Walz's Minnesota: Million-Dollar SNAP Fraud Scheme In Governor's Backyard Sparks Outrage: 'Cruel Joke'

T. Tim Walz

In a shocking development that has left exactly zero people who have been paying attention to Minnesota even mildly surprised, authorities have uncovered a million-dollar food stamp fraud operation running right in Tim Walz's backyard, as if he was clueless.

The scheme, which authorities described as involving "a high degree of sophistication," apparently consisted of buying stuff at Sam's Club and Costco and then reselling it; truly the kind of criminal mastermindery that would make Ocean's Eleven look like a grocery run, and might actually eliminate Walz from suspicion for that reason.

Abdidwahid Mohamed, owner of the creatively named Minnesota Food Grocery LLC, allegedly racked up $1,141,082 in EBT payments using cards registered to other people. Investigators say they watched him make the purchases, followed him back to his store, and confirmed it all with surveillance and GPS. Many of the actual cardholders were either out of the country or insisted they never shopped at those stores. Shocking to think that such skulduggery exists in Minnesota.

"Mohamed received $1,141,082 in EBT payments," according to the complaint, which added that the plan "involved a high degree of sophistication or planning or occurred over a lengthy period of time."

Mohamed faces up to only 20 years in prison or a $100,000 fine if found guilty, penalties that in Minnesota probably come with a participation trophy and a strongly worded letter.

Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer is demanding accountability from Governor Tim Walz amid the state's broader fraud woes, including a staggering $9 billion Medicaid probe. Emmer alleges Walz is either incompetent or complicit in the theft of taxpayer funds, highlighting what critics call a thriving culture of corruption. One thing for sure, if Walz is complicit, he's certainly not the mastermind.

"Minneapolis didn't become America's fraud capital by accident," Dalia al-Aqidi (a Republican running for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District against Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar) told Fox News Digital. "It was earned. This week, it's a grocer charged with running up $1.1 million in charges on other people's EBT cards. Next week, it will be something else, but the bill always lands on the Minnesotans who actually pay taxes."

Aqidi says that families tell her "affordability" is what "keeps them up night" and the "cruel joke is that the money is here to really make a difference for people."

"It is just lining the wrong pockets and paying for luxury cars and houses on the other side of the world. The fraudsters are only half the story. The other half are the people administering these programs, from the front lines all the way up to Ilhan Omar, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Governor Tim Walz. There has been talk about ending fraud in Minnesota for years. I am going to Washington to actually do it."

Two Republican lawmakers echoed the frustration. State Sen. Mark Koran called it "yet another example of why Minnesota is target number one for fraudsters."

"The sheer volume of welfare programs, combined with the inability of state agencies to detect obvious fraud is alarming. Once again, it was a private retailer, not the state, that uncovered this fraud scheme," Koran added, referencing the suspect being initially flagged by Walmart’s Global Investigation Team.

"All individuals involved, including the people that sold their EBT cards to Abdi Mohamed, have to be fully prosecuted," Koran said. People who come here to steal from hardworking Minnesota taxpayers deserve serious consequences.

State Sen. Michael Holmstrom kept it real: "This may be the laziest one yet."

"We had this guy, Abdi Mohamed, and he named his scam company 'Minnesota Food Grocery LLC.' They aren’t even trying, because they have been conditioned to believe there are no consequences."

The bust comes as part of a larger fraud scandal centered in Minnesota's social services programs, particularly within the Somali community, and a fresh Trump administration push against food stamp abuse.

"Since its inception, SNAP has helped our most vulnerable citizens afford the essential and nutritious food they need," Rollins and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote in a Fox News op-ed in March. "At least, that is what the program is supposed to do.

"Over time, however, SNAP has been taken advantage of, allowing many to game the system and leaving millions of vulnerable Americans without healthy, nutrient-dense food options."

In related news, Minnesota officials continue to express bewilderment that when you create a massive, poorly supervised pile of free money, people occasionally treat it like a pile of free money. Walz could not be reached for comment, as he was reportedly busy checking the state couch cushions for another $9 billion.

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USDA fraud crackdown to end loophole that has the ultra rich get food stamps

The USDA is finally getting serious about cracking down on food stamp fraud all over the country, going after a loophole that’s been letting wealthy people qualify for government benefits they have no business touching.

[H/T Fox News]

Secretary Brooke Rollins dropped a post on X this week noting that one single state has 14,000 individuals on SNAP benefits who are also tooling around in Ferraris, Bentleys, and Lamborghinis. You can’t make this stuff up.

She put fraudsters on notice that the USDA is working to shut down that loophole under the Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility policy, the one that lets people qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits even when they’ve got the cash to drop hundreds of thousands on luxury cars.

Rollins told Fox Business this week that the department is "getting very, very close to being able to fix that" loophole.

SNAP, the biggest federal anti-hunger program in the United States, has been a favorite punching bag for conservatives demanding reforms for years. Rollins went on "The Ingraham Angle" Thursday night to highlight just how insane some of the waste and abuse has gotten.

