Man Jailed 28 Years for $300M COVID Fraud, Bought Nairobi Property With Stolen Funds

A businessman from Minnesota, Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for leading one of the biggest COVID-19 relief fraud cases in US history. 

Farah, a Somali-American, was found guilty of stealing £237 million from a federal program meant to feed children during the pandemic. Farah ran a company called Empire Cuisine and Market LLC, which claimed to serve meals to children in need. But in reality, the meals were never made or delivered. The company faked documents, made up names of children, and lied about how many meals were served. 

His restaurant was used to launder money—a way to hide illegal earnings.

Farah personally made £6.3 million from the scam. He used the money to live a luxury lifestyle, spending large sums in Kenya and Dubai. Authorities found he spent £790,000 on a high-rise apartment in Nairobi, which the US is now trying to seize.

In 2022, Farah tried to escape the US using a fake passport. He was planning to flee to Kenya, but was caught. 

After that, the FBI started looking more closely into his finances and travels. He was later charged with wire fraud, bribery, money laundering, and passport fraud.

During the trial, which ended this year, the court heard that Farah and his team used fake invoices and fake names to steal millions from the Federal Child Nutrition Program. They got at least £22 million through lies and fake paperwork.

Judge Nancy Brasel, who gave the sentence, said Farah acted out of “pure, unmitigated greed” and took advantage of a national crisis. She said his actions damaged public trust and took food away from children who really needed it. Even after being convicted, Farah faces more trouble. 

Prosecutors say he tried to bribe a juror by leaving a bag of £95,000 in cash at their home, along with a note asking for a “not guilty” vote in exchange for more money. If he's found guilty of this, he could face another 8 to 10 years in prison. The scandal, now known as the “Feeding Our Future” case, has led to the arrest of 73 people, with 51 already found guilty.