Donald Trump goes scorched earth on Minnesota's Somali fraud scandal saying $18BILLION was stolen... as he names three states where it's even worse

Donald Trump went off on the ongoing Minnesota migrant fraud scandal and revealed where his administration believes its found even worse corruption. learned?

The president was spending some time as the emcee at his annual, star-studded New Year's Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

As he addressed the gathering, he spelled out the shocking amount of government waste that had come from the state, days after a viral video blew the story wide open.

'They stole $18billion, that's just what we're learning about. California's worse, Illinois' worse and sadly, New York's worse, a lot of other places,' he said.

As the assembled crowd of celebrities, members of his cabinet and family applauded, he then declared that 'we're gonna' get to the bottom of all of it.

On Friday, right-wing influencer Nick Shirley posted a video on YouTube, claiming that day care centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis had committed up to $100m in fraud.

In the video he stands outside two deserted 'daycare centers' which have collected $2.6m in federal grants despite not appearing to be in operation and highlighted a number of other alleged frauds.

The explosive accusation sparked nationwide anger, and the Trump administration announced on Tuesday it is freezing $185m in child care funds to the state and demanded an audit of fraud schemes involving government programs.

The city of Minneapolis-St Paul's Somali community began in the 1990s when it accepted refugees fleeing the country's civil war, and there are now around 94,000 city residents who speak the language.

Politicians in the Democrat-controlled state now stand accused of turning a blind eye to the fraud scandal for fear of being accused of racism.

Minnesota’s welfare fraud situation, particularly involving federal nutrition programs during the pandemic, is extremely severe, with billions in taxpayer money stolen, thousands charged, and over half of funds for some programs potentially lost, implicating various individuals in large-scale schemes for personal gain like luxury items, marking it one of the nation’s largest pandemic fraud cases.

Scale of the Fraud:

Billions Lost: Federal prosecutors suggest over half of the $18 billion in funds for vulnerable people since 2018 was stolen, with a massive scandal involving the Feeding Our Future program alone estimated at $250 million, according to The Guardian.

Widespread Participation: Over 90 Somalis have been charged, with many convicted or awaiting trial, revealing extensive involvement in exploiting food assistance, housing, and other safety net programs, reports The New York Times.

Types of Fraud:

Fictitious Meals: Companies claimed to feed thousands of children daily for federal nutrition programs, using the money for luxury cars, property, and kickbacks, notes The Guardian.

Exploitation of Vulnerabilities: Schemes targeted programs designed for low-income families, including child nutrition and housing assistance, states The New York Times.

Impact & Investigation:

National Attention: The scandal has drawn White House attention and is considered a significant example of pandemic-era fraud, according to the Washington Post.
Ongoing Prosecution: Investigations continue, with charges including conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering,.

In Summary: The fraud in Minnesota is a massive, complex crisis involving significant theft from crucial public programs, with federal authorities actively prosecuting individuals involved in elaborate schemes, highlighting it as a major issue of financial crime and misuse of aid.

Prosecutors Say Minnesota’s Fraud Scandal Goes Further ...
Dec 17, 2025 — A preliminary assessment suggests that more than half of the $18 billion in taxpayer funds spent on the 14 programs...

The New York Times
Minnesota schemers allegedly swindle $250m in largest pandemic fraud yet | US news | The Guardian
Sep 20, 2022 — The defendants face multiple counts, including: * Conspiracy * Wire fraud * Money laundering * Bribery ...

The Guardian

Key questions about Minnesota’s fraud schemes and the billions in ... Other pandemic-era fraud examples include scammed unemployment aid , which the GAO said likely cost at least $100 billion......... .

Four More Defendants Plead Guilty
to $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme
Friday, February 7, 2025

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS – Four additional defendants have pleaded guilty for their roles in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

First, according to court documents, at times between October 2020 and January 2022, Abduljabar Hussein, 44, of Shakopee, Minnesota, knowingly and willfully conspired with others to participate in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misappropriate millions in federal child nutrition funds.

