St. Cloud Nonprofit Connected to $250 Million Fraud Case Dissolved for Misusing Assets and Defrauding Child Nutrition Program

(KNSI) — A St. Cloud-based nonprofit connected to the $250 million Feeding Our Future Fraud case has been dissolved.

At the Attorney General’s request, Hennepin County Judge Karen A. Janisch ordered the disollution due to misused nonprofit assets, lack of legitimate nonprofit activities and failure to cooperate with the AG’s investigation or respond to the lawsuit.

Youth Higher Educational Achievement is one of 17 organizations the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office shut down due to its alleged attempts to defraud the U.S. Department of Agriculture Federal Child Nutrition Program.

According to the civil complaint, YHEA was created by Filsan Hassan in December 2020 for the purpose of directing funds to herself, her family members, and her co-conspirators. It’s a scheme the federal government has described as “an egregious plot to steal public funds meant to care for children.” In all, they allegedly took over $2.5 million and spent it on purchases at department stores, retail
electronics stores, and gas stations, and checks from YHEA’s account to Hassan.

The organization claimed to have served 4,388 snacks and dinners seven days a week. YHEA submitted claims for serving more than 1 million meals between April and December 2021. Officials say Hassan and her co-conspirators prepared paperwork for fraudulent meal counts, fake rosters, and invoices.

The program was administered by the Minnesota Department of Education. Investigators say YHEA contracted with S&S Catering in Minneapolis to serve the meals. The catering company’s owners, Qamar Hassan and Sahra Nur pleaded guilty to receiving reimbursement for meals they never made.

Hassan is among dozens of others accused in what federal officials called a wide-ranging conspiracy to steal more than $250 million from taxpayers. YHEA hasn’t operated since January 2022. The charity was charged with one count of violations of the nonprofit act and other grounds warranting dissolution.

___