ANALYSIS
Minnesota, the epicenter of a multi-billion-dollar federal fraud scheme: Another Somali woman sentenced in the 'Feeding Our Future' case and a widening investigation
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance announced on Tuesday a $25 million program, called WHIP (Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program), to reward those who provide information leading to a fraud conviction or significant federal action.
A federal jury found Muna Wais Fidhin, a Somali immigrant residing in Savage, Minnesota, guilty in the third trial related to the Feeding Our Future scandal, one of the state's largest fraud schemes targeting child nutrition programs.
The conviction comes as the Trump administration expands its investigations into daycare centers, autism centers and other publicly funded services in the state. According to estimates by former acting federal prosecutor Joe Thompson, up to $9 billion may have been defrauded since 2018 across 14 high-risk programs.
A new conviction in the "Feeding Our Future" case
According to a report by FOX 9, the jury found Fidhin guilty on nine counts, including wire fraud, bribery of federal programs and money laundering. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota, the defendant registered two businesses—M5 Café and M5 Care—in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and claimed to have served more than 300,000 meals.
Prosecutors allege that she billed approximately $1 million and paid $27,000 in bribes to a Feeding Our Future employee to maintain the scheme. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before reaching a unanimous verdict.
Fidhin will remain under electronic monitoring at home until sentencing, after Judge Nancy Brasel rejected the prosecution's request to keep her in custody. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
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Trump launches a reward program
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance announced on Tuesday a $25 million program, called WHIP (Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program), to reward those who provide information leading to a fraud conviction or relevant federal action. Whistleblowers may receive between $10,000 and $30,000, and reports will be submitted through the federal whistleblower portal america.gov/fraud.
During the event in the Oval Office, Trump announced an initial payment of $10,000 to Nick Shirley, whose December 2025 video exposed allegedly empty daycare centers in Minnesota's Somali community. The White House linked that report to the July guilty plea by Somali Fahima Egeh Mahamud for wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the federal government.
In the broader Feeding Our Future case, at least 75 defendants have been convicted or have pleaded guilty. Among the most notable convictions are that of Aimee Bock, the organization's founder, who was sentenced to more than 41 years in prison, and the recent jury conviction of Muna Wais Fidhin.
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Raids and expansion of the investigation
In May, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced charges against 15 people for allegedly defrauding seven state-administered Medicaid programs of more than $90 million. Among the defendants was Fahima Egeh Mahamud, the former director of a daycare center that appeared in Shirley's video.
Mahamud pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud and conspiracy in connection with a scheme involving more than $5 million, which combined the Child Nutrition Program and the Child Care Assistance Program.
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