The leader of Minnesota-based nonprofit group Feeding Our Future was convicted for her role in a $250 million pandemic fraud scheme that “exploited” a federal program meant for child nutrition.
A jury found Aimee Bock, the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, one of 70 people charged in the case, guilty of seven counts of wire fraud, federal programs bribery, and money laundering. Prosecutors said it is the largest known COVID-19-related fraud scheme.
“Aimee Bock and Salim Said took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to carry out a massive fraud scheme that stole money meant to feed children,” acting U.S. Attorney Lisa Kirkpatrick said in a statement.
“The defendants falsely claimed to have served 91 million meals, for which they fraudulently received nearly $250 million in federal funds,” Kirkpatrick added. “That money did not go to feed kids. Instead, it was used to fund their lavish lifestyles.”
The Feeding Our Future scheme was tied to the Agriculture Department’s Federal Child Nutrition Program, which provides meals to children in need. The program was expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing for private restaurants to run the distribution of federally funded food distribution so long as a nonprofit organization sponsored the operation.
Prosecutors found that the restaurant owners and others involved with Feeding Our Future were running sham operations. They spent the federal funds on personal, luxury purchases including cars, homes, and resort property overseas.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the defendants received $40 million from the Agriculture Department, which was supposed to fund 18 million meals across Minnesota. During the trial, prosecutors presented 1,300 falsified invoices as evidence of fraud.
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Five people involved in the scheme were additionally charged with conspiring to bribe a juror with a bag of $120,000. The juror was told she would receive more cash if she acquitted the defendants.
Of the 70 defendants facing charges, 37 have already pleaded guilty, and five have been convicted.