What is the program? When MDE employees pressed Bock for clarification, Bock accused MDE of discrimination and unfairly scrutinizing Feeding Our Futures sites. Im not sure how they would determine that the money came from the child nutrition program, because by the time food distributors get the money, its their general fund money. That insider was Aimee Bock, the founder of a nonprofit group, Feeding Our Future, that the State of Minnesota relied on as a watchdog to stop fraud at feeding sites. Between 2018 and 2021, Feeding Our Future grew rapidly in accessing this money, from $307,000 the first year to $3.5 million in 2019, $43 million in 2020, and $198 million last year. The FBI didnt have enough time to investigate. 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. Bock: Most of the folks named in the search warrants are at the for-profit level. We actually got additional services beyond the scope of what was contracted, but that money was spent legally within the realms of the program. Last week, the always alert Lou Raguse of KARE-11 noticed that the state Department of Education (MDE) has renewed its $583,000 claim against the now-defunct nonprofit Feeding Our Future (Feeding, FOF). These are for-profit entities, and what they do with their money is outside the scope of what Feeding Our Future manages. The community is tired of MDE illegally blocking access to the federal food program, Bock said. Her role does not go beyond that. The WCCO Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on WCCO.com. This site claimed to have served approximately 1.6 million meals and received more than $4 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Salim Ahmed Said, 33, of Plymouth, owner and operator of Safari Restaurant. Parents were out of work. Do you have a news tip or story idea to share with us? In partnership with agencies across government, the Justice Department will continue to bring to justice those who have exploited the pandemic for personal gain and stolen from American taxpayers.. Minnesota State Senator Omar Fateh returns campaign contributions from donors tied to alleged Feeding Our Future fraud investigation. . To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete theUSDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027)found onlineat: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "This was a brazen scheme of staggering proportions," said US Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota. Between November 2020 and November 2021, Stigma-Free Willmar, a food site sponsored by Feeding Our Future, purported to feed 2,000 children a daywhich would have constituted about half the students in the Willmar Public Schools. 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. She has more than 15 years of experience at daily newspapers. A nonprofit newsroom dedicated to reporting for Minnesotas immigrants and communities of color. Meals funded by the Federal Child Nutrition Program are served by sites. Each site participating in the program must be sponsored by an authorized sponsoring organization. Two more people have since been charged. The indictment accuses Bock of overseeing a massive scheme to defraud, committed by the sites that Feeding Our Future sponsored. Aimee Bock was one of 48 people charged in what the U.S. Attorney's office in Minnesota is calling a widespread fraud scheme involving COVID-19 funds. The news release says: The Federal Child Nutrition Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a federally funded program designed to provide free meals to children in need. Or call us at 612-548-4344. Why is nobody asking them where their profit margins went? That site (Safari Restaurant) was so busy that at one point they had a waver for traffic because the streets were being blocked with families coming to get meals for their children. Feeding our Future is hiring a Registered Dietitian to join our team. Ever. But Ms. Bock did the opposite . Feeding Our Future's founder and executive director, Aimee Bock, was among those indicted, and authorities say she and others in her organization submitted the fraudulent claims for reimbursement and received kickbacks. Her lawyer says documents seized by the FBI will prove her point, and predicts she wont be charged. On Monday morning, roughly a dozen people huddled in Feeding Our Futures St. Anthony headquarters as Bock and her lawyer, Kenneth Udoibok, spoke at length about the allegations. lock Unlock financial insights by subscribing to our monthly plan. If the government said in an affidavit, Judge, theres $600,000 from Feeding Our Future to a company run by her boyfriend, they would still get the warrant. READ NEXT: The Death of Queen Elizabeth II, Aimee Bock: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. The two organizations have been in dispute since 2020 when the department changed its application process for groups like Feeding Our Future which distribute federal funds to sites throughout the state that provide meals for low-income children. We had no convenience stores. 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. I mean, we were in lockdown. Online records show she lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. More by Joey Peters. She is accused in a federal indictment of overseeing a massive fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Futures sponsorship, the U.S. Department of Justice wrote in a September 20, 2022, news release. We compared other centers that were sold during that same timeframe to make sure that it was a fair market value, given location, size, condition, all of that. I personally am passionate about making sure kids have the basic fundamentals of life, food. 