Minnesota: Million-dollar SNAP food stamp fraud sparks fury in Walz's state

A grocer in Minnesota was accused of defrauding more than $1 million from the federal food aid program SNAP, a case that has sparked fresh criticism of Gov. Tim Walz and that many Republicans see as an example of rampant corruption within their state.

According to Fox 9 Minneapolis, Abdidwahid Mohamed, owner of Minnesota Food Grocery LLC, faces charges for a scheme that Hennepin County authorities said showed "a high degree of sophistication."

More than $1 million in irregular EBT payments: The charges against Mohamed

The suspect is accused of using other people's EBT cards to buy large quantities of goods at stores such as Sam's Club and Costco, between March 2021 and August 2021. The goods were then resold at his store.

The complaint states that "Mohamed received $1,141,082 in EBT payments" during the period in question. Authorities indicated that many of the cardholders did not even live in the country or denied making those purchases.

Fox confirmed that the suspect faces up to 20 years in prison or a fine of $100,000 if convicted.

Republicans take aim at Walz, Ellison and Omar

The case has generated annoyance among Republican lawmakers and candidates, who call it "a cruel joke." Dalia al Aqidi, a Republican hopeful for Congress, pointed out that while families struggle with inflation and the cost of living, money meant to help the most vulnerable ends up funding luxuries overseas.

"The fraudsters are only half the story. The other half are the people administering these programs, from the front lines all the way up to Ilhan Omar, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Governor Tim Walz," al Aqidi told Fox News Digital. "There has been talk about ending fraud in Minnesota for years. I am going to Washington to actually do it."

Republican Sen. Mark Koran told Fox that this is "yet another example of why Minnesota is target number one for fraudsters."

"The sheer volume of welfare programs, combined with the inability of state agencies to detect obvious fraud is alarming," he said.

The charges against Mohamed are part of a larger fraud scandal in Minnesota's welfare programs, particularly within the Somali community.