Feeding Our Future fugitive nabbed
It’s a tale as old as time itself: a last-minute ticket purchased to Dubai, another airport arrest.
Lou Raguse of KARE-11 TV reported on the 6 p.m. news this evening that Hibo Daar, age 50, was arrested at the airport on her way overseas on Sunday night.
Sahan Journal also has a report on the incident, as does MPR News.
Sherburne County jail records indicate that Daar was placed into custody today.
She made a brief initial appearance in Federal Court in downtown Minneapolis this afternoon and was ordered to be detained for the time being. A hearing on Daar’s continued detention has been set for May 30.
A criminal complaint was filed against Daar in federal court last week. It appears that Daar may become the 71st defendant charged in the sprawling free-food scandal. She is accused of wire fraud.
The criminal complaint mentions (p. 11, paragraph 38) Daar’s involvement with Northside Wellness Center, a nonprofit company she incorporated in 2019. The Center lists an address on East Hennepin Avenue in state corporate records. State records indicate that Northside Wellness was registered as a food distribution site at that address under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future (FOF).
According to Federal Court records, Northside Wellness received more than $2.4 million from FOF. The IRS revoked Northside’s tax-exempt status in 2022 for failure to file tax returns.
She registered the food site with FOF in November 2020. Northside’s application lists a second person with the last name of Daar.
The complaint alleges (p. 15. para. 46) the involvement of Defendant No. 70 in the case, who has since pled guilty. Daar was notified last month that she is the target of a federal investigation (p. 21, para. 56).
State records indicate that both of the Daar’s listed on the Northside FOF application are listed as registered agents for the incorporation of the nonprofit Women Economic Development Center (WEDC) in November 2020, at that same East Hennepin address. The WEBC business itself is listed under an address on North Dunlap Avenue in St. Paul.
IRS records indicate that WEDC had its tax-exempt status revoked in 2023 for failure to ever file a tax return.
Records also indicate that WEDC was registered as a food distributor at that same St. Paul address under the sponsorship of Partners in Nutrition. State records show a listed capacity for the site of 2,000 children per day.
After the time (January 2022) that Partners in Nutrition was shut down by the state Dept. of Education (MDE), the agency lists two unpaid food invoices for the WEDC nonprofit.
To be clear, WEDC is not mentioned in the criminal complaint against Hibo Daar, nor has it been accused of any wrongdoing.
Developing…