❓WHAT HAPPENED: A former associate of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) pleaded guilty to charges related to a COVID-19 pandemic food fraud scheme.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Guhaad Hashi Said, a former campaign “enforcer” for Rep. Omar, and others involved in the fraud conspiracy.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Minnesota, with fraudulent activities occurring from 2020 through 2022.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The scale of the fraud in Minnesota is staggering, and every rock we turn over reveals more.” – Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson
🎯IMPACT: Over $2.9 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds were fraudulently obtained, with funds used for personal purchases like real estate and cars.
Guhaad Hashi Said, a former associate and campaign “enforcer” for Democrat Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in connection with a pandemic-era food fraud scheme centered on the Somali community. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota announced that Said exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Said admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson emphasized the broader implications of the case, stating, “The scale of the fraud in Minnesota is staggering, and every rock we turn over reveals more. We must be honest and clear-eyed about the scope of this problem, because ending it will take an unyielding, all-hands-on-deck effort from all of us.”
According to court documents, between December 2020 and January 2022, Said operated a Federal Child Nutrition Program site under the name Advance Youth Athletic Development. During that time, he submitted fraudulent claims for having served more than one million meals to children, though only a small portion were actually provided. To support the false claims, he used fabricated attendance rosters, meal counts, and invoices, which led to more than $2.9 million in federal reimbursements.
Said and his co-conspirators also engaged in a money laundering scheme to conceal the illicit proceeds. They created nonprofits and shell companies to move and disguise the money, which was used to acquire real estate, cars, and other personal items. Between August and December 2021 alone, Said transferred over $2.1 million to S & S Catering for meals that were never served.
Said, who had previously announced a run for the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018, now faces up to 25 years in prison.
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