Tag: taxes

Shocking EBT Fraud Schemes Exposed in Ohio’s Somali Community

An independent journalist in Ohio has uncovered elaborate fraud schemes allegedly involving Somali immigrants exploiting the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system.

The investigation, detailed in a video that has gone viral on social media, highlights how some individuals are using welfare benefits to subsidize their businesses while evading taxes.

The video, posted on X by @WallStreetApes, shows the journalist touring Columbus neighborhoods and explaining the mechanics of the scheme.

He describes how Somali-owned restaurants are often attached to grocery stores, allowing owners to use EBT cards to purchase bulk ingredients for their eateries.

“Every single Somali restaurant has a grocery store right next door or within eye shot of the restaurant,” the journalist states. “They can just order everything they need to their grocery store that’s right next or attached to the restaurant that they also own and never have to fill a single cart.”

According to the investigator, these grocery stores are likely to report significant losses annually, which are used as tax write-offs, while the restaurants operate on cash, funneling the government-funded goods into profitable ventures.

The journalist also points out the role of polygamous marriages in the community, noting that multiple wives can claim benefits as single mothers, further maximizing welfare payouts.

“If you have two or three wives that don’t claim, these women can go work at Wal-Mart full time for $15 an hour and still qualify for food stamps as long as they have a couple kids,” he explains.

The journalist references Minnesota, where 88% of the Somali community is reportedly on social services, suggesting the fraud in Columbus could be equally pervasive.

This follow-up investigation builds on an earlier report by Columbus resident Nakia Deon, who first brought attention to similar scams in a video shared on X.

Deon described Somali men owning businesses like markets, with their wives using EBT cards exclusively at those stores, leading to massive fraud through hidden polygamous marriages and money laundering.

Keep reading

75 US Deportees To End Up On Tiny Island In Cash Deal With Local Rulers

In the Trump administration’s latest display of creativity when it comes to unloading unwanted immigrants, the United States has made a deal with the rulers of the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau, which will take 75 rejected migrants off Uncle Sam’s hands in exchange for $100,000 per head. The deportees in question will be a diverse group, but they’ll likely share one thing in common — none of them are from Palau, or ever heard of it.  

Palau will serve as a small relief valve for situations where a migrant’s home country refuses to take them back. “Palau and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding allowing up to 75 third country nationals, who have never been charged with a crime, to live and work in Palau, helping address local labor shortages in needed occupations,” said Palauan President Surangel Whipps in a statement. 

Located in the Pacific region of Micronesia, Palau comprises some 350 tiny coral and volcanic islands, with a population of only 18,000. It was administered by the US government from World War II to 1994, when it became independent. However, it has maintained close relations with America via an arrangement called “free association,” which lets Palauans work, live or study in the United States — but we’re guessing that privilege won’t be extended to the 75 deportees. Palau also uses the US dollar as its currency, and its mail is delivered by the USPS.

Keep reading

Junk Food Bans For SNAP Users In Some States Starting 2026: What To Know

Americans using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase groceries may need to adjust their shopping habits in 2026 as some states will prohibit the use of SNAP funds to purchase certain “junk foods.”

Also starting next year, states will have to shoulder a larger portion of the cost of running the program. In addition, states could lose funds if their payment error rate is too high.

Here is what to know about the overhaul of America’s largest nutrition program.

Restrictions on Purchases in Some States

Eighteen states will restrict the purchase of certain foods lacking in nutritional value next year. The changes are being made under the banner of the Make America Healthy Again initiative launched by the Department of Health and Human Services. To institute the changes, the states had to submit and have approved a waiver of federal rules from the Department of Agriculture, which oversees the nutrition program.

The starting dates for the restrictions and the foods prohibited vary by state.

Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah, and West Virginia will implement purchase restrictions on Jan. 1, 2026. Idaho, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Colorado, Texas, Virginia, and Florida have starting dates from February to April. Arkansas, Tennessee, Hawaii, South Carolina, North Dakota, and Missouri will begin their bans between July and October.

Most of these states have removed candy, soda, and energy drinks from the list of SNAP-eligible items.

In Tennessee and Iowa, SNAP beneficiaries cannot use the funds to purchase processed foods. Tennessee defines a processed food as one that has been changed in any way from its natural state.

Prepared desserts, such as cakes and cookies, are restricted in Florida and Missouri.

In Iowa, foods that are prepared for consumption or come with eating utensils may not be purchased with SNAP funds. Cold, unpackaged foods without utensils, such as bread, fruit, or canned goods, are still permitted.

Keep reading

Front Companies? Bombshell Report Exposes Network Of Somali-Linked “Empty” Daycares Across Minnesota

Left-wing Governor Tim Walz, under intensifying federal pressure, faces a widening Somali-linked fraud scandal in Minnesota. Federal prosecutors state that the scheme currently totals at least $9 billion, with the final figure potentially much higher. Recent reporting by Ryan Thorpe and Christopher F. Rufo alleges that some welfare funds were funneled into an overseas terrorist organization. Now, a bombshell video from a citizen journalist suggests the fraud extends beyond Medicaid into the state’s daycare system.

