A federal jury convicted Muna Wais Fidhin on all nine remaining counts Wednesday, finding the Savage woman guilty of wire fraud, federal-programs bribery and money laundering in connection with the sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. Fidhin was the sole defendant in the case's third courtroom trial, and prosecutors said she billed the federal child-nutrition program for roughly $1 million while paying about $27,000 in kickbacks to an employee of the organization.
According to fox9.com, Fidhin enrolled two businesses, M5 Café and M5 Care, in the Federal Child Nutrition Program and was accused of inflating the number of meals she claimed to have served. Prosecutors alleged she claimed to have served more than 300,000 meals at her two sites. Court documents cited by 5 Eyewitness News indicate Fidhin enrolled M5 Café in the program under Feeding Our Future's sponsorship, then created M5 Care, a nonprofit, in 2021 and enrolled that site under a different sponsor.
Charges and the Dropped Count
Fidhin had originally faced a 10-count indictment, according to the U.S. Department of Justice: three counts of wire fraud, four counts of federal-programs bribery and three counts of money laundering. A tenth felony count for money laundering was dropped before the case reached the jury, the U.S. Attorney's Office said, per americanexperiment.org's reporting. The remaining money-laundering charges centered on a $310,000 payment toward Fidhin's home in Savage and tens of thousands of dollars prosecutors said she wired out of the country, including funds sent to her native Somalia.
Prosecutors said the kickbacks Fidhin paid were made in exchange for a Feeding Our Future employee submitting fraudulent claims on her behalf. The trial itself stretched across 11 courtroom days, per the same outlet's account. Jurors moved quickly once deliberations began — fox9.com reported deliberations lasting less than three hours, while a separate account put the figure at one hour and 20 minutes.
Judge Orders Home Monitoring, Not Jail
U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel rejected the government's request to detain Fidhin pending sentencing, instead ordering electronic home monitoring, fox9.com reported. As part of that order, Fidhin was barred from contacting several witnesses connected to related cases. A formal sentencing date had not been set as of the verdict.
Fidhin's defense attorney, Steve Schleicher, argued during trial that his client acted in good faith and trusted the wrong people at Feeding Our Future. After the verdict, Schleicher said he and his client were disappointed but thanked the jury for its service, according to fox9.com.
Part of a Much Larger Fraud Case
Fidhin's conviction is the latest development in a fraud case federal prosecutors say involves 70 defendants accused of stealing at least $250 million in pandemic-era food-aid money, according to Sahan Journal. Prosecutors allege defendants across the scheme reported serving far more meals than they actually provided, or in some cases provided none at all, in order to collect federal funds meant for children. The Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office had secured 49 guilty pleas and seven trial convictions as of a September 2025 report from MPR News.
Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock was a prominent figure in the case. Other defendants have received a range of punishments: Abdiaziz Farah was handed a total of 38 years in prison after an additional 10-year sentence for attempting to bribe a juror, while Khadar Adan received one year of probation after pleading guilty to theft of government property, per Sahan Journal.
The scandal has also pushed state lawmakers to act. Minnesota approved a new inspector general's office aimed at preventing future fraud in state social-service programs, according to MPR News. Prosecutors allege defendants across the scheme submitted false claims to collect federal funds.
