The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota is citing a recent exodus of top prosecutors in that office in a motion to delay the trial of a defendant in the sprawling fraud investigation of Feeding Our Future.
The motion for a continuance, filed Monday afternoon, seeks to push back the trial of Abdirahman Ahmed, who was among several people charged with money laundering in 2022.
A jury convicted one of Ahmed’s business partners, Salim Said, along with Feeding Our Future’s founder, Aimee Bock, last year.
Now the government says it will not be able to “adequately prepare” for Ahmed’s trial in June.
The motion cites another upcoming trial of seven defendants in April as well as “significant staffing changes” at the U.S. Attorney’s Office earlier this year.
Top prosecutor Joe Thompson and several others quit in January. A New York Times report said the attorneys resigned amid pressure to…
MANAGEMENT & CULTURE (THE “TONE AT THE TOP”)
Fraud thrives in “sloppy” environments where leadership ignores the rules.
- The Fraud Triangle: For fraud to occur, three elements must be present: Pressure (the need for money), Rationalization (thinking “I deserve this”), and Opportunity (weak controls). You can only control the Opportunity.
- Whistleblower Hotline: Provide an anonymous way for staff to report “odd behavior.” Most internal frauds are caught via tips, not audits.
- Background Checks: Conduct credit and criminal record checks for all employees in financial or data-sensitive roles.
- Annual Ethics Training: Make sure every staff member knows that the company has a Zero Tolerance policy toward “borrowing” from petty cash or fudging overtime.