The first criminal trial in the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud case is set to begin Monday in Minneapolis.

Prosecutors say dozens of people and several nonprofit organizations defrauded the Federal Child Nutrition Program, using the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to spend tens of millions of dollars in program funds on cars, luxury items and even lakefront properties. The money was intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to children.

To date, 70 people have been charged in what Minnesota U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger has called the largest COVID-related fraud scheme in the country. Since the indictments, 18 defendants have pleaded guilty to their crimes.

A trial brief filed earlier this month shows the following defendants are scheduled to be in court:

• Abdiaziz Shafii Farah
• Mohamed Jama Ismail
• Abdimajid Mohamed Nur
• Said Shafii Farah
• Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin
• Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff
• Hayat Mohamed Nur

One of the eight defendants named in the indictment, Mahad Ibrahim, will not be a part of this trial due to a conflict with an attorney.

A grand jury returned an indictment against the eight defendants in 2022 with a number of crimes, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, false statement in a passport application and more.

CLICK HERE for KSTP’s full coverage of the Feeding Our Future fraud case.