‘Feeding Our Future’ suspect charged in $4.6M daycare fraud after viral video
DHS steps up investigation into Minnesota scam after viral video
Fox News correspondent Garrett Tenney and Fox News contributor Hugh Hewitt joined ‘America’s Newsroom’ to discuss allegations of mass fraud at Minnesota daycares after a viral video from YouTuber and freelance journalist Nick Shirley sparked a backlash against seemingly empty daycares.
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A woman allegedly linked to Minnesota’s massive “Feeding Our Future” scandal has been charged with a daycare fraud scheme after she was featured in a viral video by influencer Nick Shirley, authorities said.
He is accused of pocketing millions of dollars destined for children’s meals.
Fahima Egeh Mahamud was charged Wednesday with wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States, according to court documents.
STATE OFFICIALS AND NURSERY DIRECTOR RESTORE VIDEO VIDEO FORGING ALLEGATIONS IN MINNESOTA
Fahima Egeh Mahamud (left) owns a nursery featured in Nick Shirley’s viral video. He was charged Wednesday in Minnesota in another fraud case. (Getty Images; Hennepin County Jail)
Earlier this year, Mahamud was indicted for his alleged role in the initial $250 million “Feeding Our Future” scheme. Prosecutors allege he enrolled Future Leaders Early Learning, a Minneapolis daycare where he served as CEO, into the federal child nutrition program, claiming he served thousands of meals at the child care center.
In addition to his involvement in the feeding program fraud, Mahamud was indicted federally on Wednesday in a secondary scheme to defraud the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which provides day care assistance to low-income families.
He allegedly submitted more than 13,000 fraudulent claims to CCAP between October 2022 and December 2025, totaling approximately $4.6 million. Prosecutors say the allegations were fraudulent because he falsely documented collecting mandatory contributions from families, a financial requirement for federal reimbursement.
ILHAN OMAR PRESSED TO EXPLAIN HOW MINNESOTA FRAUD GOT ’OUT OF CONTROL’
Future Leaders Early Learning center featured in Shirley’s viral video: FOX 9 Minneapolis A report was released showing he visited vacant Somali-run child care centers in and around Minneapolis, alleging widespread fraud.
The video served as a catalyst for an immediate and aggressive multi-agency crackdown by the Trump administration.
Following the announcement, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) froze approximately $185 million in federal child care funding to Minnesota.
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Additionally, more than 2,000 federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have been deployed to the Twin Cities to increase investigations and enforcement.
