Three FBI search warrant affidavits, unsealed last month in federal court, allege that Bock participated in a wide scheme defrauding the federal government of millions of dollars earmarked for feeding underserved children. Bock's attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, said the indictment "doesn't indicate guilt or innocence." A former teacher, Bock's full name is Aimee Marie Bock. A few days ago, on February 25th, 2022, a not-for-profit organization called Feeding Our Future announced that it is dissolving its operations. Unlock our in-depth reporting by signing up for our free newsletter. Cloud, Waite Park, and St. Paul. Cloud, Waite Park, and St. Paul. The defendants used the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme to purchase luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota as well as property in Ohio and Kentucky, real estate in Kenya and Turkey, and to fund international travel.. Free and open company data on Minnesota (US) company Feeding Our Future (company number 81d2eea8-0aa5-e611-816f-00155d01c56d), c/o Legal for Good PLLC, 5353 Gamble Dr., Suite 320, St. Louis Park, MN, 55416 Nonprofit wins small battle in lawsuit with the, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Submit to Stumbleupon (Opens in new window), Nonprofit wins small battle in lawsuit with the MN Dept. Ahmed Abdullahi Ghedi, 32, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Subscribe to FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul youtube.com/channel/UClwddNv0Cr6SIEGkzVK886w?sub_confirmation=1 Watch FOX 9 Live: fox9.com/live FOX 9 is your, Feeding Our Future: Founder, 46 others charged in 'massive' fraud scheme, The founder of Feeding Our Future and 46 others have been charged in what federal officials are calling the largest pandemic fraud in the country. I commend the work of the skilled investigators and prosecutors who unraveled the lies, deception and mountains of false documentation to bring this complex case to light.. I was not in a position to just go buy one, so I slowly acquired throughout the years the stuff that I would need. Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock released from custody The founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future was released from custody earlier this week after she surrendered her passport . The law does not require her to sit at 200 centers and count the kids. Our program support room, where weve got cubicles, was just open. The 47 defendants are charged across six separate indictments and three criminal informations with charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering and bribery, the release says. She appeared in court hours earlier on allegations that she embezzled federal money earmarked to feed underprivileged children. The charges against those allegedly involved include conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering and bribery. Cody Fohrenkam sentenced in the killing of Deshaun Hill Jr. Black longevity depends on community health in Minnesota, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. This week, the executive director of Feeding our Future denied allegations of fraud in connection with federal food aid programs and gave her side of the story in an in-depth interview with Sahan Journal. Before Aimee Bock got involved in federal food aid programs, she worked as a child care instructor. Aimee Marie Bock, 41, of Apple Valley, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery and federal programs bribery. Bock: Absolutely, and they are approved by the state. Again, the meals are reimbursed. He has been a journalist for 15 years. But the FBI alleges that Feeding Our Future and several subcontractors misappropriated at least $48 million of the nearly quarter-billion dollars it received from the federal government. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Are you planning to go on vacation? Most of the time it is a for-profit organization like a grocery store or restaurant. September 23, 2022 / 11:36 AM Or call us at 612-548-4344. To start, Bock calls this understanding of how the child nutrition program works a mischaracterization.. Everyone should know her face. Although she has not been criminally charged, she declined a new interview for this story. Bock: If we have an invoice that just simply says breakfast, that doesnt tell me enough. Bock: People seem to believe I give them the money and then its sort of the honor system to go purchase food. They can purchase food from our small local grocery stores, from our halal markets, and those are the folks that are being attacked. Whoops! Powered by. Subscribe to, Feeding Our Future fraud investigation puts nonprofits under Minnesota lawmakers' microscope | FOX 9, An attorney for the Minnesota Department of Education said Wednesday that a federal investigation is ongoing into what he called "one of the largest fraud occurrences in state history" at a meals program and hinted about grand jury involvement. "These defendants exploited a program designed to provide nutritious food to needy children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, they prioritized their own greed, stealing more than a quarter of a billion dollars in federal funds to purchase luxury cars, houses, jewelry, and coastal resort property abroad.". Joey Peters is a reporter for Sahan Journal. He attached a roster with the names of the children. The investigation implicated a total of 48 people across several indictments (or charging documents), including well-known local restaurateurs and former political appointees for the city of Minneapolis. I was at a cabin with my children and my parents in northern Minnesota for the week. I like to have a face to look at. This site claimed to have served more than 1.6 million meals and received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. The U.S. Department of Agricultures food service programs the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program work in tandem to ensure low-income children are provided free, nutritious meals year-round, including after school and when schools are not in session. The defendants claimed to be feeding thousands of children per day, prosecutors said. Help us reach 150 new monthly sustainers by March 15. Abdihakim Ahmed created ASA Limited LLC, a site that received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) administers and oversees the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Meanwhile, Aimee Bock of Feeding. Why is nobody asking them where their profit margins went? Bock paid the money to Handy Helpers, a company run by her boyfriend, which she said did extensive and ongoing remodeling on roughly 10,000 square feet of office space in Feeding Our Futures St. Anthony headquarters. Feds investigate nonprofit incorporated by Minneapolis City Council Member Jamal Osman in alleged Feeding Our Future food fraud. MDE provides those funds to the sponsoring agency who, in turn, pays the reimbursements to the sites under its sponsorship. A Minneapolis non-profit last week won a battle in a year-long legal fight with the Minnesota Department of Education over funding for meals for low-income children. We invite you to learn more about the food program and the financial benefit available to your program. She said Feeding Our Futures board of directors signed off on the project. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The defendants went to great lengths to exploit a program designed to feed underserved children in Minnesota amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, fraudulently diverting millions of dollars designated for the program for their own personal gain. These sites, created and operated by the defendants and others, fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed, the release says. Sometimes that means reporting on allegations that some people would rather keep out of the public view. But the Board approved it. : The following people are named in the indictment United States v. Liban Yasin Alishire, et al. Bock: That language in particular triggers me, because he is one of the hardest-working people I know. First published on September 23, 2022 / 11:36 AM. She has more than 15 years of experience at daily newspapers. The defendants are facing a range of charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and paying and receiving illegal kickbacks. Omar-Hashim created a company called Olive Management Inc., a site that received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. pic.twitter.com/1Sf15oxAr9. Bock: Yes. She did that a minimum of once a month. Send us an email at contact@sahanjournal.com. Aimee Bock, 41, of Apple Valley is the founder of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit that authorities say lied about providing millions of meals to children during the health crisis. Regardless of whether hes my boyfriend, I have no say. Litigation is ongoing and the non-profit said it would also protest in front of the MDE building in Roseville. The defendants submitted false invoices purporting to document the purchase of food to be served to children at the sites., The defendants are also accused of submitting fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names and ages of the children receiving meals at the sites each day. Ahmed Sharif Omar-Hashim, 39, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. In an interview earlier this year, Bock denied stealing money and said she never saw evidence of fraud. We work with child care centers, adult care centers, emergency shelters and afterschool programs to provide nutritious meals to individuals that would otherwise have limited access.. The Department of Education then sent the meal counts to the federal government for compensation. "This was a brazen scheme of staggering proportions," said US Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota. Want more? The other reality is due to the COVID pandemic, the USDA issued waivers that allow parent pickup as well as home delivery. Those meals were served in the months immediately following the pandemic. AIMEE BOCK. Timeline: How feeding underprivileged children turned into a sweeping federal investigation. The indictment against Bock, executive director of the now-defunct nonprofit Feeding Our Future, is part of a sweeping federal investigation into the alleged theft of money from two programs meant to feed mostly children in daycare and afterschool settings. Its been an expansive, ongoing multi-year project. "The company went from receiving and disbursing approximately $3.4 million in federal funds to sites under its sponsorship in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021," part of the indictment read. Hamdi Hussein Omar, 26, of St. Paul, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. 3055 Old Highway 8Suite 312Minneapolis, MN 55418. Main address. Bock was just executive director of Feeding Our Future, which is under investigation for receiving millions of dollars in food aid. Why are we only looking at the profit margins of our small minority-owned businesses? Bock was one of 47 defendants accused in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, DOJ says. Contact us atmembership@sahanjournal.com. The FBI alleges that Feeding Our Future, which Bock founded in 2017 and where she serves as executive director, mishandled tens of millions of dollars of federal child nutrition money. She has also a Director of Operations from 2015 to 2018. Authorities alleged the massive fraud scheme took at least $250 million from the federal child nutrition program money that was intended to help feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic. As weve returned to normal, now their size is not that large. And we need to be honest with ourselves about potential wrongdoing. For one, they allege the state department fed the FBI bad information. That bad information is that Feeding Our Future grew too fast and that the number of children it reported feeding was unrealistic. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. So when I was approached about selling it, it was a relief. She created a contract stating the transaction involved selling a childcare center to make it appear legitimate, the indictment alleges. My client meant wellshe still means well, and we hope that the jury will see that all did was try to help folks.. Her payments went out after she had made the spot checks required under law that the portfolio services were performed. They feed the children. Sahan Journal publishes deep, reported news for and with immigrants and communities of colorthe kind of stories you wont find anywhere else. Her LinkedIn page says Bock has worked as a teacher and for a variety of other nonprofit organizations. ), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. The federal guidelines say we can spend up to 15 percent of the money this way. 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