A 42-minute bombshell video by journalist Nick Shirley and a local private investigator documents an on-the-ground investigation in Minneapolis that alleges massive, ongoing fraud in government-funded social services. The main focus is on Somali-owned businesses in child daycare, adult/autism care, home healthcare, and non-emergency medical transportation programs that draw from the taxpayer-funded Child Care Assistance Program.

Shirley claims his team uncovered more than $110 million in questionable payments to Somali-owned businesses on just the first day of their investigation, as part of a broader welfare fraud scandal totaling upwards of $9 billion.

Shirley and the investigator visited several childcare facilities that had no visible children, toys, or activities during peak hours. Staff could not answer basic questions about rates or licenses. Both were denied entry to the reception areas of these facilities:

  • Quality Learing Center: Licensed for 99 children; received $4 million over two years. Sign misspells “learning” as “learing”; no children visible, doors locked, no playground.
  • Future Leaders Early Learning Center: Licensed for 90 children; received $6.67 million over two years. Facility empty; staff evasive when asked about child numbers.
  • Mako Child Care and Mini Child Care Center (combined): Licensed for 120 children; received $1.3M (2020), $987K (2021), $714K (2022), $1.6M (2025). No children observed.
  • ABC Learning Center: Licensed for 40 children; nearly $3 million over three years. Blacked-out windows, no activity.
  • Sweet Angel Child Care: Licensed for 74 children; $1.26 million in 2025 alone.

Millions of taxpayer dollars went to one daycare company that could not even spell “learning” correctly…

Keep reading

Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Government Allocates 2.3 Million Euros to Finance the «Digital Transformation» of the Cuban Regime

The Government of Spain, led by the socialist Pedro Sánchez, has approved an allocation of 2.3 million euros to finance the so-called «digital transformation» of public administration in Cuba.

This initiative is part of the «Cuba Digital» project, a program funded by the European Union with a total of 3 million euros, managed through the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIAPP), an entity dependent on the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The stated objective is to digitize governmental procedures, improve administrative efficiency, and promote economic modernization on the Caribbean island.

However, it is clear that the Cuban communist regime argue that this investment does not benefit the people, but rather strengthens the repressive capabilities of Miguel Díaz-Canel’s government.

According to reports, the funds are allocated to update computer systems that include census tools, population control, and digital surveillance, key elements for maintaining authoritarian control over the citizenry.

In a context where Cuba faces serious problems of connectivity and internet access for its inhabitants—with frequent outages and state censorship—this European «aid» seems to prioritize state infrastructure over the real needs of the population, which suffers economic shortages and limitations on freedom of expression.

The decision is framed within a historical relationship between the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and the Cuban regime, which has included debt condonations and bilateral cooperations.

Recently, Spain activated a debt conversion program for up to 375 million euros, intended for «sustainable development» projects in Cuba, although critics see it as a financial lifeline for Castroism amid its economic crisis.

We had previously reported it in Gateway Hispanic, highlighting how Sánchez ignores national priorities while supporting the Cuban regime.

Keep reading

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan wears hijab in solidarity with Somalis as feds probe multibillion-dollar fraud scandal

Minnesota’s lieutenant governor Peggy Flanagan donned a hijab to express solidarity with Somalis in a local TV appearance amid federal and congressional investigations into fraudsters in their refugee community who bilked taxpayers out of as much as $9 billion.

“I am incredibly clear that the Somali community is part of the fabric of the state of Minnesota,” Flanagan said at Karmel Mall in Minneapolis alongside local officials in a video released by Somali TV of Minnesota on Thursday.

“I am here shopping today and just encourage other folks to show up, support our Somali businesses, support our immigrant neighbors, and I know that things are scary right now,” added Flanagan, a Catholic, while wearing the Islamic head covering.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), also a Catholic, fired back in a statement about Flanagan’s appearance that “anyone with common sense sees right through this stunt.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also held a news conference Tuesday denouncing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities — including at Karmel, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents reportedly detained four on Monday.

The US Treasury Department and a powerful House committee are currently probing Somali-linked organizations and other nonprofits in the state accused of defrauding taxpayers out of around half of the $18 billion in federal funding provided to Minnesota since 2018.

Keep reading

Minn.’s Somali social-services scammers may have stolen $9 billion — nearly Somalia’s entire economy

A staggering $9 billion may have been stolen in Minnesota’s sprawling social-services scam orchestrated mainly by members of its Somali community — a figure nearly equivalent to the entire economy of Somalia.

The enormous new estimate is a nearly nine-fold increase from the swiped $1 billion previously suspected, according to federal prosecutors.

It also accounts for roughly half of the $18 billion in total federal funds provided to the Minnesota-run services since 2018, the feds said — as Democratic Gov. Tim Walz continues to take heat for his handling of the debacle.

By comparison to the $9 billion figure, Somalia’s entire GDP was under $12 billion last year, according to the World Bank.

Keep reading

The Apocalyptic Shortage That Never Happened: Democrats’ Tariff Doomsday Narrative Imploded  

Remember earlier this year when President Trump was locked in a tit-for-tat trade war with China? Then, a broad coalition of Democrats, corporate media outlets, mainstream economists, and left-leaning think tanks warned that higher tariffs would spark pandemic-era supply-chain chaos and trigger price spikes for consumers. Two quarters later, those dire predictions have yet to materialize.

