Star Tribune
Eagan woman pleads guilty to wire fraud in Feeding Our Future case
A 42-year-old Eagan woman who used money meant to feed needy children during the pandemic on real estate and high-end vehicle purchases pleaded guilty Monday to wire fraud charges.
Kawsar Jama became the 22nd person to admit to their role in the $250 million federal child nutrition fraud case that has led to the indictments of 70 people since 2022. She did so days after a pair of co-defendants in her case made pleas of their own last week.
Jama’s indictment, returned last year as part of a second wave of charges in the sprawling case, alleged a $3.7 million scheme to falsely claim that she served 1.46 million meals to children while under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future between September 2020 and February 2022.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger singled out Jama’s case in a March 2023 news conference announcing charges against her and nine others. Luger said Jama used phony invoices, and none of the children’s names on reimbursement forms matched children enrolled in school locally. Jama allegedly reached out to a friend for help inventing new names as the scheme wore on, and she did not operate a physical location despite claiming be serving meals at one.
Prosecutors said Jama claimed to operate federal food aid sites in Pelican Rapids, Burnsville and Minneapolis. In Pelican Rapids, Jama allegedly claimed to serve 2,560 meals daily to needy children — despite the town having a total population of about 2,500. Some of the money Jama received from the Federal Child Nutrition Program was instead used to buy real estate and vehicles that included a Tesla Model X and Infiniti QX56 SUV.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel, who is presiding over the cases, did not set a sentencing date for Jama. Jama remains out on supervised release ahead of sentencing.
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A 14-year-old boy fatally shot a 13-year-old boy on accident early Tuesday in a Minneapolis home occupied by several other people, officials said.
The “apparent accidental” gunfire occurred about 1:30 a.m. near the intersection of N. 24th and Sheridan avenues in the 2400 block of N. Ferrant Place, a statement from police read.
Officers arrived, saw that the 13-year-old had been shot once and provided immediate aid to the teen before he died at the scene, according to police.
“Preliminary information indicates that a 14-year-old boy was handling a gun when the 13-year-old boy was shot,” the police statement continued. Police did not disclose the teens’ identities.
The 14-year-old remained at the scene, and was arrested and booked into the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center.
There were two adult women and other juveniles in the home at the time of the shooting, police said.
“The death of a child is always incredibly troubling and tragic,” said Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “Our investigators will work diligently to answer the many questions we have. In addition to supporting the families that are impacted by this tragedy, everyone must make every effort to ensure that every gun is securely stored.”
The shooting comes about two weeks after a 3-year-old boy accidentally shot himself to death in northeast Minneapolis. Jajuan Robinson was critically wounded at the Hook and Ladder Apartments in the 2300 block of Jefferson Street NE. on Oct, 21, said his aunt, Meshia Woods. The toddler died at HCMC a short time later.
A man has received a prison term topping 33 years for a killing outside a Wright County business where the shooter, his wife and the victim worked.
Kevin Uriel Zelaya Asencio, 24, of Glencoe, Minn., was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to second-degree intentional murder and second-degree assault in connection with the March 2023 shooting of Adrian Montano Medina in the parking lot of the Dura Supreme cabinet manufacturing company in Howard Lake.
With credit for time in jail since his arrest, Zelaya Asencio is expected to serve the first 21 years of his 33-year term in prison and the balance on supervised release.
The County Attorney’s Office said it based its criminal complaint on interviews with witnesses and Zelaya Asencio, along with physical evidence and surveillance video.
Numerous calls to 911 reported the shooting, including one from a woman screaming. One caller gave law enforcement the license plate of a pickup truck that Zelaya Asencio drove from the parking lot.
Police arrived and found Medina in the driver’s seat of a pickup truck with a fatal gunshot wound to his head.
Minutes later, a sheriff’s deputy spotted Zelaya Asencio’s pickup traveling on Hwy. 12 in Waverly. Zelaya Asencio was arrested, and the deputy found an AR-15 assault-style rifle in the pickup.