"We've found 500,000 people getting more than one benefit illegally. We found 244,000 dead people. This is just the red states," Rollins said about what she's discovered going through the data from the states that have agreed to provide it since her first day on the job.

"We have arrested 895 different people in the last year for illegally using the food stamp system and, of course, now we're talking about what is happening with that money."

USDA numbers show 4.2 million fewer food stamp recipients during President Trump’s first year in office as the administration keeps swinging the axe amid endless reports of misuse from coast to coast.

"Food stamp waste and fraud is out of control," Republican congressional candidate in Orange County and CAL DOGE Director Jenny Rae Le Roux told Fox News Digital. "California alone loses nearly $14 million every day from SNAP to EBT skimming, out-of-state and country beneficiaries and eligibility lapses at a time when technology exists to close every gap, quickly."In March, Fox News Digital reported on Minnesota millionaire Rob Undersander, who somehow qualified for food stamps anyway. He’s been ringing the alarm on this nonsense ever since and has testified about it in Minnesota and before Congress.

"Reintroducing basic guardrails like an asset test is a commonsense step to restore integrity, ensure benefits go to those who truly need them and protect the long-term viability of the program," America First Policy Institute Health & Harvest Campaign Director Matt Schmid said in March.

"This isn’t about taking help away. It’s about making sure SNAP works the way it was intended to."

On top of that, the USDA put out a press release Thursday detailing Rollins’ plan to reorganize the SNAP program, including shipping food nutrition resources and staff out of Washington, D.C., to places like Indianapolis, Dallas, Denver, and Kansas City. About time some of these bureaucrats got a taste of real America.

A USDA spokesperson told Fox News Digital Friday the announcement "aligns with the Food and Nutrition Administration’s mission, to nourish those in need through financially sound programs that promote health and work, as well as champion the productivity of American agriculture."

"As the Food and Nutrition Administration begins its refocusing of operations, all 16 federal nutrition programs will continue without disruption. Pertaining to Indianapolis, it has a lower cost of living, one of the top airports in the country, and has excelled at innovative program delivery."In the end, the administration says these fixes will actually help the people who really need the assistance.

"Since its inception, SNAP has helped our most vulnerable citizens afford the essential and nutritious food they need," Rollins and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote in a Fox News op-ed in March. "At least, that is what the program is supposed to do.

"Over time, however, SNAP has been taken advantage of, allowing many to game the system and leaving millions of vulnerable Americans without healthy, nutrient-dense food options."

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Trump admin freezes visa processing for 75 countries, including Iran, Russia, and yes Somalia

The State Department is slamming the brakes on immigrant visa processing for 75 countries. The goal? Crack down hard on applicants likely to become a public charge and drain American resources.

A State Department memo, obtained first by Fox News Digital, orders consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department reviews and strengthens screening and vetting procedures.

The affected countries include Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Yemen, and dozens more.

Somalia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria, Thailand among nations hit by indefinite pause starting Jan. 21.

Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda are on the new restrictions list from the Trump administration over concerns with their Citizenship by Investment programs. Here's a look at the stunning Antigua coastline that draws so many visitors.

This pause kicks in January 21 as mentioned, and continues indefinitely until a full reassessment of immigrant visa processing is complete.

Somalia has been under intense federal scrutiny after a massive fraud scandal exploded in Minnesota. Prosecutors exposed widespread abuse of taxpayer-funded benefit programs, with many involved being Somali nationals or Somali-Americans.

Back in November 2025, a State Department cable went out to posts worldwide, directing consular officers to enforce tough new screening rules under the "public charge" provision of immigration law.

The guidance tells officers to deny visas to anyone likely to rely on public benefits. They weigh everything: health, age, English proficiency, finances, and even potential future need for long-term medical care.

Here are views of the Quality Learning Center in Minnesota, which sat at the heart of the alleged childcare fraud scandal rocking the state.

Older or overweight applicants could face denial, as could anyone with any past use of government cash assistance or institutionalization.

"The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people," State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said in a statement.

"Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits."

This image shows the sign at Quality Learning Center, [formerly known as the Quality Learing Center] where manager Ibrahim Ali denied any fraud despite explosive reports from independent journalist Nick Shirley. The scandal broke right before the State Department hit pause on visa processing.

The pause starts January 21 and runs indefinitely until the department finishes reassessing visa processing.

While the public charge rule has been on the books for decades, enforcement has swung wildly depending on the administration. Consular officers have historically had broad discretion.Exceptions to this new pause will be "very limited" and only granted after an applicant fully clears public charge concerns.

The 2022 Biden-era version of the rule narrowed things down, mostly to cash assistance and long-term institutional care, while excluding programs like SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, or housing vouchers.

The Immigration and Nationality Act has always allowed consular officers to block applicants on public charge grounds. President Donald Trump expanded the definition in 2019 to cover a much wider range of benefits. Courts challenged that expansion, parts got blocked, and the Biden administration rescinded it.

