Former Ilhan Omar Associate Pleads Guilty in $2.9 Million Fraud Scheme
Federal prosecutors revealed that 49-year-old Guhaad Hashi Said — referred to by Alpha News as an “enforcer” for Omar’s campaign — confessed in court to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. These charges arise from an extensive fraud scheme that targeted a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The conviction of the 52nd defendant in the Feeding Our Future case serves as yet another reminder of the extensive nature of this fraud and the magnitude of the crisis we are facing in Minnesota,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson stated in a press release. “These offenses are not isolated incidents. They form part of a network of schemes aimed at programs designed to support Minnesotans, ultimately draining their resources. From my perspective, the extent of the fraud in Minnesota is astonishing, and every stone we overturn uncovers more. We must approach this issue with honesty and clarity regarding its scope, as addressing it will require a relentless, collective effort from all of us.
As per court records, between December 2020 and January 2022, Said took advantage of the Federal Child Nutrition Program, falsely asserting that his nonprofit — Advance Youth Athletic Development — was providing thousands of meals daily to disadvantaged children. Established in February 2021, the organization was registered at a residential apartment located in the Central Avenue Lofts in Minneapolis.
Starting in March 2021, Said began submitting meal count sheets asserting that he had served 5,000 meals daily. From March to December of that year, he claimed to have provided over 1 million meals — however, the actual number was only a small fraction of that. Prosecutors allege that he falsified meal counts, attendance records, and invoices to obtain reimbursements.
This scheme generated approximately $2.9 million in federal funds. Between August and December 2021, Said transferred over $2.1 million from his organization’s bank accounts to a catering business, purportedly for food purchases, while utilizing other funds to acquire real estate, vehicles, and personal items through a network of shell nonprofits and LLCs.
Said now faces a potential sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison. He previously ran for the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018.
Although Omar herself has not been implicated in the Feeding Our Future scandal, the conviction occurs against a backdrop of previous ethical and political controversies associated with the congresswoman. In 2019, the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board determined that Omar’s state legislative campaign had breached reporting requirements and improperly utilized campaign funds for personal expenses, mandating her to reimburse $3,469.23.
More recently, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) has called for an ethics investigation into Omar following the emergence of a clip in which she spoke in Somali, with a translation circulating online that suggested she favored Somalia’s interests over those of the United States.
“No sitting member of Congress should be able to blatantly spew anti-American rhetoric and get away with it,” Emmer stated in a January announcement, urging Omar to “resign in disgrace” due to the “Somalia-first comments.”
Omar has deemed the translation inaccurate, presenting what she claims to be a more accurate version in which she informs her Somali constituents of her commitment to safeguarding Somalia’s maritime access from foreign intrusion during her tenure in Congress.
“While I am in Congress, no one will seize Somalia’s sea,” she stated in her preferred translation. “The United States will not support others in robbing us.”
Omar’s comments regarding Somalia reflect a recurring theme of previous controversies surrounding her foreign policy statements, including her 2019 assertion that pro-Israel lobbying organizations were pressuring lawmakers to demonstrate “loyalty to a foreign nation,” alongside a tweet that stated: “It’s all about the Benjamins baby.”
The guilty plea from a former associate of Omar’s campaign highlights how the Feeding Our Future scandal continues to implicate prominent political figures within Minnesota’s Democratic circles. This development also brings renewed attention to Omar’s close associates at a time when her own statements and previous financial infractions are under scrutiny from political adversaries.
Said will receive sentencing at a future date.
