A former campaign associate of Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar has admitted to playing a central role in a sweeping federal fraud scheme that siphoned millions of dollars from a child nutrition program designed to help families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal prosecutors announced that Guhaad Hashi Said, 49, pleaded guilty this week to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Said, who once had ties to Omar’s political campaigns, is the 52nd defendant convicted in the Feeding Our Future scandal — the largest pandemic-era fraud uncovered in Minnesota to date.
Prosecutors: “Fraud on a staggering scale”
“The conviction of the 52nd defendant in the Feeding Our Future case is yet another reminder of the vast reach of this fraud and the scale of the crisis we face in Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“These crimes are not isolated events. They are part of a web of schemes targeting programs that are intended to lift up Minnesotans and bleeding them dry. From where I sit, the scale of the fraud in Minnesota is staggering, and every rock we turn over reveals more.”
How the Scheme Worked
According to court filings, Said exploited the Federal Child Nutrition Program between December 2020 and January 2022, funneling money through his nonprofit, Advance Youth Athletic Development.
Said falsely claimed the group was serving thousands of meals a day to low-income children.
The nonprofit was incorporated in February 2021, with its address registered to a residential apartment at the Central Avenue Lofts in Minneapolis.
Beginning in March 2021, he submitted records claiming to have served 5,000 meals daily.
Between March and December, he reported more than 1 million meals served — though in reality, only a fraction were ever provided.
Prosecutors say Said fabricated meal counts, rosters, and invoices to secure reimbursement funds.
In total, the scheme pulled in about $2.9 million in federal money.
Where the Money Went
Investigators say Said used a portion of the funds for legitimate food purchases but diverted the bulk of the money to personal enrichment.
Between August and December 2021, more than $2.1 million was transferred to a catering business, supposedly for meal preparation.
Funds were also laundered through a network of shell nonprofits and LLCs.
Prosecutors allege the money was spent on real estate, vehicles, and luxury items, far removed from the program’s intended purpose of feeding children.
Political and Personal Background
Said is not new to politics. He previously ran for the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018. His guilty plea now adds another layer of controversy to Rep. Ilhan Omar’s political orbit, where critics have long accused her campaigns of fostering questionable alliances.
While Omar has not been implicated in the fraud scheme, prosecutors described Said as an “enforcer” for her campaign in past elections. His conviction is expected to further intensify scrutiny on those connected to the congresswoman.
Sentencing Ahead
Said faces a potential 25-year federal prison sentence when his case is formally adjudicated. No sentencing date has been set.
Authorities emphasized that the investigation into the Feeding Our Future network remains ongoing. Given the scope of the case — which already involves more than 50 convictions — additional charges and guilty pleas are likely in the months ahead.
Broader Context: Feeding Our Future
The Feeding Our Future scandal has rocked Minnesota politics and eroded trust in local nonprofits. Federal officials say the scheme represents one of the largest abuses of pandemic relief funding in the United States.
Programs like the Child Nutrition Program were designed to ensure vulnerable children had access to food when schools closed during COVID-19. Instead, opportunistic groups exploited loose oversight, inventing meal programs, forging paperwork, and creating shell companies to pocket federal reimbursements.
“This case highlights the importance of vigilance when taxpayer dollars are at stake,” prosecutors said. “Every dollar stolen was a dollar not spent on children in need.”
Conclusion
Guhaad Hashi Said’s guilty plea underscores how pandemic relief programs became lucrative targets for fraud. While his sentencing could result in decades behind bars, the case also raises deeper questions about political accountability, nonprofit oversight, and the vulnerabilities of emergency federal funding.
As Minnesota continues to untangle the far-reaching Feeding Our Future web, Said’s conviction stands as both a cautionary tale and a reminder of how quickly public trust can be undermined when public funds are abused.