# Bekam Addissu Merdassa *Inver Grove Heights resident among the 47 defendants charged in the federal Feeding Our Future case on September 20, 2022.* Bekam Addissu Merdassa, of Inver Grove Heights in Dakota County, Minnesota, was one of 47 defendants named on September 20, 2022. On that date the U.S. Attorney announced federal charges in the [[Feeding Our Future]] case, which the Justice Department described as a $250 million case.[^1] The announcement set out allegations as of that date. Many of the defendants have since been convicted.[^1] The project's at-issue record draws on MPR News reporting for Merdassa's plea and sentence. It states that he pleaded guilty to wire fraud on October 13, 2022, one of the first three pleas in the case.[^2] It also states that he was sentenced in April 2026 and served no prison time. The record says he received that sentence as a cooperating defendant who helped build cases against dozens of other defendants.[^2] The MPR News report itself is not among the pack's sources. The record does not establish the terms of the cooperation agreement.[^2] Merdassa was one of seven defendants among the original 47 who gave Dakota County addresses in the Justice Department's announcement.[^1] The project's at-issue record states that the Dakota County [[county attorney]]'s office charged none of the seven.[^3] All of the prosecutions recorded in the pack were brought by federal authorities.[^1] ## Who The Justice Department's September 20, 2022 announcement lists Merdassa as a defendant with an Inver Grove Heights address.[^1] The same announcement lists six other defendants with Dakota County addresses:[^1] - [[Aimee Bock]] and [[Abdihakim Ali Ahmed]] of [[Apple Valley]] - [[Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh]] of [[Burnsville]] - [[Khadar Jigre Adan]] and [[Asha Jama]] of [[Lakeville]] - [[Fartun Jama]] of [[Rosemount]] ## What Merdassa was charged in the federal Feeding Our Future prosecution announced on September 20, 2022.[^1] According to the at-issue record, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud on October 13, 2022. The same record states he was later sentenced without a prison term after cooperating with the prosecution.[^2] The pack does not include the plea agreement, the judgment, or the docket.[^2] ## When - **September 20, 2022.** The U.S. Attorney announced federal charges against 47 defendants, Merdassa among them. The charges were allegations as of that date.[^1] - **October 13, 2022.** Merdassa pleaded guilty to wire fraud, according to the at-issue record. His was among the first three pleas in the case.[^2] - **June 6, 2025.** Prosecutors charged Dorothy Jean Moore of Apple Valley as the 72nd defendant in the case. Those charges are allegations.[^4] - **April 2026.** Merdassa was sentenced without prison time, according to the at-issue record.[^2] - **May 22, 2026.** Aimee Bock of Apple Valley, one of the original Dakota County defendants, was sentenced to 500 months.[^5] - **July 16, 2026.** Abdikerm Eidleh of Burnsville was transferred from Somalia to Minnesota to face 31 charges. Those charges are allegations.[^6] - **August 26, 2026.** Abdihakim Ali Ahmed of Apple Valley was sentenced to 54 months, as reported by Fox 9.[^7] ## Where The Justice Department's announcement places Merdassa in Inver Grove Heights, Dakota County, Minnesota.[^1] ## How The prosecution in which Merdassa pleaded guilty was federal. It was announced by the U.S. Attorney.[^1] The at-issue record frames his cooperation as having gone to federal prosecutors rather than to county authorities.[^2] It pairs that framing with its finding that the county attorney's office charged none of the seven Dakota County defendants.[^3] ## How much The Justice Department announced the 2022 charges as a $250 million case. That figure was an allegation as of September 20, 2022.[^1] The pack states no dollar figure attributable to Merdassa individually.[^1] ## How many Seven of the 47 defendants charged on September 20, 2022 gave Dakota County addresses, about 15 percent of the initial group.[^1] The at-issue record states that the county attorney's office charged none of them.[^3] The number of defendants changed over time. The case had 47 defendants as of September 20, 2022.[^1] By June 6, 2025, the Justice Department described Dorothy Jean Moore as the 72nd defendant.[^4] ## In the at-issue record - **Dakota County addresses (AI-Dakota-042).** This entry records that seven of the 47 defendants charged on September 20, 2022 gave Dakota County addresses, including Merdassa of Inver Grove Heights.[^1] It states that the county attorney's office charged none of them.[^3] - **Plea and sentence (AI-Dakota-046).** This entry rests on MPR News reporting. It records that Merdassa pleaded guilty to wire fraud on October 13, 2022 and was sentenced in April 2026 without prison time, as a cooperating defendant.[^2] ## Notes [^1]: U.S. Department of Justice, *U.S. Attorney Announces Federal Charges Against 47 Defendants in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme* (Sept. 20, 2022) — charges against 47 defendants, allegations at that date; lists Dakota County addresses for Merdassa (Inver Grove Heights), Bock and Ahmed (Apple Valley), Eidleh (Burnsville), Adan and Asha Jama (Lakeville), and Fartun Jama (Rosemount). https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/us-attorney-announces-federal-charges-against-47-defendants-250-million-feeding-our-future [^2]: The White House, *Trump Administration's Full-Scale War on Fraud* (release, May 2026) — cited as the anchor of at-issue entry AI-Dakota-046 in the Dakota claims exposure matrix (Sept. 2, 2026). That entry's underlying source is MPR News reporting, which is not in the pack, on Merdassa's Oct. 13, 2022 plea, his April 2026 sentence, and his cooperation. https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2026/05/trump-administrations-full-scale-war-on-fraud/ [^3]: The White House, *Establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud* (presidential action, March 2026) — cited as the anchor of at-issue entry AI-Dakota-042 in the Dakota claims exposure matrix (Sept. 2, 2026). That entry states that the county attorney's office charged none of the seven Dakota County defendants. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/establishing-the-task-force-to-eliminate-fraud/ [^4]: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota, *Apple Valley Woman Charged for Participating in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme* (June 6, 2025) — Dorothy Jean Moore charged as the 72nd defendant; complaint allegations. https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/apple-valley-woman-charged-participating-250-million-feeding-our-future-fraud-scheme [^5]: U.S. Department of Justice, *Feeding Our Future Ringleader Sentenced to 500 Months* (May 22, 2026) — Aimee Bock's conviction and 500-month sentence. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/feeding-our-future-ringleader-sentenced-500-months [^6]: U.S. Department of Justice, *Successful Transfer of Abdikerm Eidleh from Somalia to Minnesota to Face Charges for Role in Feeding Our Future* (July 16, 2026) — transfer of Eidleh to face 31 charges; complaint allegations. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/successful-transfer-abdikerm-eidleh-somalia-minnesota-face-charges-role-feeding-our-future [^7]: Fox 9, *Feeding Our Future fraudster heading to prison for turning child nutrition funds into personal business* (Aug. 26, 2026) — reports Abdihakim Ali Ahmed's 54-month sentence. https://www.fox9.com/news/feeding-our-future-fraudster-heading-prison-turning-child-nutrition-funds-personal-business