Minnesota State Wire

Muna Wais Fidhin, 44, has been charged in a ten-count indictment for her alleged role in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. The charges include three counts of wire fraud, four counts of federal programs bribery, and three counts of money laundering. Fidhin was arrested on Thursday morning and is the 75th person charged in what authorities describe as the largest Covid-related fraud case in the United States.

“With the 75th defendant charged in the Feeding Our Future scandal, the message could not be clearer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Feeding Our Future is only one of the many frauds against the state we are pursuing. If you touched these frauds in any way, pick up the phone and call the FBI today. You will still be held accountable, but it will be far better for you than if you wait until we come knocking.”

Prosecutors allege that Fidhin participated in a scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program by exploiting changes meant to ensure children received adequate nutrition during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Feeding Our Future was a nonprofit organization designed to help community partners access federal nutrition funding. Its founder and executive director, Aimee Bock, has already been convicted at trial and is awaiting sentencing. Before the pandemic, Feeding Our Future operated as a small sponsor for daycares and after-school programs participating in federal child nutrition initiatives. However, starting around April 2020, both its number of sponsored sites and its intake of federal funds increased sharply—from about $3.4 million disbursed in 2019 to nearly $200 million by 2021.

According to authorities, Fidhin enrolled her company M5 Café into the program under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship in 2020 and later created another nonprofit called M5 Care, enrolling it under a different sponsor in 2021. She allegedly claimed to serve meals to 500 children daily but actually served few or none at her locations. Investigators say she submitted false invoices for food purchases.

In total, officials say Fidhin claimed more than 300,000 meals served across two sites and sought approximately $1 million from federal nutrition funds.

Authorities claim Fidhin did not use these funds for their intended purpose but instead used them for personal expenses such as paying off her home mortgage and buying a car; she also wired tens of thousands of dollars overseas and paid about $27,000 in kickbacks to a Feeding Our Future employee who facilitated her claims.

“Today’s arrest of Muna Wais Fidhin represents yet another major milestone in this investigation: the 75th indictment in this massive fraud scheme,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. “As alleged in the indictment, Fidhin, using fraudulent documents, stole more than $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program. Fidhin, and all of those charged in connection with this scheme, may have underestimated the FBI’s ability to identify, investigate and prosecute individuals who steal from taxpayers with funds intended for hungry children. Rest assured; the FBI will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners, together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, until every culpable person is held responsible.”

Adam Jobes of IRS Criminal Investigation stated: “The Feeding Our Future fraud investigation ignited an awareness of the pervasive fraud that exists in government-funded programs in this state... Well-intentioned assistance programs will always be targeted for fraud and when the system fails to protect federal funds, IRS Criminal Investigation will work with the United States Attorney’s Office and partner agencies to expose those who use deception and fraud to enrich themselves at the expense of those who truly need help... While we take a moment to reflect on the great investigative work performed by talented and devoted investigators and attorneys resulting in charges filed against seventy-five individuals, there is still more work to be done on this and other fraud schemes targeting government funded programs. Our agents will continue to provide their investigative and financial expertise to these fraud investigations.”

Bryan Musgrove from United States Postal Inspection Service Denver Division added: “The arrest of the 75th defendant in this case demonstrates the Postal Inspection Service’s steadfast pursuit of justice for anyone who uses the mail in a scheme to divert emergency funds intended to help those most in need. The US Postal Inspection Service is proud to work with its law enforcement partners to bring this kind of greed to an end.”

The investigation involved cooperation between several agencies including FBI Minneapolis Field Office (https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/minneapolis), IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office (https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/chicago-field-office), and United States Postal Inspection Service Denver Division (https://www.uspis.gov/about/postal-inspectors/divisions/denver).

Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson along with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting these cases; Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling asset seizure proceedings.

Authorities remind that indictments are allegations only; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.