Feeding Our Future Defendant Used Fraud Money To Buy A College Degree, Feds Say

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A Feeding Our Future defendant used stolen taxpayer money to buy a college degree while helping carry out the largest Covid-19 fraud scheme in the United States, according to federal prosecutors.

Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, 24, was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison for his role in the $300 million Feeding Our Future case. Prosecutors say Nur helped steal more than $47 million by claiming to serve 18 million meals to children at more than 30 distribution sites tied to Empire Cuisine & Market in Shakopee. Judge Nancy Brasel ordered him to pay $47,920,514 in restitution.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Nur used part of his fraud proceeds to pay PayMeToDoYourHomework.com to complete all of his coursework, homework, and exams for him at Herzing University. Prosecutors said Nur made the payments through Nur Consulting LLC, the shell company he created to receive and launder his share of the fraudulent proceeds.

Federal prosecutors said Nur paid the company approximately $5,000 to take all of his Fall 2021 courses and another $6,000 for the Spring 2022 semester. In total, he used about $12,000 in fraud funds to obtain a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management. Records from Herzing University show Nur graduated in less than three years with a 3.42 GPA, despite having a 1.75 GPA when he finished Shakopee High School in 2019.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Nur also used stolen money to buy a 2021 Dodge Ram for $64,000, a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe for $35,000, a honeymoon to the Maldives, and jewelry in Dubai. Prosecutors said many of the food “sites” Nur reported were actually parking lots or vacant commercial spaces, and some locations were being used by Shakopee Public Schools to serve real meals to children.

Judge Brasel told Nur, “It is so disappointing and so disheartening that where others saw a crisis and rushed to help, you saw money and rushed to steal.” She called the conspiracy “both and at once elaborate and blatant.”

Prosecutors said Nur also created fraudulent meal counts, invoices, and rosters filled with names of fake children to support the claims submitted to the Federal Child Nutrition Program.

Nur faces additional sentencing in a separate federal case after attempting to bribe a juror with $120,000 during his seven-week trial in June 2024. Four others were also charged in the juror bribery scheme.

The investigation involved the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.