Several dozen people have been charged after allegedly deceiving the government to steal children’s charity money in Minnesota during the COVID-19 pandemic — and use it for their own luxury.
In a Tuesday release, the U.S. Department of Justice announced criminal charges against the 47 individuals for their alleged roles in the scam, which racked up over $250 million.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland called it “the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme charged to date.” All of the individuals involved in the fraud scheme are connected to a Minnesota nonprofit called Feeding Our Future, which was allegedly used as a front to collect the government funds. FBI Director Christopher Wray explained: Related: Donald Trump Really DID Have Top Secret Nuclear Docs At Mar-A-Lago There were six groups total in the lawsuit, comprised of the 47 individuals being charged with federal crimes like conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, money laundering, and paying and receiving illegal kickbacks.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Andrew M. Luger explained in the DOJ release: According to the release, the defendants created and submitted false documentation as proof of need for government reimbursement, including fake invoices and attendance rosters.