A woman linked to Minnesota’s significant “Feeding Our Future” scandal has been charged with a daycare fraud scheme after being featured in a viral video by influencer Nick Shirley, according to officials.
Fahima Ege Mahmoud is accused of embezzling millions meant for children’s meals.
On Wednesday, she was indicted on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to deceive the United States, as outlined in court documents.
This indictment follows her earlier charges in the extensive $250 million Nourishing Our Future scheme.
Prosecutors allege that Mahmoud enrolled her daycare, Future Leaders Early Learning in Minneapolis, in the federal child nutrition program, falsely claiming that the facility provided thousands of meals.
On the same day, she faced additional charges from the federal government related to another scheme aimed at defrauding the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which aids low-income families with childcare costs.
Between October 2022 and December 2025, she reportedly submitted over 13,000 fraudulent claims to CCAP, amounting to about $4.6 million.
Prosecutors argue that the charges are based on her false certifications regarding collecting mandatory co-pays from families—a vital requirement for federal reimbursement.
Future Leaders Early Learning Center gained attention in Shirley’s viral video, which showed him visiting seemingly empty Somali-operated daycare centers in the Minneapolis area, bringing to light allegations of extensive fraud.
The video’s release prompted a swift, multi-agency response from the Trump administration.
In the aftermath, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) halted around $185 million in federal childcare funding aimed at Minnesota.
Furthermore, over 2,000 federal agents from agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were deployed to the Twin Cities to enhance investigation and enforcement activities.
