Some of the Minnesota Somali immigrants convicted in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme reportedly used stolen federal funds to support “lavish” lifestyles, according to court records and news reports — as the state faces increased scrutiny over additional alleged welfare fraud.
The fraudsters siphoned off hundreds of millions of dollars in federal COVID‑relief funds that were supposed to feed needy children, but instead appear to have spent much of it on luxury and travel, the New York Post reported. Documents cited by the outlet suggest the stolen money funded condos, exotic cars, real estate in Kenya, and other high‑end indulgences.
One defendant, 43‑year‑old Liban Yasin Alishire — who pleaded guilty in 2023 to wire fraud and money laundering — reportedly spent $350,000 of fraud proceeds on a resort in Kenya where guests could hire personal chefs. The Post also detailed the spending habits of key players in the scheme:
- Aimee Bock, alleged mastermind of the fraud, was described as financially supporting her then‑boyfriend, Empress Malcolm Watson Jr., including paying him a $1 million salary under a phony contract.
- The pair allegedly rented Lamborghinis, Rolls‑Royces, and other exotic cars for roughly $2,000 per day during trips.
- They also took frequent luxury vacations to destinations like Las Vegas and Graceland, with Watson Jr. posting images of expensive travel and possessions on social media.
In June 2024, federal prosecutors charged nearly 50 Somali immigrants in Minnesota in connection with the Feeding Our Future scheme, which allegedly diverted about $250 million in pandemic‑era relief funds, as previously reported by Breitbart News.
More broadly, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson has said that Minnesota has lost half of $18 billion in welfare funds to fraud, remarks also reported by Breitbart. Thompson warned that “Minnesota has become a magnet for fraud, so much so that we have developed a fraud tourism industry — people coming to our state purely to exploit and defraud its programs.”
Thompson contrasted this fraud with traditional Medicare and Medicaid fraud, saying the Minnesota schemes were unique because perpetrators often filed entirely fake companies and bogus bills rather than simply overbilling for services.
The revelations come amid a wave of citizen‑led investigations, including those by independent journalist Nick Shirley, that have highlighted alleged fraud in Minnesota daycare and healthcare providers tied to the Somali community.
