A U.S. federal court has sentenced 36-year-old Abdiaziz Farah to 28 years in prison for his involvement in a large-scale COVID-19 relief fraud. Farah was found guilty of helping steal over Ksh 6 billion ($48 million), which he used to purchase luxury vehicles and property, including real estate in Kenya.
Farah played a leading role in the “Feeding Our Future” scam, a scheme that defrauded the U.S. government of nearly Ksh 39 billion ($300 million) meant for child nutrition programs during the pandemic. Authorities revealed that Farah and his associates created fake meal distribution sites, forged invoices, and submitted lists with fictitious children’s names to claim government reimbursements.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Farah to repay the stolen Ksh 6.2 billion. He also faces additional time in a related case after pleading guilty to attempting to bribe a juror with Ksh 15.6 million ($120,000) in cash.
Farah is said to have pocketed more than $8 million in under two years, using the money to buy five luxury vehicles and invest in property both in the U.S. and Kenya. Prosecutors further accused him of running a “pay-to-play” system, distributing stolen funds to co-conspirators for their cooperation or silence.
He was convicted on 23 out of 24 charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, and bribery. Investigators also discovered that Farah lied on a passport application and tried to flee to Kenya after his passport was confiscated during the probe.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said Farah had every opportunity in the U.S. but instead chose to defraud the nation. So far, 73 people have been charged in the case, with 51 already convicted.
By Kenyans