Business & Tech

Minneapolis Cafe Owner Pleads Guilty In Feeding Our Future Fraud: Feds

The woman still owns Brava Cafe, which remains in good standing with the state of Minnesota, documents state.

Hanna Marekegn, 40, of Medina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was among the nearly 50 people charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office last month in what authorities called the largest fraud involving COVID-19 pandemic aid.
Hanna Marekegn, 40, of Medina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was among the nearly 50 people charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office last month in what authorities called the largest fraud involving COVID-19 pandemic aid. (Image via Google Streetview)

MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis cafe owner was among the first people Thursday to admit her role in a $250 million fraud tied to Feeding Our Future, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced.

Hanna Marekegn, 40, of Medina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was among the nearly 50 people charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office last month in what authorities called the largest fraud involving COVID-19 pandemic aid.

Marekegn enrolled her company, Brava Cafe, in a federal child nutrition program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future, according to authorities.

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Marekegn claimed she would be serving meals to up to 4,000 children per day at her restaurant in Minneapolis, according to authorities.

However, Marekegn had "neither the ability to prepare and serve that many meals each day nor that number of children to feed," federal prosecutors said.

Find out what's happening in Southwest Minneapoliswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She submitted fake paperwork and inflated invoices for federal reimbursement, claiming that she was serving meals to thousands of children a day, according to authorities.

Marekegn also participated in a federal nutrition program as a vendor and paid kickbacks to a Feeding Our Future employee, investigators said. In exchange, the Feeding Our Future employee allowed the nonprofit to sponsor Marekegn's company, according to authorities.

In total, Marekegn and Brava Cafe claimed to have served more than 2 million meals to children between September 2020 and fall 2021 and received $7.1 million in federal funds, investigators said.

Brava Cafe is located near East Hennepin Avenue and Taft Street Northeast. Marekegn still owns the cafe, and the business remains in good standing, according to the state of Minnesota business records.


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