Another conspirator in the Feeding Our Future fraud case was sentenced to a lengthy prison term last week, with U.S. authorities sentencing the latest defendant to 17-and-a-half years behind bars for his part in stealing $250 million from hungry children.
Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff, 34, exploited a federally funded program meant to feed impoverished children during the COVID-19 pandemic; he and more than 60 others tried to run off with a quarter of billion dollars, in what prosecutors called “the ultimate get-rich-quick scheme.”
Sponsors could enrol in Feeding Our Future to provide low-income families with meals for their children, who were under extreme economic pressure brought on by the pandemic. In exchange, they would be reimbursed by the U.S. federal government and also retain 10 to 15 percent of the funds as an administrative fee.
Some people, however, got it into their heads that stealing from a children’s food program was a good idea.
As one of the conspirators, Shariff used his position as CEO of Afrique Hospitality Group to file fraudulent meal count sheets, thereby overinflating the number of invoices he submitted back to Washington.
“The defendant committed a brazen fraud that shamelessly stole taxpayer money intended to feed children during a global pandemic,” Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick said of Shariff. “He lined his pockets, here and abroad, with millions.”
Prosecutors have documented that, in some cases, the guilty individuals used a website designed to generate random names to fill out several of their invoices.
By the final count, authorities estimate that no less than 125 million fake meals were fraudulently submitted to the government for reimbursement, costing taxpayers $250 million.
Many of the 60-plus conspirators used their share of the quarter of a billion dollars to fund lavish lifestyles, including luxury vacations, extravagant gifts, and real estate purchases.
Shariff was convicted back in June 2024 on various fraud and money laundering charges related to his role in the scandal.
In the lead up to the sentencing, some people took to social media in support of Shariff. Judge Brasel, however, commented that Shariff’s crimes showed a “staggering lack of respect for the law,” and that taxpayers were “outraged by the brazenness of the crime.”
In addition to facing the next 17-and-a-half years confined to a cell, Shariff was also ordered to pay just under $48 million in restitution for his misdeeds. “This significant sentence should serve as a clear warning to anyone who would seek to exploit and defraud government programs,” Kirkpatrick said.
He ended with a warning to those who have yet to face justice for their role in the theft, promising that “you will be held accountable.”
