1st guilty pleas entered in large federal food program fraud

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The first batch of guilty pleas involving about 50 people charged in a large-scale scheme to defraud a federal meals program in Minnesota have been entered in court. Hadith Ahmed, who worked for the Feeding Our Future program, became the first employee to plead guilty and testify about the fraud. He admitted to taking more than $1.3 million in bribes to help other co-conspirators. Bekam Merdassa and Hanna Marakegn pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The alleged $250 million fleecing of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future program targeted federal child nutrition programs that provide free meals to low-income children and adults. Prosecutors are calling it the largest pandemic-related fraud in the U.S.