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Here are more images from the Minnesota childcare fraud investigation that helped fuel this crackdown.

The full list of affected countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen. And a partridge in a pear tree.

America First means protecting our generosity from exploitation. This is a big step in that direction.

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US Army suggests troops apply for welfare if they can't feed themselves

The Pentagon is recommending that if a soldier cannot cover the cost of soaring inflation, they can apply for food stamps, aka SNAP benefits. This comes at a time when the Biden administration is spending like a drunken sailor and the supply chain is in trouble, causing prices to skyrocket.

The U.S. Army cites the higher prices on a range of goods due to inflation in its recently released official guidance.

“With inflation affecting everything from gas prices to groceries to rent, some Soldiers and their families are finding it harder to get by on the budgets they’ve set and used before,” the guidance by Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston reads.

“Soldiers of all ranks can seek guidance, assistance, and advice through the Army’s Financial Readiness Program.”

How freaking sick is that? Under this administration, we have a military that is underpaid, but at least it's diverse with a Rear Admiral who wears a dress and a General who believes that a woke military is more effective than a combat-ready military.

Brothers in Arms: Gen. Milley and Rear Adm. Rachel Levine

The guidance points soldiers to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and links them to the federal welfare program’s website.

“SNAP is a U.S. government program that provides benefits to eligible low-income individuals and families via an electronic benefits transfer card that can be used like a debit card to purchase eligible food in authorized retail food stores. Service members and their families may be eligible,” the Army guidance reads.

“To determine qualification, visit the SNAP website or call the SNAP information line at 800-221-5689.”

“Based on the Pentagon’s own data, 24% of enlisted personnel are food insecure,” said Mackenzie Eaglen, an analyst at the American Enterprise Institute. 

“While food stamps are a Band-Aid, they’re also an admission that basic pay for enlisted troops and their families is too low — further exacerbated by unyielding inflation causing paychecks to shrink more.”

“The food index increased 10.9 percent over the last year, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending May 1979,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Federal inflation data released in August shows that food prices have risen at the fastest rate since the 1970s thanks to the incompetent leadership in the White House.

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AOC goes for but fails at a "save" over Amazon jobs in NYC

Rep. Alexandria Obviously-Comatose (D-NY) sent out a misleading tweet bragging about a new report that Amazon will be bringing jobs to New York City. She appears to take credit for what is actually a huge screw up on her part.

Last summer AOC went after Amazon after they struck a deal with NY State to open a second headquarters in NY City. The move would have brought 25,000 jobs to the Big Apple and all New York had to do, as they do with many mega companies, is to provide the company with $3 billion in state and local subsidies. Due to AOC's attack on the company, Amazon backed out of the deal.

On Friday, however, it was reported that Amazon was leasing a 335,000-square-foot office space in Manhattan. The move is slated to bring in about 1,500 jobs, not the 25,000 as originally planned.

The low-information socialist celebrated the news on Twitter.

"Won’t you look at that: Amazon is coming to NYC anyway - *without* requiring the public to finance shady deals, helipad handouts for Jeff Bezos, & corporate giveaways," Ocasio-Cortez said. "Maybe the Trump admin should focus more on cutting public assistance to billionaires instead of poor families," she added with obvious envy toward successful wealthy people.

She also posted a picture of herself, taking the credit and sitting on a couch with the caption:

"Me waiting on the haters to apologize after we were proven right on Amazon and saved the public billions." 

Many were ticked off by her "victory lap" and pointed to the math of the jobs that were still lost from her battle with Amazon.

The Daily Caller's Peter Hasson tweeted:

"Another day, another viral misleading tweet from AOC. Amazon is leasing office space in Manhattan for 1,500 employees, which is 6% of the 25,000 jobs its HQ2 in Queens (her district) was supposed to add." 

Caleb Hall, political strategist wrote:

"AOC could have had 25,000 jobs in her district from Amazon, but now, Amazon is only offering 1,500 jobs using rental space OUTSIDE her district. She's taking a victory lap for a 94% loss in jobs in NYC and 25,000 job loss in her district. Socialist logic is incredible."

AOC often lies in her tweet posts and elsewhere. On Thursday she wrote that her family "might've just starved" had Trump tightened requirements for food stamp recipients been the policy when her father died in 2008.

The lie, this time, was how she misrepresented the new rule, which only applies to childless, able-bodied adults under 50.

The socialist tweeted:

“My family relied on food stamps (EBT) when my dad died at 48. I was a student. If this happened then, we might’ve just starved. Now, many people will. It’s shameful how the GOP works overtime to create freebies for the rich while dissolving lifelines of those who need it most.”

Evidently, the only people who would possibly "starve" would be the able-bodied childless adults who refuse to work. And let's be honest, nobody starves in the USA because of the charities and food programs available.

And when her father died, AOC was 19 and in college [which was a waste of tuition] and would have been claimed as a dependent by her mother, so the family would have received the assistance.


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