Hared Nur Jibril, Food Stamp, Covid Assistance, Wire Fraud, Minnesota 2022

State: Minnesota
Category: Fraud &#038; Financial Crimes
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/st-cloud-man-sentenced-prison-food-stamp-covid-assistance-fraud" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

A federal judge has handed down a harsh sentence to a St. Cloud man convicted of defrauding government programs, including food stamps and Covid-19 relief.

Hared Nur Jibril, 60, was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $4,187,999.72 in restitution for wire fraud.

According to court documents, Jibril owned and operated Hormud Meat and Grocery Market in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He participated in a scheme to defraud the USDA by exchanging SNAP and WIC benefits for cash and ineligible items. The scheme resulted in a loss amount of more than $4.1 million to the SNAP and WIC programs.

In addition to the food stamp scheme, Jibril also applied for and received more than $32,724 in unemployment benefits, falsely claiming that he had been laid off due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite his continued self-employment at the Hormud Market, he applied to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) for unemployment benefits.

The case was the result of an investigation conducted by the USDA-OIG, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor-OIG, and the Minnesota Department of Health. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Huddleston prosecuted the case.

Jibril pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud on December 1, 2021. He was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud.

The sentence marks a significant blow to Jibril’s scheme, which involved the theft of millions of dollars in government funds. The restitution order will ensure that Jibril pays back the money he stole, and the prison sentence will hold him accountable for his crimes.

The case serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability in government programs and the need for vigilant oversight to prevent fraud.

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