Kenyan Man Indicted in US Over Alleged Role in $250 Million Child Nutrition Fraud Case

A Kenyan national has been indicted in the United States for allegedly helping to launder millions of dollars linked to a large-scale fraud scheme involving a federal child nutrition programme in Minnesota.

Ahmednaji Maalim Aftin Sheikh, a resident of Nairobi, is accused of receiving and concealing funds embezzled from the US Department of Agriculture’s pandemic-era meal support initiative. His indictment, filed last week in the District of Minnesota, adds him to a growing list of more than 70 individuals charged in the case tied to the non-profit organisation Feeding Our Future.

Prosecutors allege that between 2020 and 2022, those involved in the scheme submitted false claims for meals that were never served, diverting over $250 million (KSh32.3 billion) intended for low-income children. While Sheikh is not accused of participating in the fraud itself, investigators say he played a key role in moving illicit funds overseas.

According to court documents, Sheikh is the brother-in-law of Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, one of the scheme’s main organisers. Farah was sentenced in August to 28 years in prison and ordered to repay nearly $48 million (KSh6.2 billion). He also faces sentencing in a separate bribery case.

The indictment outlines how Farah transferred substantial sums to Sheikh in Kenya, directing him to invest in property, acquire land, and hold assets on his behalf. These transactions allegedly included a 20 per cent stake in a Nairobi real estate company, the purchase of an apartment block in South C Estate, and land in Mandera County.

Evidence submitted in court includes text messages and photographs that document the scale of the financial transfers. In one exchange, Farah told Sheikh, “You are gonna be the richest 25-year-old InshaAllah,” to which Sheikh replied, “I love you so much.” Prosecutors also presented images of large cash bundles and receipts for transfers ranging from $138,000 (KSh17.8 million) to more than $1.2 million (KSh154.8 million), often labelled as “family support” or “salary”.

The case further details Sheikh’s personal links to the United States. In December 2021, he married a naturalised U.S. citizen identified in court documents as SD, who is the sister of Farah’s wife. SD, who was employed by a company implicated in the fraud, is said to have bought a $575,000 (KSh74.2 million) home in Minnesota using criminal proceeds. 

She later filed a petition to sponsor Sheikh’s immigration to the US, although he also applied separately for the 2026 Diversity Visa lottery, claiming to be unmarried. Acting US Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said the indictment highlights the extent of fraud targeting public programmes and stressed the need for continued vigilance. The investigation is being led by the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, and the US Postal Inspection Service.

FBI Special Agent Alvin M. Winston, Sr. described the alleged theft as “shameful” and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting taxpayer resources.

Sheikh remains presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison, along with asset forfeiture and an order to pay restitution.