Author: Lou Raguse, Dana Thiede
Published: 9:50 AM CDT March 13, 2023
Updated: 5:25 PM CDT March 13, 2023
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MINNEAPOLIS — The alleged criminal fraud case involving Feeding Our Future continues to expand with U.S. Attorney Andy Luger announcing charges against 10 more suspects Monday.
At a news conference, U.S. Attorney for the Minnesota District Andrew Luger told reporters 60 people are now charged in the scheme he says siphoned more than $250 million intended to feed underserved children during the pandemic. Of that, Luger says authorities have seized more than $66 million in property, bank accounts, real estate and vehicles, which alone account for $4 million.
"While the defendants we announce today are new, and some of the tactics they used are specific as to how they executed the scheme, the song of the Feeding Our Future scandal remains the same," Luger asserted. "These defendants, just like the first 50 announced last fall, falsely claimed to be feeding thousands of children a day. They submitted false reimbursement sheets with phoney names of children and often used false invoices to make it appear they were purchasing large amounts of food when they were not. "
Luger said like those previously charged, the new defendants used the money siphoned via the scheme to buy property, real estate, and luxury vehicles, and in one case a defendant made a down-payment on an airplane that was delivered to Kenya. Another allegedly bought a laundromat for the purpose of laundering money.
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/crime/10-more-defendants-charged-in-feeding-our-future-fraud-scheme/89-ca5e4330-ce7a-451b-9649-5f65d1477131