Lavish Living: How Stolen Funds Fueled a Life of Luxury

In Minnesota, a group of people, many from the Somali community, took advantage of a program meant to feed hungry kids. They stole hundreds of millions of dollars meant for meals and used it to live lavishly. They bought fancy cars, luxurious homes, and even took trips to exotic places like the Maldives. They sent money overseas, including to China and Kenya, raising questions about where all the money went. The scheme came to light during a federal trial. Evidence showed defendants living large with the stolen money. One defendant, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The judge called him out, saying he saw money to steal while others saw a crisis to help. Nur has to pay back nearly $48 million. The fraud has caught the attention of House Republicans and the Treasury Department. They are looking into whether any of the stolen money went to al Shabaab, a terrorist group based in Somalia. So far, there's no evidence linking the fraudsters to terrorism. Most of the money was used for personal luxury, according to Andy Luger, the former U. S. Attorney who prosecuted the case. One of the main defendants, Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, was sentenced to 28 years in prison. He ran a restaurant that was supposed to provide meals to kids but didn't deliver a single meal. Instead, he billed the state for $47 million. Farah spent the stolen money on cars, properties, and trips. He even sent money to Mogadishu, a known al Shabaab stronghold, but there's no proof it went to the terrorist group. Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar weighed in on the issue, stating that if there was a link between the fraud and terrorism, it would be a failure of the FBI and the court system. So far, 61 people have been convicted in this scandal, with more investigations ongoing.