AUBURN, Maine — A Lewiston couple appeared in court Thursday to deny charges of welfare fraud 2½ years after federal agents raided the wife’s market on Bartlett Street.
Roda O. Abdi, 44, and her husband, Ali-Nassir H. Ahmed, 52, each pleaded not guilty to a charge of felony theft, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The couple is accused of fraudulently taking federal housing assistance money.
Abdi also was indicted on a misdemeanor charge of attempted theft in connection with attempts to redeem Women, Infants and Children program vouchers. That charge is punishable by up to 364 days in jail.
Their morning arraignment was aided by an interpreter who translated for the couple from English to Somali and to the judge from Somali to English.
The Androscoggin County grand jury indictments handed up last week had been impounded by the court after prosecutors expressed fears the couple might flee.
The couple was told Thursday to surrender their passports and not to leave the state as conditions of their release.
They posted $50,000 surety against the apartment building in which they live. The judge also offered the option of $25,000 cash bail.
More than a dozen members of the Somali community attended the courtroom hearings Thursday.
Investigators say the couple applied for U.S. Housing and Urban Development rental assistance for an apartment they rented at 149 Bartlett St. but failed to disclose their real estate holdings and income. The apartment building in which they live is owned by Abdi through a limited liability corporation called 210 Ash St. LLC, Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin said. Abdi also owns a building at 199 Bartlett St. that houses her market, A&R Halal Market, as well as apartments, called 199-214 Bartlett St. LLC.
The couple received roughly $18,000 in rental assistance at their apartment at 149 Bartlett St. over two years beginning in 2006, Robbin said. The total amount they received was roughly $58,000, but, because of the statute of limitations, they only can be prosecuted for the assistance they received from 2006 through 2008, Robbin said.
Investigators said Abdi also sought to fraudulently redeem copies of customers’ vouchers from the federal Women, Infants and Children program for an amount more than $1,000 and less than $2,000, Robbin said. WIC vouchers are available for supplemental food, health care referrals and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding postpartum women and to infants and children up to age 5 who are found to be at nutritional risk. Abdi attempted to redeem copies of the vouchers, claiming the bank had lost the originals, Robbin said.
Ahmed was arrested on a warrant earlier this week and jailed until his Thursday court appearance. A warrant for Abdi’s arrest was recalled Thursday after she appeared at Androscoggin County Superior Court.
Federal agents had raided Abdi’s market in February 2010, apparently serving her with a search warrant. Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Treasury converged on the store midmorning and drove off midafternoon after packing their vehicles with about eight boxes of evidence.
Abdi was referenced in Sun Journal stories as the owner of the market dating to 2003. She told reporters at that time that she imported goat meat from as far away as Philadelphia because no Maine farmer slaughtered goats according to Muslim law.
In a Mother Jones magazine story, Abdi said she also offered henna to decorate women’s hands as well as all of the ingredients for Somali dishes.
To see more from the Sun Journal, visit sunjournal.com.
Good! Good! Good!
Playing the system…a way of life for many. The more that get caught, the better the odds are that less people will be tempted to try.
They will probably be some of the people whose ID was sent to the wrong homes, sue the DHHS like people suggested yesterday, pay back what they owe and not go to jail, and still will find ways to take advantage of the system. I wonder who many others are doing this. All recipients not just a certain group, before you all start yelling racism.
Another “fake” article. It must be because there is no fraud.
I hear you…..They were set up…LOL
Guaranteed accusations of racism and discrimination, will emerge soon.
Yes, that too, the right are nothing but a bunch of bigots…LOL
They own a market and they were getting assisstance??? And the libs wonder why the conservatives have had enough.
It’s one thing to remove the people who are committing fraud but it’s another thing to remove the programs themselves, as some conservatives want.
If these people are guilty of the crime then they should serve the applicable sentence. But it’s equally deplorable for others to believe that since one immigrant family followed this pattern, that their actions must be indicative of all Somalis in Lewiston, or immigrants in general. That’s pure ignorance.
They own the market and several apatment buildings. What the heck!!!!!!??????
The state and Feds allege that the couple lied about income and assets, in order to obtain assistance. How many others are doing the same?
Can’t speak English, but they know how to work the system. Send them packing!!!!!
They say there is no welfare fraud, how can this be?
Likely the only dishonest people abusing the system. I’m glad they were caught, now no one is left abusing it:)
Yes, hopefully these are the only ones that abused it…LOL
It must be a parallel universe.
They understood english well enough to navigate the arcane tax laws and set up a limited liability corporation, but they couldn’t understand english well enough to understand the judge???
awesome point!
Something smells a little fishy to me.
Oh, they understand. They just bet that we won’t…
The Mexicans do the same, they know English, but when you ask them a question they look at you and shake their head…….
“Abdi was referenced in Sun Journal stories as the owner of the market dating to 2003.”
No problem. All she has to do is “retire” from ownership retroactively. Romney can give her pointers on that.
She can retire retroactively to avoid any Income Tax penalties. Give Romney a call. Wonder if Bain Capital is a LLC.
Reading this article brings a smile to my face. Have a good day folks :)
So they own at least 2 apartment buildings and a store, and they get assistance to live. DHHS should double check everyone!!! Anyone want to bet they have government backed loans we couldn’t get….
confiscate the apartment buildings….
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free . . .”
…that was the original intent. Sadly, it’s been exploited by people like these.
Funny,my neighbor,an 84 year old widow,only get 16dollars a month in food stamps.Guess they dont reckon that she needs as much food as these two…
I love that part about rental assistance for renting an apartment at 149 Bartlett St. from the 210 Ash St. LLC, a business entity that she owned. I wonder who advised them and helped to set up the LLC and the lease.
