- The second trial in one of the largest COVID-19 frauds starts with jury selection Monday. Prosecutors accuse Aimee Bock, founder of Feeding Our Future, of masterminding a scheme that netted $250 million in federal funds.
- The scheme involved fake reports of feeding thousands of children at over 200 sites.
- Thirty defendants have already pleaded guilty, including one woman who admitted to lying about feeding kids.
Federal prosecutors said the second trial in one of the largest fraud schemes to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic started Monday, Feb. 3, with jury selection. Seventy defendants, including the alleged ringleader, Aimee Bock, are accused of stealing millions in federal funds intended for child nutrition programs.
Aimee Bock set to go to trial for fraud
Prosecutors accuse Bock, the founder of Feeding Our Future in Minnesota, of masterminding the scheme that allegedly stole $250 million meant to provide meals for low-income children. They said Bock and dozens of co-conspirators used the stolen money to fund their lifestyles. Bock and co-defendant Salim Said face wire fraud and bribery charges.
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The six-week trial will lay out what prosecutors claim was a conspiracy involving Feeding Our Future and another nonprofit, Partners in Nutrition. Prosecutors said the scheme involved falsely reporting that thousands of children in need received daily meals at multiple sites throughout Minnesota, using taxpayer dollars funneled through the state’s Department of Education.
Millions in federal funds inappropriately used
The Federal Child Nutrition Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides free meals to children in need. The USDA sends funds to state governments, which manage the program locally. In Minnesota, the Department of Education oversees the program.
Feeding Our Future and Partners in Nutrition were designated program sponsors. They received over $3 million in federal aid in 2019 and nearly $200 million in 2021. A portion of the funds was claimed to cover administrative fees.
Court documents claim Feeding Our Future organized the scheme, recruiting participants to pay kickbacks to the organization and its employees. In return, the participants were reimbursed for providing meals at more than 200 food distribution sites—meals that prosecutors said never existed.
Previous pleas and co-defendant trials
This marks the second group of defendants to stand trial in the alleged scheme. Thirty others have already pleaded guilty to their roles in the fraud. Most recently, one woman admitted to being paid to lie about feeding children through false distribution sites.
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In the first trial, five defendants were found guilty despite an attempt to bribe a juror with $120,000 in exchange for an acquittal.
Bock’s attorney maintains she is innocent, claiming she trusted her employees, who allegedly lied about delivering food to children in need. The defense plans to argue that Bock did not know about the fraudulent invoices.
Tags: Children, COVID-19, Department of Education, Fraud, jury trial, Minnesota, Pandemic, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Justice
[Jack Aylmer]
FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SAY THE SECOND TRIAL IN ONE OF THE LARGEST FRAUD SCHEMES FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PICKS UP MONDAY WITH JURY SELECTION.
70 DEFENDANTS ARE ACCUSED OF STEALING MILLIONS IN FEDERAL FUNDS. OFFICIALS SAY AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL IS THE ALLEGED RINGLEADER AIMEE BOCK, WHO’S ABOUT TO FACE HER DAY IN COURT.
BOCK FOUNDED ‘FEEDING OUR FUTURE’ IN MINNESOTA TO HELP LOW INCOME KIDS—BUT PROSECUTORS SAY SHE STOLE $250 MILLION INSTEAD, WITH HELP FROM DOZENS OF CO-CONSPIRATORS.
THE DOJ SAYS THE MONEY WAS THEN USED TO FUND THEIR LIFESTYLE AND ‘ENRICH THEMSELVES’
PROSECUTORS QUESTIONED 12 JURORS FOR BOCK’S UPCOMING TRIAL, WHERE SHE AND CO-DEFENDANT SALIM SAID WILL FACE CHARGES OF WIRE FRAUD AND BRIBERY
THE SIX-WEEK TRIAL WILL REVEAL WHAT FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SAY WAS A SCHEME INVOLVING ‘FEEDING OUR FUTURE’ AND ANOTHER NONPROFIT, ‘PARTNERS IN NUTRITION.’
THE CONSPIRACY ALLEGEDLY FAKED FEEDING THOUSANDS OF KIDS DAILY AT VARIOUS SITES AROUND THE CITY USING TAXPAYER MONEY THROUGH THE STATE’S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
THE FEDERAL CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM, RUN BY THE USDA, PROVIDES FREE MEALS TO KIDS IN NEED. THE USDA SENDS FUNDS TO STATE GOVERNMENTS, WHO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM LOCALLY. IN MINNESOTA, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HANDLES IT.
THE DUO WERE PROGRAM SPONSORS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC—RECEIVING OVER THREE MILLION IN FEDERAL AID IN 2019, AND NEARLY 200 MILLION DOLLARS IN 2021 WITH A PERCENTAGE LABELED TO COVER ADMINISTRATIVE FEES.
COURT DOCUMENTS CLAIM ‘FEEDING OUR FUTURE’ ORGANIZED THE SCHEME, RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS TO PAY KICKBACKS TO THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS EMPLOYEES AND LATER WERE REIMBURSED FOR PROVIDING MEALS AT MORE THAN 200 FOOD DISTRIBUTION SITES—MEALS PROSECUTORS SAY NEVER EXISTED.
THIS IS THE SECOND GROUP TO STAND TRIAL IN THE ALLEGED SCHEME—30 OTHERS HAVE ALREADY PLEADED GUILTY.
MOST RECENTLY, ONE WOMAN CLAIMED SHE WAS PAID TO LIE ABOUT FEEDING KIDS USING FALSE DISTRIBUTION SITES.
LAST YEAR, FIVE DEFENDANTS WERE FOUND GUILTY IN THE FIRST TRIAL, DESPITE AN ATTEMPT TO BRIBE A JUROR WITH 120 THOUSAND FOR AN ACQUITTAL.
BOCK’S ATTORNEY MAINTAINS SHE’S INNOCENT, SAYING SHE PUT HER TRUST IN EMPLOYEES WHO LIED ABOUT DELIVERING FOOD TO KIDS IN NEED.
THE DEFENSE PLANS TO SHOW BOCK HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF FRAUDULENT INVOICES.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M JACK AYLMER
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