MSM propagandists sounded the apocalypse alarm:

  • March: KOMO News: ‘It’s worse than COVID’: Point Roberts seeks state aid amid US-Canada tariff crisis
  • April: NBC News: Product shortages and empty store shelves loom with falling shipments from China
  • April: Fortune: Tariffs threaten a pharmaceuticals shortage, as 95% of ibuprofen comes from China
  • April: CNBC: The trade war’s wave of retail shortages will hit U.S. consumers in stages.
  • April: Axios: How Trump tariffs could cause a global recession
  • April: Vox: America may be headed for this rare type of economic crisis
  • April: CNN: Trump took the US economy to the brink of a crisis in just 100 days
  • May: The Guardian: Trump’s tariffs: ‘It feels like Covid 2.0. So many things are getting disrupted’
  • May: Business Insider: The worst is yet to come: Trump’s tariffs could mean even higher prices and empty shelves within weeks

Democratic Party and MSM’s supply-chain apocalypse alarm peaked in mid-April, then resurfaced in a smaller echo wave by August, according to Bloomberg data tracking mainstream media headline counts for the term “tariff.”

Keep reading

Almost 150,000 children were living in jobless households this Christmas as number of homes without an income hits 11-year high

Almost 150,000 more children spent Christmas in a home without an income this year after the number of jobless households hit an 11-year high under Labour, official figures show.

There were 1.52 million youngsters living in a house where not a single adult family member is employed as of September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

Last year, 1.37 million children were in a workless household in October to December 2024, meaning an extra 146,000 children spent Christmas in a home without an income this year.

The figures also reveal that the number of children in workless households is at its highest level for 11 years. The last time there were more children in a house where no adult family member is employed was in October to December 2014, when the total was 1.54 million.

The Conservatives blamed the rise on Labour’s £25billion raid on employer National Insurance contributions and minimum wage hikes, which have driven up the cost of taking on workers.

They claim that with firms scaling back and jobs disappearing, more families are being pushed out of the workforce entirely, leaving children to bear the consequences.

Helen Whately, Tory spokesman on work and pensions, said: ‘Too many parents are being priced out of work by Labour’s Jobs Tax and Unemployment Rights Bill.

‘It’s a tough Christmas for people who have been made redundant and can’t find new work, and for those still in jobs seeing their taxes go up to pay for more benefits. Labour is offering more and more handouts to people on benefits, making welfare the rational choice rather than work.

Keep reading

Somali fraud scheme exposes billions siphoned from US, one state set to crack down

The Somali immigrant fraud scandal in Minnesota has put an uncomfortable spotlight on foreign remittance payments schemes that siphon billions of dollars a year from America to overseas. Although national attention has been focused on Minnesota, another state is poised to launch a crackdown.

Missouri State Treasurer Vivek Malek told Just the News he is teaming up with the state legislature to impose new requirements that remittance payment businesses ensure that customers are lawfully in the United States before they can send money to foreign countries, and he hopes other states will follow suit.

Cutting off incentives for illegal immigrants

“Missouri is stepping up by cutting off one of the biggest remaining incentives for illegal immigration, which is unverified foreign money transfers, because the economy is something that drives everybody to come to the United States,” Malek said in a wide-ranging interview with the John Solomon Reports podcast this week. 

Malek said his research found that more than $200 billion leaves the United States annually through remittances, with Mexico alone receiving over $52 billion. Some sizable portion of that involves illegal immigrants, most of whom crossed the border during the Biden years.

“It has been found that at least $4.4 billion in remittances sent to Mexico have been tied to cartel money laundering through small wire transfers,” he said. “Cartels don’t sneak money across the border or throw the bag across the border. They wire it. And if we are serious about crushing cartels, we have to shut down their financial arteries.”

Malek, a lawful U.S. immigrant who worked 16 years to become a U.S. citizen, ran last year for the state treasurer’s job on a promise he would help President Donald Trump end the scourge of illegal immigration. Part of that effort includes stopping illegal immigrants from sending money overseas that they earned in the U.S. without paying taxes, he said.

“I’m making this distinction very clear: legal versus illegal immigration. I am all for legal immigration. I am not for illegal immigration. And what we saw is the diversity of the last four years, during the Biden administration, the floodgates were open on the southern border,” he explained.

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, in conjunction with the House Committee on Homeland Security, reports that over 1.7 million known “gotaways” — illegal immigrants who have evaded Border Patrol — are now living in the interior of the United States without documentation and without having undergone any vetting by immigration officials. 

“We did not know who entered, who came, and then these people are working here. They undercut the paychecks of American citizens, and then we are just left with a bill on our hands, and then, without paying any taxes. This money is going out of the country [but] we do not know to where,” Malek added.

Just the News first reported in August 2024 that on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s watch, hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars were defrauded from social safety net programs intended to feed the hungry or help families with autistic children, with the perpetrators often being Somali immigrants in that state.

Keep reading