The couple was told Thursday to surrender their passports and not to leave the state as conditions of their release. Please let them leave.
No – if found guilty, they need to do prison time first, and make restitution, and then be deported. Confiscation of their real estate and any other assets should occur, in order to reimburse everyone from whom they stole, along with court costs, legal costs, and the investigation expenses. They are giving every legitimate, law-abiding Somalian a bad name.
Does such a punishment happen to Americans who commit similar fraud?
American citizens don’t get deported. Aside from that, every punitive action should be the same, for anyone who knowingly defrauds our public services.
If found guilty of the charges, these two give every legitimate, law-abiding Somalian a bad name. It’s a real shame, because there are many Somalians who work hard, pay taxes, don’t cheat the system, and abide by American laws. They don’t deserve to be tarnished with the same brush, but it will happen, regardless.
Gee Naran, don’t you recognize a little humor when you see it. Don’t be so serious with yourself.
free money thanks Obama
They started doing this under George W. Bushes rein in 2006.
Yes, Obama is doing a bang up of a job…LOL
I am happy that fraud is being found so that people in real need can be helped.
But I also wonder were the outrage is for government entitlement spending.
Yesterday the article about EBT and tattoos got hundreds of comments from people outraged about “their” taxpayer dollars being wasted.
While this article –
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/07/19/news/nation/probe-finds-more-lavish-spending-by-gsa/
got two comments.
People wake up and start really seeing the wasting of your taxpayer money.
Some of us are outraged about both. I’m just as angry about the $600K Burbling Toad statue proposed by the DOD in Virginia, and other exorbitant spending by the Feds, as I am this particular instance of alleged fraud.
Catholic charities of Maine must have forgotten to warn them. Only white Males who steal millions are allowed to “misunderstand” the rules.
Including corporations, who supposedly are “people” but somehow never get thrown in jail when they defraud the government, consumers, or workers.
Why do people think that one wrong, somehow justifies another??
No wrong justifies another wrong. However, it seems pretty odd to focus major attention on fraud in the thousands, while ignoring fraud in the millions and billions.
I agree, but ignoring the content of the article, and changing the focus to something it isnt about. Doesnt exactly give us your perspective on the issue at hand.
Because the liberals biggest buzz word is corporate fraud… They love it because is the only retort they can come up with….
People seem to forget what principles our country was founded on. You cannot simply take one incident of welfare fraud and apply it to everyone of that culture, religion, etc. Your hatred and xenophobic beliefs are pure ignorance. Like someone else said … it is not a matter of culture, it is an issue of welfare abuse which happens ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, by all different types of people and not just in Maine. It’s a SYSTEM ISSUE not a cultural or linguistic one! ALSO, it is not a matter of liberal or conservative … if you are a human being you should never speak about another human being in that way – understand where the Somalis and other refugee groups come from before your judge and discriminate – sickening.
I’m shocked!
Typical Mainers always looking for a free ride. Ten years in Prison for both would do nicely. Thank you again Catholic Charities for these welfare cheats. Tried to collect on Copied WIC Vouchers? Isn’t that ID Theft? Falsifying Government Documents and Counterfeiting ? What about Conspiracy and Racketeering both State and Federal? Tax Evasion? Why so few charges, when these two were running a Criminal Gang for years?
They really arent Mainers….. Someone brought them here because they felt sorry for them on the tax payers back.
How many of their customers are similarly “employed,” ripping off the state, city and Feds? If these two are found guilty, prison time and permanent deportation would be a good outcome, along with confiscation of assets as restitution.
Unreal BDN….why is it a deletable offense to ask somone to back up what they say?
Edit: Why is it a deletable offense to ask a liberal to back up what they say? (We all know libs can say anything they want here.)
Now I know liberals arent usually the bravest of people, but you should at least have in your posting guidelines “if you are liberal, say anything you want, if you are conservative, tread lightly” At least have the stones to call it what it is. Its not like every regular on here doesnt already know it.
ainwais sta criss de negre la au lafrique
They often know how to run the system better than us…. Land of opportunity.
Call all your friends/family back home and tell them that the door is CLOSED, and the free hand-out’s are OVER !!!! STAY HOME !!!!!!We really do not want you here….figure it out!!!!!!
I find the county grand jury indictment curious. Isn’t defrauding the federal government a federal crime? Maybe I’m missing something.
Too bad they just couldn’t be sent back to their country and save the tax payers the cost of a trial and probable jail time. They have stolen enough already… A welfare overhaul is long overdue.
What gets me is that this is not simple welfare fraud. A few stolen welfare checks or sold food stamps. This is Aggravated Felony Fraud, Conspiracy, Racketeering and Tax evasion, both State and Federal. Corporations and Businesses were established to defraud the Federal and State governments of Food Stamps, WIC Vouchers, Welfare Rent supplements, welfare checks, Sales Tax, Income Tax, ID Theft, Forgery, just to mention a few. I am sure there are more members to this Criminal Gang then 2 people. This is just the TIP of the Iceberg. So many Mainers truly deserve and need help, welfare and food stamps. I want to know why LePage hasn’t sent the State Troopers in there to investigate. LePage talks big but when there is true, major fraud of Tens of thousands of dollars every year funny how LePage keeps his big mouth shut. LePage does nothing. Yet LePage will throw an invalid in a wheelchair into the street. Here is your chance LePage there is major Fraud going on here and you do nothing. These criminals should be looking at life sentences for this kind of major fraud. Are there any laws this Criminal Gang didn’t commit to breaking?
How come the lefties that are on welfare that post here are not coming to these 2 peoples aid???? Quite ironic it is…