A Kenyan national, Ahmednaji Maalim Aftin Sheikh, has been indicted in the United States for his role in a large international money laundering scheme linked to the Feeding Our Future fraud. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson announced the indictment, describing the scheme as a serious theft of funds meant to feed children.
Prosecutors say the conspiracy involved stealing and hiding more than $40 million from a federal child nutrition program that was designed to provide free meals to children in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the indictment, Sheikh helped move millions of dollars overseas that were stolen from the program. Investigators revealed that the money was smuggled as bulk cash, wired abroad, and then hidden in real estate and business investments in Kenya.
The Feeding Our Future fraud case is considered the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the United States. So far, 74 people have been charged in connection to it. Authorities say Sheikh’s indictment shows how far the stolen money spread and how deeply it affected communities.
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How the Money Was Moved Abroad
Court documents state that between 2020 and 2022, Sheikh’s brother, Abdiaziz Farah, led a group that pretended to run meal programs for children. Instead, they claimed millions of dollars in reimbursements from the federal child nutrition program. Rather than feeding children, much of the money was secretly sent abroad.
Abdiaziz Farah was sentenced in early 2024 to 28 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel for his role in the scam. He is also awaiting sentencing in a separate juror bribery case overseen by Judge David S. Doty.
The indictment details how Abdiaziz Farah sent millions of dollars to Sheikh in Kenya. Sheikh then used sham companies and fake investments to conceal the stolen funds. Some of the money was used to buy an apartment building in the South C area of Nairobi, near Nairobi National Park. Other amounts were invested in land in Mandera Town, close to Somalia and Ethiopia.
Prosecutors say Sheikh also helped purchase a 20 percent stake in a Kenyan real estate company with fraud proceeds. Investigators presented text messages and photos showing cash and bank receipts. For example, in August 2021, Sheikh sent his brother a photo of $138,000 in cash. In December that year, he sent images of banker’s boxes filled with $270,000 and a receipt for a $300,000 transfer marked as “family support.” Later that same month, Sheikh reported receiving more than $1.2 million in just a few days.
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Investigators Speak Out
“This was a program designed to feed children in need,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr., calling the scheme a shameful theft of taxpayer money. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson echoed that outrage, saying Minnesotans deserve accountability when money for hungry children is diverted into overseas fortunes.
The FBI, IRS–Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs, Daniel W. Bobier, and Craig Baune, who is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
The indictment also revealed personal details about Sheikh’s attempts to secure U.S. residency. In December 2021, Sheikh married Individual S.D., his brother’s sister-in-law and a naturalized U.S. citizen. She later filed an immigration petition on his behalf in June 2023. However, when Sheikh applied for the U.S. Diversity Visa lottery in November 2024, he falsely claimed he was unmarried.
Authorities stress that an indictment is only a formal charge. Sheikh, like all defendants, is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This latest indictment adds another layer to the Feeding Our Future fraud, showing how stolen taxpayer money traveled across borders and was hidden in foreign assets rather than serving its intended purpose — providing meals for children.