MINNEAPOLIS — A former senior policy aide to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for his role in the massive Feeding Our Future fraud scheme that diverted money from a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abdi Nur Salah, 38, of St. Paul, was sentenced Thursday, Oct. 1, in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis by U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel. Salah previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Jan. 28, 2025. He was taken into custody following the sentencing.
Millions Claimed for Meals That Were Never Served
According to federal prosecutors, Salah acquired the nonprofit Stigma-Free International in October 2020 after the Minnesota Department of Education stopped approving meal sites operated by restaurants and other for-profit businesses.
Salah subsequently transferred ownership of Stigma-Free International to co-conspirators, who used the nonprofit to establish Federal Child Nutrition Program sites in communities including St. Paul, St. Cloud, Willmar, Mankato and Waite Park.
Prosecutors said the sites claimed to have served nearly five million meals to children between November 2020 and November 2021.
Those claims were supported with fraudulent attendance records, meal counts and invoices, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The sites ultimately received more than $10 million in federal reimbursements based on those claims.
Salah Received More Than $1.6 Million
Federal authorities said Salah also created shell companies that were used to receive and launder his share of the proceeds.
In total, prosecutors determined that Salah received approximately $1.66 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Authorities said he used some of the money to purchase homes, real estate and businesses.
The Pioneer Press reported that Salah was also ordered to forfeit $1,063,255 tied to the wire-fraud count to which he pleaded guilty. A Minneapolis property and a former bar and restaurant in Brooklyn Park were also subject to forfeiture proceedings.
Former Role in the Minneapolis Mayor’s Office
Salah previously served as a senior policy aide to Mayor Frey. He worked in the mayor’s office from 2017 until March 2022, according to information cited in court filings, and was fired after the allegations surrounding the Feeding Our Future investigation became public.
The case against Salah is separate from any allegation against Frey himself. Salah’s criminal case centers on his own conduct and his involvement with Stigma-Free International and the Feeding Our Future scheme.
Sentence Exceeded Prosecutors’ Recommendation
The 33-month sentence was longer than the 27 months prosecutors had requested. Prosecutors described Salah as a minor participant compared with some other defendants in the broader fraud operation, while the judge ultimately imposed the longer prison term.
Salah’s attorney had sought home detention rather than a lengthy prison sentence. His lawyer argued that Salah’s role was limited and that the plea agreement characterized him as a minimal participant, according to FOX 9.
31st Defendant Sentenced
Salah is the 31st defendant sentenced in the Feeding Our Future fraud investigation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
Federal prosecutors have described the broader case as a roughly $250 million fraud scheme involving federal child nutrition funds intended to provide meals to children during the pandemic. The investigation has resulted in numerous charges, guilty pleas and convictions.
Federal agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen said the sentence demonstrates the government’s continued effort to hold people accountable for diverting taxpayer money intended for vulnerable children.
The sentencing represents another significant development in a sprawling Minnesota fraud investigation that continues to produce convictions and prison terms years after the alleged conduct occurred.
