A Minnesota man charged in the Feeding Our Future fraud case has been added to the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list.
Fahad Mohamed Nur was charged in 2022 with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering in connection with the federal child nutrition program fraud investigation, according to CBS Minnesota.
The FBI said Nur has been on the run since 2022 and is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
The Alleged Fraud Was Tied to Children’s Meal Reimbursements
The case centers on the Federal Child Nutrition Program, which reimbursed approved sites for meals served to children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prosecutors said the broader Feeding Our Future scheme exploited pandemic-era program changes and used false paperwork to obtain federal reimbursements meant to cover the cost of feeding children in need.
The FBI identified him as the owner of a vendor and purported food supplier that received money through invoices prosecutors say were fraudulent.
FBI Says The Produce Submitted Fictitious Invoices
The FBI listing says Nur allegedly submitted fictitious invoices for food that was never supplied.
Those invoices allegedly allowed him to obtain and retain Federal Child Nutrition Program money through The Produce LLC.
The Justice Department’s 2022 case summary listed Nur as a Minneapolis defendant charged in the Haji Osman Salad indictment. Prosecutors said Nur was the principal of The Produce LLC, a vendor and purported food supplier that received more than $5 million in fraudulent child nutrition funds.
Nur Is Believed to Have Ties to Somalia
CBS Minnesota reported that Nur fled the United States in January 2022, according to the indictment. The FBI said a federal arrest warrant was issued for him on Sept. 13, 2022, in the District of Minnesota. The FBI listing identifies the wanted counts as wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.
Nur is a naturalized United States citizen, and the FBI said he has ties to Somalia and may currently be living there.
Anyone with information about Nur’s whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324, a local FBI office, the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate, or submit a tip through the FBI’s online tip portal at tips.fbi.gov.
The Case Comes From the Larger Feeding Our Future Investigation
Federal prosecutors announced charges against 47 defendants in 2022 in what they described as a $250 million fraud scheme involving Feeding Our Future and related meal sites and vendors.
The Justice Department said the wider scheme involved fraudulent meal counts, false invoices, fake attendance rosters, shell companies, and money laundering.
Prosecutors said the Federal Child Nutrition Program was designed to provide free meals to children in need, with federal funds distributed through state agencies and sponsoring organizations.
During the pandemic, the USDA waived some standard program requirements, including rules that allowed for-profit restaurants to participate and permitted off-site food distribution. Prosecutors said those changes were exploited by people who submitted false claims for meals that were not actually served.
CBS Minnesota reported that dozens of people have been convicted in connection with the case, while Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock was sentenced in May to more than 41 years in prison and has appealed her conviction and sentence.
Food Program Fraud Can Hide in Invoices and Meal Counts
Agencies, nonprofits, schools, vendors, and auditors reviewing public nutrition funds can compare invoices against delivery records, food purchase orders, meal-distribution logs, attendance records, bank deposits, vendor ownership records, and site-monitoring reports.
Warning signs can include invoices for food that cannot be matched to deliveries, meal counts that exceed a site’s realistic capacity, rosters with repeated or suspicious names, new vendors receiving large payments without a clear operating history, and payments that quickly move through other accounts.
Suspected fraud involving federal nutrition funds can be reported to the agency administering the program, the USDA Office of Inspector General at usdaoig.oversight.gov, local or federal law enforcement, or the FBI tip portal at tips.fbi.gov.