By Staff Writer, Oakley Kate
October 3, 2026, M.A.G.A. Daily News
Former Minneapolis Mayor Aide Sentenced in Feeding Our Future Fraud Case
MAGA DAILY NEWS— The Feeding Our Future scandal continues to make headlines after former Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey senior policy aide Abdi Nur Salah was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for his role in a massive scheme involving federal child nutrition funds. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, Salah pleaded guilty to wire fraud in January 2025 and admitted his involvement in a scheme that resulted in approximately $1.66 million in federal child nutrition funds reaching him. On October 1, 2026, U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel sentenced Salah to 33 months in federal prison, making him the 31st defendant sentenced in the Feeding Our Future case.
What Happened to the Money?
Federal prosecutors say Salah and his co-conspirators used a nonprofit called Stigma-Free International to participate in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Prosecutors say the organization opened meal sites in several Minnesota communities, including Willmar, Mankato, St. Cloud, Waite Park and St. Paul.
According to the Justice Department, the sites claimed to have served nearly five million meals to children during a 12-month period between November 2020 and November 2021. The government says those claims resulted in more than $10 million in federal reimbursements being paid to the Stigma-Free International sites.
Prosecutors say Salah personally received approximately $1.66 million of the federal funds. The Justice Department says he created and used multiple shell companies to receive and move his share of the money, which was then used for personal purchases that included homes, real estate and businesses.
Salah’s Connection to Minneapolis City Hall
What makes this case especially notable is Salah’s former position inside Minneapolis City Hall. Before the federal case moved forward, Salah worked as a senior policy aide to Mayor Jacob Frey.
That connection brought additional attention to the case because Salah was working for the mayor while the fraud scheme was taking place. Federal prosecutors later examined Salah’s political connections and his communications with people involved in the program.
The Justice Department said in 2025 that Salah had worked for the City of Minneapolis as a senior policy aide. Prosecutors also alleged that he used political influence to lobby politicians regarding the Minnesota Department of Education’s handling of Feeding Our Future and its meal sites.
Did Mayor Frey Know What Was Happening?
That remains an important question, but the available reporting does not establish that Mayor Jacob Frey knew about or participated in Salah’s fraud.
Frey has not been charged in the case and has not been accused by federal prosecutors of participating in the fraud. In earlier reporting, Frey said he did not know Aimee Bock, the founder of Feeding Our Future, and said he was not aware that information provided to his office for a meeting with Minnesota education officials came from her.
Federal prosecutors did place Frey on a potential witness list in connection with Salah’s case. Reporting at the time said prosecutors wanted the possibility of questioning Frey about Salah’s work for the city, the city’s outside-employment policy and related ethics rules.
Being listed as a potential witness does not mean someone is accused of wrongdoing. It means prosecutors identified that person as someone who could potentially provide relevant information.
Salah Was Fired From City Hall
Salah’s employment with the mayor’s office ended in February 2022, after federal authorities had begun publicly investigating the Feeding Our Future organization and people connected to it.
City employment records cited by the Star Tribune said Salah was fired for failing to submit a required outside-employment disclosure form and for failing to meet certain workplace requirements. His termination came around the same time that his name appeared in federal court documents connected to the investigation.
That timing became part of the public discussion surrounding the case.
The important distinction is that the federal case against Salah concerns his own conduct and financial activity. It does not establish that every person who worked with him at City Hall knew about the fraud.
Salah’s Immigration Status
Another point that has caused confusion online is Salah’s immigration status.
Abdi Nur Salah was reported as a legal permanent resident, meaning he held lawful permanent resident status in the United States. His brother, Abdulkadir Nur Salah, is a separate defendant in the broader Feeding Our Future case, and reporting has distinguished the brothers’ immigration situations.
That distinction matters because the two brothers have sometimes been discussed together in social media posts about the case.
For accuracy, Abdi Salah should not be described as being in the United States illegally based on the available reporting.
A Much Larger Federal Case
The Salah case is only one part of a much larger federal investigation.
The Feeding Our Future investigation involved allegations that federal child nutrition programs were exploited during the pandemic, when the government expanded food assistance programs to help children who might otherwise have lost access to meals.
According to the Justice Department, the overall scheme involved approximately $250 million in fraud. Federal prosecutors have brought charges against numerous defendants, and dozens of people have pleaded guilty or been convicted as the investigation and prosecutions have continued.
The case has also resulted in significant prison sentences for other defendants. In May 2026, Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock was sentenced to 500 months in federal prison after a jury conviction for her role in the scheme.
The Bigger Question for Taxpayers
At the center of the case is money that was intended to provide meals to children.
When government programs distribute taxpayer-funded assistance, the public expects those funds to reach the people the programs were created to help. The Feeding Our Future prosecutions have raised serious questions about oversight, verification and how quickly government agencies can identify questionable claims.
Salah’s sentence is another step in the federal government’s continuing effort to recover money and hold defendants accountable.
But questions surrounding government oversight and the actions of people connected to the program can be examined separately from the criminal responsibility of each individual defendant.
What We Know and What We Do Not Know
What we know is that Abdi Nur Salah pleaded guilty to wire fraud, admitted his role in the Feeding Our Future scheme and was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison. Federal prosecutors say he received approximately $1.66 million in federal child nutrition funds and used shell companies to move proceeds from the scheme.
We also know that Salah previously worked as a senior policy aide to Mayor Jacob Frey and that federal prosecutors examined his political connections and his work inside City Hall.
What has not been established is that Mayor Frey knew about Salah’s criminal conduct or participated in the fraud. Frey has not been charged in the case, and public reporting has described him as a potential witness rather than a defendant.That distinction is important.
As the Feeding Our Future prosecutions continue, the public can look at the court records, sentencing decisions and documented evidence and ask legitimate questions about how such a large amount of taxpayer money was handled during the pandemic.For now, Abdi Nur Salah’s federal sentence marks another major development in one of Minnesota’s largest public-funds fraud cases.
Disclaimer: This information is based on current reports and is for informational purposes only. The photo and text caption are AI generated. We represent M.A.G.A. — Morals ● Action ● God ● America—M.A.G.A., an online daily faith based news editorial.
