Federal fraud charges have been brought against a Minnesota daycare owner following an investigation that suggests she attempted to leave the U.S. shortly after closing her daycare center. Federal authorities allege that Future Leaders Early Learning, affiliated with Feeding Our Future, falsely claimed to feed children during the pandemic and misappropriated funds.
The daycare’s owner, Fahima Mahamud, faces charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. through Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). The indictment outlines accusations that she exploited taxpayer resources intended to help families provide meals for their children. Mahamud reportedly fabricated records to appear as though her center was serving 60,000 children each month.
Between January and July 2021, the daycare was awarded over $850,000 from the Federal Child Nutrition Program via Feeding Our Future. However, only a small portion of this money was used for purchasing food, as per the federal indictment. Court documents reveal that Mahamud claimed to serve two meals daily to 1,000 children seven days a week from 2020 to 2021. Additionally, from 2022 to 2025, she allegedly submitted 13,000 claims for $4.6 million in CCAP reimbursements, claiming not to collect co-payments as mandated.
In December, Nick Shirley, a conservative YouTuber, spotlighted Future Leaders Early Learning by featuring it in a viral video during his visit to local Minneapolis daycares. Minnesota state license investigators who visited the daycare on November 10, 2025, cited cleanliness issues and the lack of immunization records in children’s files.
Despite notifying state authorities of the daycare’s closure in February, Mahamud attempted to secure a flight to London on the same day. In April, federal agents targeted about 20 daycares and autism centers in Minnesota in a series of raids, though it remains unconfirmed whether Mahamud’s daycare was involved.
This case is part of a larger fraud investigation involving Feeding Our Future, with charges already filed against nearly 100 individuals. The Justice Department plans a press conference to discuss a significant fraud-related law enforcement action in Minnesota, having been joined by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
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