2 weeks Ago By Wendy Reuer
FARGO — The city of Fargo revoked the liquor license of the Cairo Restaurant and Bar after its owner was convicted of felony theft from their employer. According to a memo by Fargo Auditor Steve Sprague to the Fargo City Commission, Cairo owner Heba Ismail was sentenced in Hennepin County, Minn., for felony theft on Nov.
1. The Hennepin County Court is located in Minneapolis. According to court records, Ismail was charged in January after the Department of Human Services reported the possibility of Medicaid fraud to the Minnesota Attorney General.
From January 2018 to July 2021, Ismail worked for a personal care agency, or PCA, in Hennepin County in which she provided care services to clients. At the same time, Ismail also worked as an individual support worker for Orion ISO Financial Services, Inc. and as an interpreter for The BridgeWorld Language Center, Inc.
Ismail submitted time sheets for all three employers and the investigation found 1,134 instances that could not have been worked for PCA because the times overlapped with times she was reportedly working for the other two companies. The result was about 3,659 hours that Ismail claimed to have provided PCA services but did not, resulting in an over payment of about $64,926 in Medicaid funds from the Department of Human Services, according to documents. About $46,894 of that was paid to Ismail in personal wages.
Ismail later admitted to investigators that she had lied on time cards. She said she was willing to pay back the money, court documents said. Ismail was initially charged with four counts of felony theft of more than $5,000 and faced a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and $80,000 in fines.
Ismail pleaded guilty to one count of felony theft on Sept. 6 in Hennepin County District Court and the remaining three charges were dismissed. On Nov.
1, Ismail was sentenced to serve 60 days in the Hennepin County Workhouse, followed by five years probation and restitution of about $46,894. Ismail, 40, moved to Fargo from Egypt in 2006, then moved to Moorhead in 2009. Since 2020, she has also owned First Choice Car Care, an auto sales and repair shop in Fargo.
Ismail speaks Arabic and has also been working as an interpreter since 2015. Ismail first opened Cairo Bar and Restaurant in 2024 with the intention of being a family friendly spot serving Middle Eastern, Egyptian and Iraqi cuisine, along with a mix of American favorites including burgers, pizza and chicken wings. The building at 4554 7th Ave.
S. in Fargo, first opened as JT Cigarro, which was billed as a modern cigar bar. JT Cigarro closed in 2015 and the building was reopened in early 2019 as Africa International Restaurant and Night Club.
In July 2019, the city of Fargo granted a liquor license to the Africa International Restaurant and Night Club despite a recommendation of denial from the Fargo Liquor Control Board, city auditor and police due to concerns with the criminal histories of the original applicants and the credit history of a later applicant. Africa was then forced to shut down after a series of incidents at Africa, including the murder of bouncer Dominique Dewayne McNair in May 2021. The location was then turned into Summit Nightclub, which closed in March 2023 after owners said the business failed to be financially successful.
Ismail then bought the building in late 2023. Shortly after Cairo opened, Princess Gweh of Fargo was arrested for attempted murder after allegedly running multiple people down with her car in the Cairo parking lot on Feb. 18.
A trial is set to begin in Cass County District Court for Gweh on Jan. 6. On Monday, Nov.
25, Fargo City Commissioners approved the motion to suspend Cairo’s liquor license, which was listed on the consent agenda. The restaurant will not be able to serve alcohol after Dec. 7.
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