- 37th defendant pleads guilty in quarter-billion dollar child nutrition fraud
- Witness intimidation attempt occurred during ongoing trial of nonprofit founder
- Scheme exploited pandemic relief funds through fake meal distribution sites
- $120,000 jury bribery attempt previously marred first trial proceedings
- Defendant ordered to repay $2.3M and forfeit luxury vehicle
Federal prosecutors secured another conviction in Minnesota's sprawling pandemic relief fraud case this week, as Abdinasir Abshir became the 37th defendant to admit guilt. The 32-year-old Lakeville resident pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges connected to a network that allegedly siphoned $250 million from USDA child nutrition programs.
Court documents reveal Abshir operated Stigma Free Mankato, a sham food distribution center that fraudulently claimed to serve 1.6 million meals to children in this southern Minnesota community of 46,000 residents. Through fabricated documentation, the operation collected $5.4 million in federal funds while allegedly channeling kickbacks to Feeding Our Future staff.
The plea agreement comes amid heightened courtroom security following multiple attempts to obstruct justice. Last month, Abshir allegedly approached a cooperating witness in a courthouse bathroom, prompting Magistrate Judge Tony Leung to order pretrial detention. This incident follows last year's unprecedented $120,000 cash bribery attempt targeting a juror in the first trial.
Industry Insight: Pandemic relief programs suffered from accelerated approval processes that bypassed standard verification checks. A 2023 GAO report found only 15% of COVID-19 nutrition funds underwent proper site inspections.
Regional Impact: Mankato's case demonstrates how midsize cities became targets for fraud networks. With per-site payments reaching $3.4 million monthly, rural communities saw disproportionate exploitation of emergency feeding programs.
Sentencing guidelines suggest 5-6.5 years imprisonment for Abshir, though Judge Nancy Brasel retains discretion. The defendant remains incarcerated pending sentencing after what his attorney called a catastrophic lapse in judgmentduring courtroom proceedings.