First Place Fraudster | Minnesota | Covid-19 Fraud

Now known as the single largest COVID-19 fraud, the “Feeding Our Future” scheme is comprised of 70 defendants who stole at least $250 million in federal food-aid money that was meant to feed underprivileged children during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the intent and desire to steal from the U.S. taxpayer was equal amongst the 70 fraudsters, there was one that was responsible for almost one-fifth of the stolen benefits – the top bilker being Mukhtar Shariff who swindled almost $50 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program. If there was prize in this scheme for first place, Shariff beat the rest of fraudsters by a long run.

Shariff moved to the Twin Cities from Seattle in late 2020 and started Afrique Hospitality Group. Described as a community and cultural center, it was nothing more than a front for stealing and laundering millions of taxpayer dollars. Soon after opening Afrique, Shariff immediately submitted fraudulent claims for serving 2,000 and shortly afterward, 3,500 children every day, seven days a week at a nearby mosque. To back his claims, Shariff fabricated documents to include meal count sheets, invoices for food purchases, and attendance rosters purportedly listing fabricated names and ages of children supposedly being served meals. But the food was never served.

On January 24, 2025, Shariff was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Shariff’s lawyer fought for a lesser sentence claiming that “no child went hungry because of Mukhtar Shariff.” Maybe, maybe not. However, he is responsible for stealing $47,920,514 from the U.S. taxpayer. Which the court also order him to pay in restitution.

Great job by the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force in this case.

Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Feeding Our Future defendant sentenced to 17 and-a-half years in prison” published by MPR News on January 24, 2025.

The latest defendant to be sentenced in the sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud case is headed to federal prison for 17-and-a-half years. U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel imposed the 210-month term for Mukhtar Shariff at a hearing Friday after a jury in June convicted Shariff and four others at a trial where several defendants allegedly tried to bribe a juror. Jurors found that Shariff helped siphon around $47 million from government child nutrition programs for children in need during the pandemic.

Shariff, 34, moved to the Twin Cities from Seattle in late 2020 and started Afrique Hospitality Group, described as a community and cultural center in Bloomington. But instead Shariff used the business as a front for stealing and laundering millions of taxpayer dollars.