A man from Lakeville facing allegations of witness tampering made a guilty plea on Friday to wire fraud charges associated with a notorious scam that authorities believe siphoned off $250 million from a federal initiative aimed at feeding needy children. The formal accusation against Abdinasir Abshir, aged 32, emerged during the trial of alleged mastermind Aimee Bock, who founded the now-closed nonprofit, Feeding Our Future, along with Salim Said, a former restaurant proprietor based in Minneapolis.
With a total of seventy defendants implicated, Abshir becomes the 37th to concede guilt. Five individuals were previously convicted in a separate trial. The ongoing trial focusing on Bock and Said represents the second phase of the legal proceedings. Abshir was scheduled for trial in August as a participant in a subsequent grouping.
The first trial experienced disruption due to alleged attempts by several defendants, and their associates, to bribe a juror with an astonishing $120,000 in cash. This juror, choosing integrity, immediately reported the incident to law enforcement, prompting enhanced security measures for Bock’s trial under the guidance of U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel.
In a plea agreement, both parties acknowledged federal sentencing guidelines suggest a punishment of 63 to 78 months’ imprisonment for the wire fraud charge, compounded by Abshir’s endeavor to coerce a witness. Part of the agreement includes his commitment to repaying close to $2.3 million in restitution and relinquishing a 2021 Range Rover acquired with illicit funds. However, Judge Brasel is not obligated to adhere to these sentencing suggestions and has yet to announce when sentencing will occur.
Prosecutors detailed how Abshir attempted to engage with a government witness, Sharmake Jama, a former restaurant owner in Rochester, intending to have a private conversation in a courthouse bathroom, an offer Jama declined. Jama had already confessed to his own charges and agreed to testify against Bock and Said, opting instead to inform his attorney of the incident, who in turn notified the authorities.
Earlier court records depicted Abshir and another man entering the courtroom boisterously, seemingly in anticipation of testimony from a postal inspector regarding Abshir’s involvement. Positioned in the front row near the jury box, their disruptive actions were only subdued following intervention by security, after which they vacated the area. At this time, a conversation with Jama was initiated by Abshir, who was waiting to testify outside the courtroom.
Abshir was subsequently detained. Magistrate Judge Tony Leung issued a detention order citing probable cause for the felony of intimidating Jama.
Judge Leung emphasized the gravity of such conduct, equating it to previous allegations of jury tampering in the first Feeding Our Future trial, declaring it a direct affront to the judicial system’s integrity and reliability. Law-breaking acts are particularly audacious in light of the intense scrutiny following earlier jury tampering claims.
Abshir’s charges include operating a sham food distribution site named Stigma Free Mankato, where he and his brother allegedly exaggerated claims of delivering over 1.6 million meals to children in 2020 and 2021, reaping $5.4 million. He confessed his involvement and acknowledged disbursing $100,000 in bribes and kickbacks to a Feeding Our Future worker.
Defense attorney Craig Cascarano admitted Abshir’s approach to the witness was a significant mistake, labeling the incident as unexpected and against his client’s interests.
In deciding against bail for Abshir, Judge Brasel cited his “brazen actions” conducted “not very far” from her bench and forewarned him that attempts to contact other witnesses or defendants moving forward would be severely unwise.