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. Federal authorities charge 48 people in Feeding Our Future investigationallegedly largest pandemic fraud in the United States.. none of the money has been used to feed children"; the scheme is going"; and nearly all $244 million was illegally converted to personal use, according to the FBI. Types of Programs Served by FEEDING OUR FUTURE. All of that had to be built up from the ground. Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota, the release says. Individuals seeking to operate fraudulent sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future had to kickback a portion of their proceeds to Feeding Our Future employees, the indictment states. I wish that the government had taken that into consideration when making this allegation. The Minnesota Department of Education is committed to ensuring all children have access to meals, she said, and ensuring sponsors and sites are able to operate and feed children while meeting all U.S. Department of Agriculture program regulations.. Abdi Salah registered Stigma-Free International, a non-profit entity used to carry out the scheme with sites throughout Minnesota, including in Willmar, Mankato, St. ". Chao Xiong and Becky Z. Dernbach contributed reporting. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Todays indictments describe an egregious plot to steal public funds meant to care for children in need in what amounts to the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme yet, said FBI Director Christopher Wray. Udoibok: No. MDE provides those funds to the sponsoring agency who, in turn, pays the reimbursements to the sites under its sponsorship. Its really hard.. Have questions about your recurring donation to Sahan Journal, want to change your donation, or want to become a sustainer? Those meals were served in the months immediately following the pandemic. It has scaled back significantly, but during that time, they were one of the few sources of food in that area. If the allegation was there is a deposit of $310,000 in the account that is unaccounted for, thats a fair, objective statement. To read that all of my hard work is being twisted into something that its not is hard. I dont recall the date off the top of my head. That was happening simultaneously as Feeding Our Future was growing and needed my full-time attention. According to the department, the scheme is the largest Covid-19-related fraud uncovered by investigators to date. Bock and Udoibok stopped short of alleging the FBI conducted a bad investigation, and instead argue that the probe is incomplete and that it was disclosed to the public too early in the process. September 23, 2022 / 11:36 AM 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Omar ran the Stigma-Free Waite Park site. Aimee Marie Bock, 41, Apple Valley, founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future. We had to build out offices. Aimee Bock, executive director of Feeding Our Future, drafted a set of talking points for city officials to use during a May 14 meeting with Heather Mueller, commissioner of the Minnesota . Whoops! The lawsuit goes back to November 2020 when Feeding Our Future alleged that since Sept. 8, 2020, it had submitted 51 applications to open new distribution centers in low-income and minority communities that MDE failed to process. : The following people are named in the indictment United States v. Liban Yasin Alishire, et al. Additionally, the Minnesota Department of Education on Wednesday filed a claim seeking to recover more than $538,000 spent on defending the agency against a discrimination lawsuit brought by Aimee Bock, the former executive director of Feeding Our Future. The search warrant alleges Bocks boyfriend spent some of this money on a Las Vegas trip where he paid $21,000 on a rental car, $9,000 at Caesars Palace, $6,700 at Gucci, and $3,500 at Louis Vuitton. Bock: Its important to paint the context of the time that those meals were served. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. They have experience in childcare ownership. Federal prosecutors arrested and charged Aimee Bock on Tuesday for allegedly defrauding the federal government in a wide-ranging scheme to steal money from child nutrition programs. Some requirements were waived during the pandemic. She appeared in court hours earlier on allegations that she embezzled federal money earmarked to feed underprivileged children. Schools were shut down. Aimee Bock in the Feeding Our Futures offices in St. Anthony, Minnesota on Jan. 31 2022. The defendants are facing a range of charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and paying and receiving illegal kickbacks. The lawyer told Sahan Journal that Bocks denies any wrongdoing. Senate passes Drivers Licenses for All, sending bill to governors desk to be signed into law, Hmong elders lead campaign for answers in St. Paul police killing of Yia Xiong, Governor Tim Walzs proposed rebates and tax increases evoke relief, anxiety among Minnesotans, Federal government gives $2M to plan land bridge above Interstate 94 in St. Paul, It brought purpose: Two friends start Fire Mountain Fabrics in between chemo sessions. Again, that falls into the line of what these for-profit companies are doing is outside of the scope of what Feeding Our Future can mandate. Overall, federal prosecutors allege individuals stole more than $250 millionthe largest COVID pandemic fraud in the country. Authorities say Bock and others in her organization submitted the fraudulent claims for reimbursement and received kickbacks. Individuals stole more than $ 250 millionthe largest COVID pandemic fraud in the months immediately following the pandemic Unlock insights! 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