away, but those temperatures suggest the ingredients to possibly bring snow or ice, Hewett said.
Now is a good time to prepare for cold weather, especially if people were out of practice following last year’s warm winter, he said. Make those snow tire appointments and add your winter safety gear back into your vehicle, including extra coats, flashlights and a small snow shovel, he said.
“If there’s any remaining outdoors stuff you need to tackle, tackle it this weekend when its in the 50s,” Hewett said.
DULUTH – The Nephews’ home was uncharacteristically dark on Wednesday evening, without even the omnipresent light from off the back deck, where the late Kat Ramsland had kept her beloved plants. But the yard was aglow with the handheld candles and battery-powered tealights of the hundreds of people who gathered for a walk to remember the members of two families recently killed.
It’s been a week since Erin Abramson, 47, and her son, Jacob Nephew,15, were found dead from gunshot wounds in their home on Tacony Street, then Ramsland, 45, and Oliver Nephew, 7, were later discovered also dead from gunshot wounds alongside Tony Nephew, who seemingly killed all four before taking his own life at the home on a corner lot across the street from Denfeld High School.
The quiet walk organized by neighbors covered the nearly mile-long route between the homes in the West Duluth neighborhood. At both stops, the names of the victims were said, bells chimed and sky lanterns were lit in their memory.
“No one knows what to do,” said one of the organizers, Ramsland’s neighbor Lindsey Jungman.
They’ve found comfort in tending to Oliver Nephew’s gift library in the side yard, a spot he made for passersby to take a gift or leave a gift. The neighbors have been making sure the recent onslaught of donations, stuffed animals and toys, have stayed dry. By the end of the memorial walk, tiny lights lined the space.
City Councilor Janet Kennedy, Mayor Roger Reinert and Police Chief Mike Ceynowa were among the walkers. Abramson’s running group wore glow-in-the-dark neon. Former art students of Ramsland, who taught at Lake Superior College, chatted amongst themselves about her favorite drink — iced caramel macchiatos. Squad cars from the Duluth Police Department, lights activated, led the flood of walkers through the streets and blocked intersections.
Also there: members of Twin Ports Ghostbusters, who dress in tan jumpsuits, drive a variation on the Ectomobile and raise money for the Ronald McDonald House. Oliver Nephew was an honorary member of the group, with his own tan uniform. Dawn Jensen held a smiling photo of him, big grin, taken during a parade in Superior.
The Ghostbusters crew met him when it was invited to his 6th birthday party — the sort of Oliver Nephew event that turned into a block party. He was known for knee-high hugs and his red curls, and was a one-kid welcome wagon.
Two family members from Minnesota were killed when their SUV struck a semitrailer truck that was pulled over partly in the lane of traffic along the Kansas Turnpike and then hit another semi that was stopped.
The crash occurred about 4:10 a.m. Monday on northbound Interstate 35 near Wichita, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. Killed in the accident were 78-year-old Thomas Reller and 27-year-old Octavia Reller, according to the patrol. Both were from Zumbrota.
A semi was “partially in the roadway from a previous crash” when the Minnesotans’ SUV hit the big rig and then another semi that was involved in the earlier crash, a patrol statement read.
The two semi driver came away with minor injuries, the patrol said.