According to court documents, in October 2020, Abduljabar Hussein’s wife, Mekfira Hussein, enrolled her non-profit, Shamsia Hopes, in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future, at the direction of one of its employees, Abdikerm Eidleh. Mekfira Hussein submitted her application to Aimee Bock, Feeding Our Future’s executive director. In December 2020 and also at the direction of Abdikerm Eidleh, Abduljabar Hussein registered his company, Oromia Feeds LLC, with the State of Minnesota. Oromia Feeds LLC also participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as a vendor for food to be served by Shamsia Hopes sites run by his wife.

Together, the Husseins submitted fraudulent claims that sought reimbursement for far more meals and food than they actually prepared. Hussein and his wife submitted fraudulently inflated invoices for reimbursement—including inflated meal counts and false attendance rosters. As part of this scheme, Hussein and his wife paid at least $140,000 in kickbacks to Eidleh and least $12,000 in kickbacks to Aimee Bock, in exchange for Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship of Shamsia Hopes. In some instances, these kickback payments were disguised as “consulting fees,” when, in fact, neither Eidleh nor Aimee Bock provided any service to justify these payments.

According to his plea agreement entered today, the Husseins ultimately obtained up to $8.8 million in federal child nutrition program funds some of which they used to pay for personal expenditures unrelated to feeding children. For instance, the defendant used $173,438 of the proceeds to pay off the mortgage on his home in Shakopee, Minnesota, and also purchased a 2021 Porsche for $93,250, as well as a 2022 GMC truck for $61,722. As part of his sentence, Hussein was ordered to forfeit those vehicles as well as a 2021 Tesla, and the fraud money he applied toward his home mortgage.

Next, according to court documents, Zamzam Jama, 50, and Mustafa Jama, 48, of Rochester, Minnesota, and Asha Jama, 42, of Lakeville, Minnesota, each pled guilty to laundering fraudulent proceeds that were paid by Feeding Our Future through the Federal Child Nutrition Program to Brava Restaurant. In October 2020, Brava Restaurant, which was located in a retail strip mall in Rochester, Minnesota, enrolled as a distribution site in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future.

The Jamas and their conspirators coordinated the establishment of shell companies through which they received and disbursed funds from the federal child nutrition program to make expenditures that had nothing to do with feeding children. Specifically, on January 7, 2021, Salim Said, a co-owner of Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, paid to register six different shell companies with the state of Minnesota for the Jamas and others.

In 2021, Zamzam Jama, Mustafa Jama, and Asha Jama deposited at least $491,245, $1,429,730, and $449,933, in misappropriated Federal Child Nutrition Program funds into their respective shell entities’ bank accounts. The Jamas then used those funds for various personal expenditures that had nothing to do with feeding children.

Zamzam Jama spent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds on a home in Rosemount, Minnesota, and to purchase a 2021 Toyota RAV4 vehicle. With her guilty plea, Zamzam Jama has forfeited that vehicle, her interest in the Rosemount property, as well as $114,482 from her bank accounts in 2022 by federal investigators.

Mustafa Jama used Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to buy a home in Columbus, Ohio. He also spent $394,000 in program money toward a home in Lakeville, Minnesota, and to purchase Mediterranean coastal property in Alanya, Turkey. With his guilty plea, Mustafa Jama has forfeited any interest in the Ohio and Lakeville properties, as well as $239,500 from his bank accounts in 2022 by federal investigators.

Asha Jama spent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds toward a home in Lakeville, Minnesota, and another in Rochester, Minnesota. With her guilty plea, Zamzam Jama has forfeited her interest on those two properties any interest in that vehicle, the Rosemount property, as well as $149,880 seized from her bank accounts in 2022 by federal investigators.

In separate proceedings in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel, Abduljabar Hussein pleaded guilty on February 5, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Zamzam Jama pleaded guilty on February 5, 2025, to one count of money laundering; Mustafa Jama pleaded guilty on February 6, 2025, to one count of money laundering; and Asha Jama pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025, to one count of money laundering. Sentencing hearings for all four defendants will be scheduled at a later date.

The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

Updated February 7, 2025

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