A Rochester woman caught up in the sprawling Feeding Our Future scandal is headed to federal prison, after a judge sentenced Zamzam Jama on Tuesday to six months behind bars and ordered her to repay $491,245 in restitution. She must surrender to the U.S. Marshals on June 2 and will be on supervised release for one year once she finishes her sentence. The case is one slice of a yearslong federal probe that prosecutors say diverted pandemic era child nutrition funds away from the kids they were supposed to feed.
Plea deal and counts dismissed
As reported by KSTP, Jama pleaded guilty on February 5, 2025, to a single count of money laundering. Under her plea agreement, prosecutors dropped a separate conspiracy charge along with an additional money laundering count at sentencing. The court settled on six months in federal prison, plus restitution for the full $491,245 and one year of supervised release.
How prosecutors say the scheme worked
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, Brava Restaurant in Rochester signed on as a Feeding Our Future distribution site and then routed federal reimbursements through a web of shell companies. Prosecutors say Jama deposited at least $491,245 in misappropriated Federal Child Nutrition Program money into one such shell account, then spent portions of it on a home in Rosemount and a 2021 Toyota RAV4.
Assets seized and restitution
As part of the plea deal, Jama agreed to give up the Toyota RAV4 and her interest in the Rosemount property. The court also ordered that restitution begin immediately to cover the government’s losses. Local reporting from KTTC notes she is to surrender to U.S. Marshals by June 2 to start serving her time.
Where this fits in the broader case
Jama’s sentence is one among many in the wide ranging Feeding Our Future prosecution, which federal officials say involved roughly $250 million in pandemic era child nutrition funds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Hoodline previously covered Jama’s guilty plea; see coverage of her guilty plea in the $250 million case for background on the Brava Restaurant group.
Legal notes
Jama’s one count plea and the dismissal of other charges reflect a common outcome in complex fraud cases where forfeiture, restitution, and a defendant’s cooperation can all influence the final sentence. Prosecutors in this case have pursued asset forfeiture and related remedies, court documents indicate.
