Another person faces charges in the sprawling $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud case after she allegedly tried to flee the U.S. following a raid at a St. Paul office federal authorities say is tied to the scheme.
Hibo Daar, 50, of Eden Prairie, is the 71st person to face charges in the case after her arrest Sunday by federal authorities at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport. She remained in custody Wednesday night ahead of a Friday hearing before a federal judge in Minneapolis.
Daar had bought tickets to Dubai the same day media reports publicized an FBI raid at an office suspected of connections to Feeding Our Future, prosecutors allege in a criminal complaint unsealed this week in Minnesota U.S. District Court.
Search of St. Paul nonprofit
The FBI served a search warrant at the offices of the New Vision Foundation at 860 Vandalia St. in St. Paul last week, a nonprofit with ties to Feeding Our Future, Minnesota Public Radio reported. The court documents do not directly tie Daar to the foundation.
Daar was a target in the overall Feeding Our Future investigation, according to the federal complaint. Law enforcement first contacted her about the investigation in April 2025 in connection with a federal grand jury investigation.
Federal prosecutors say the now-defunct Feeding Our Future nonprofit collected payments for millions of meals that partner groups never served during the pandemic. The organization has been shut down since the FBI raided its offices in January 2022. Prosecutors described it as the largest instance of federal pandemic aid fraud.
Daar’s meal site, Northside Wellness, collected about $1.8 million from Feeding Our Future, but only spent about $2,000 on food, prosecutors allege. It started operating in November 2020. By January 2021, forms filed by the group claimed it fed more than 50,000 children.
The numbers continued to grow. At one point, Northside claimed to be feeding 40,000 meals to children per week. In April 2021, it reported serving 5,600 meals a day. Daar signed off on the forms and emailed claims to convicted Feeding Our Future ringleader Aimee Bock, according to the complaint.
Rather than serve meals, Northside made payments to Daar and others, according to the complaint. Daar received about $110,000 from the group, federal authorities allege.
Target of investigation
When authorities started communicating with Daar this spring, they told her she likely was a target in the investigation and could face criminal charges, according to the complaint.
When news broke of the search at New Vision Foundation, she bought a ticket to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates which was scheduled to depart on May 25 and return on June 2.
FBI Special Agent Travis Wilmer wrote in the complaint that, based on his experience, people buying round-trip tickets will sometimes do so to hide the fact that they do not intend to return.
Daar faces a wire fraud charge and remains in federal custody at the Sherburne County Jail ahead of a detention hearing Friday. Her attorney couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz ordered she remain in custody at her initial appearance on Tuesday.
Besides Daar, federal authorities have charged 70 people in the case since September 2022. As of March, 37 had pleaded guilty; seven, including Bock, were convicted at trial; and two have been acquitted.
A 2024 review by the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor found “inadequate oversight” at the Minnesota Department of Education created an opportunity for massive fraud to take place.
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