Bock, 41, has staunchly defended herself and her organization in previous interviews with Sahan Journal. Sponsors are also responsible for monitoring each of their sites and preparing reimbursement claims for their sites. RELATED | Scammers use Biden's student loan forgiveness program to steal information. Sahan Journal publishes deep, reported news for and with immigrants and communities of colorthe kind of stories you wont find anywhere else. 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. Is that a criminal act? Feeding Our Future does not commit fraud, does not allow fraud, does not condone fraud, and most certainly does not actively participate in fraud, Bock said. She was an accreditation coordinator for the Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children and was center director and a lead infant teacher for Knowledge Universe. They feed the children. Do you have a news tip or story idea to share with us? In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Aimee Bock was the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Did you witness an incident that you think we should write about? Aimee Bock started Feeding Our Future in 2016 from her kitchen table, and it quickly grew to 65 employees who speak a total of 17 languages. The FBI didnt have enough time to investigate. Bock: Its important to paint the context of the time that those meals were served. Bock of course was charged this week for her role in bilking the Federal government out of hundreds of millions of dollars that should have gone to feeding hungry children during the pandemic of 2020-21. 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. Bock said the decision to hire her boyfriends company for the work came in a bidding process that saw three or four companies bid for the job. The non-profit also alleges that MDE changed its application process requiring new administrative and procedural hurdles, imposed restrictions on its ability to expand, withheld federal funding and has taken retaliatory action against the Feeding Our Future leadership. Artan registered Stigma-Free International, a non-profit entity used to carry out the scheme with sites throughout Minnesota, including in Willmar, Mankato, St. 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.. It consisted of a kitchen upgrade, which is still in process. They specifically take issue with how federal authorities made the allegations against Bock and others public before making any criminal charges or indictments in the case. These indictments, alleging the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme charged to date, underscore the Department of Justices sustained commitment to combating pandemic fraud and holding accountable those who perpetrate it, said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in the news release. Two more people have since been charged. They can purchase food from our small local grocery stores, from our halal markets, and those are the folks that are being attacked. "These defendants exploited a program designed to provide nutritious food to needy children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal Child and Adult Care Program and the Summer Food Service Program are used to feed children and adults in daycare and afterschool organizations. The charges against those allegedly involved include conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering and bribery. He has been a journalist for 15 years. Contact us atmembership@sahanjournal.com. Whos been charged in the Feeding Our Future food fraud investigation? That means it needs to be free! The defendants claimed to be feeding thousands of children per day, prosecutors said. It has scaled back significantly, but during that time, they were one of the few sources of food in that area. According to sahanjournal.com, she founded Feeding Our Future II after receiving inquiries about working with potential food sites outside of Minnesota. In addition to the administrative fees, Feeding Our Future employees solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies sponsored by Feeding Our Future. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc. The defendants obtained, misappropriated and laundered millions of dollars in program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to children. 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.. The Department of Education then sent the meal counts to the federal government for compensation. Emergency shelters and afterschool programs are reimbursed at the free rate. Among other things, the USDA allowed for-profit restaurants to participate in the program, as well as allowed for off-site food distribution to children outside of educational programs, the news release says. Want more? I havent read it yet, Udoibok said of the charging document. I started Sahan Journal to provide committed coverage to immigrants and people of color in Minnesota. Officials on Tuesday announced 47 people had been charged in connection to the scheme, including founder Aimee Bock. They bid on a job. Bock: Yes. Main address. 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. Please reload the page and try again. I like to have a face to look at. 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. We want to hear from you. Bock oversaw the $240 million fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Futures sponsorship. : Forty-eight people have now been charged in connection to the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. According to the government, the defendants devised and carried out a massive scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program.. MDE did not respond to requests to comment for this story before press time. SEE ALSO | Elizabeth Holmes requests new trial; key witness 'expresses misgivings,' filing says. Why is nobody asking them where their profit margins went? The following individuals are named in the indictment United States v. Aimee Marie Bock, et al. 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. Your tax-deductible donation helps us keep bringing you and every Minnesotan essential, nonpartisan information. Its really hard.. Because of that, my client is maligned, Udoibok said. Bock: I think the feds are acting on bad intel. We actually got additional services beyond the scope of what was contracted, but that money was spent legally within the realms of the program. 