MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The video above first aired on Feb. 27, 2023.
One of the suspects in the $250 million federal meal program fraud known as the “Feeding our Future” case has been granted permission by the judge to travel to Kenya to sell properties he purchased with money stolen from the government.
Liban Alishire pleaded guilty in January to wire fraud and money laundering, admitting he fraudulently claimed $2.4 million in federal child nutrition program funds. The 43-year-old Alishire’s companies falsely claimed to serve meals to as many as 2,700 children a day, seven days a week.
Prosecutors say Alishire purchased a truck, boat and trailer with the money, as well as a 5-bedroom apartment unit and a resort on the Indian Ocean in Kenya.
On Wednesday, Judge Nancy Brasel granted Alishire permission to travel to Kenya for 30 days to facilitate the sale of his properties there so he can return the proceeds to the U.S. Government. Alishire requested permission to travel because he claimed he would be able to sell the properties “for a greater sum than the Government would be able to.”
Federal prosecutors opposed the motion, stating that Alishire has a motive to flee. Besides facing 41 to 51 months in prison for his role in the Feeding our Future scheme, prosecutors maintain that Alishire owns multiple properties in Kenya and has a 6-year-old daughter in nearby Uganda.
Despite opposition from federal prosecutors, the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office supports a one-month trip with full details provided beforehand and the return of Alishire’s passport within 24 hours of his return to Minnesota.
In Judge Brasel’s order, she instructed Alishire to maintain contact with his attorney during his trip.
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