Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) - While the trial of the alleged ringleader of the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme continues at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis, another defendant in the case has entered a guilty plea.

The office of the US Attorney for Minnesota today announced the plea agreement with 35-year-old Najmo Ahmed of Minneapolis. According to court documents, she helped her husband, Said Ereg operate a small grocery store that enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program and under a sponsorship of Feeding Our Future in April 2020. Prosecutors say Ahmed, under the direction of her husband, signed falsified meal count sheets that claimed the business served more than 1.4 million meals to children over a one year period.

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The charges in the case alleged that the couple's business received more than $4.2 million in payments based on the fraudulent claims. She was accused of using some of the money to fund a lavish lifestyle and that she laundered nearly $1.4 million in federal funds through her personal bank accounts.

Allegations of Witness Tampering and Intimidation

Meanwhile, multiple media outlets in the Twin Cities are reporting that another defendant in the $250 million fraud case has been jailed by the judge presiding over the trial of Feeding Our Future founder Aimie Bock and another co-defendant. The Pioneer Press report cites a federal court document that indicates 32-year-old Abdinasir Mahamed Abshir is being detained for attempting to tamper and intimidate a prosecution witness.

Abdinasir Mahamed Abshir - Sherburne County Jail photo

The judge in the case issued a sharp rebuke and instituted restrictions on access to the courtroom last week after being told that Abshir had approached Sharmake Jama while he was waiting to testify for the prosecution in the trial. The media reports say the document states that the Rochester man felt intimidated during the encounter.

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