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 text under the video says: Thank you very much Feeding Our Future/Aimee Bock for fighting for minorities. No charges have been filed against Bock, Feeding our Future, or anyone else named in the search warrants. Aimee Bock is the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization in Minnesota that participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Aimee Marie Bock, 41, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery. Sams Club, Costco, and Aldi get by far the largest chunk of the money. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc. This site claimed to have served more than 1.6 million meals and received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Bock says whatever the for-profit food distributors do with their profit margins is outside of her authority. : The following people are named in the indictment United States v. Sharmake Jama, et al: 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. Get news and stories that illuminate the lives and experiences of Minnesotas immigrants and communities of color. When the Minnesota Department of Education started asking questions about the claims, Bock and Feeding Our Future gave false assurances that they were monitoring the sites under its sponsorship and that the sites were serving the meals as claimed, the news release says. Try our monthly plan today. Instead, federal money was spent by conspirators to buy six pieces of real estate, including a $500,000 property in Kenya. We invite you to learn more about the food program and the financial benefit available to your program. I was not there. And my conclusion is, the reason why they didnt care about the impact of that decision, is because the centers are run by immigrants and the beneficiaries of the food are also immigrants and poor people. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. 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. Aimee Bock was the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Those meals were served in the months immediately following the pandemic. Help us keep them free to read for everyone. Abdirahman Ahmed was an owner and operator of Safari Restaurant, a site that received more than $16 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Shari L. Gross/Star Tribune via Getty Federal agents executed search warrants on more than a dozen properties connected to what FBI search warrants call an alleged pattern of deception, money laundering and fraud by a Minneapolis organization claiming to feed at-risk children. Gov't billed for more than 125M fake meals, with some defendants making up kids with online random name generator: authorities. No. 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 . 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). The process was supposed to work like this: Every month, Feeding Our Future supplied the Minnesota Department of Education with reports on the number of meals their contractors served. 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. Feeding Our Future works as an administrator of this federal money for the smaller nonprofits by accepting and submitting their applications to the Minnesota Department of Education, which acts as an intermediary between Feeding Our Future and the federal government. But site operators also paid Feeding Our Future employees kickbacks in the form of cash payments or checks often labeled as consulting payments. 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. The stories that come from Minnesotas diverse communities are priceless. Help us keep them free to read for everyone. Bock arrived at the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis about 10:45 a.m. Tuesday with her attorneys Kenneth Udoibok and Nancy Hylden. Mohamud ran the Stigma-Free Willmar site. Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota, the release says. I mean, we were in lockdown. He said he wouldn't comment further until seeing the indictment. The defendants also created shell companies to receive and launder the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme., The government alleges the defendants submitted fraudulent meal count sheets purporting to document the number of children and meals served at each site. But Ms. Bock did the opposite . If youre buying doughnuts, that doesnt count. This is to ensure that nonprofits are serving the right food to qualify for the federal money. The judge also wrote that the departments failure to obey the court order to act on the pending applications could cause irreparable harm and accompanying collateral consequences to the children it serves. And what is that information? Eligible nonprofit organizations partner with the Minnesota Department of Education to sponsor unaffiliated sites participation inthe CACFP. 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 . Unlock our in-depth reporting by signing up for our free newsletter. 2023 A nonprofit newsroom dedicated to reporting on Minnesotas immigrant and refugee communities.. A friendship, a rivalry, a federal investigation. 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. The WCCO Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on WCCO.com. Help us reach 150 new monthly donors by March 15. I personally am passionate about making sure kids have the basic fundamentals of life, food. The department began scrutinizing Feeding Our Future's site applications more carefully, and denied dozens of them. I mean, we were in lockdown. Additionally, the Minnesota Department of Education was given "false assurances" that Feeding Our Future was serving the meals as claimed after the department "attempted to perform necessary oversight regarding the number of sites and amount of claims being submitted," according to the DOJ. That Feeding Our Future grew too fast. At the time of last months FBI raids, Feeding Our Future worked with 200 nonprofitsusually independent daycare organizations and afterschool programswith the stated purpose, Bock said, of feeding 100,000 Minnesota children each day. Be as detailed as possible. 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