The defendants created dozens of shell companies to enroll in the program as Federal Child Nutrition Program sites. Want more? 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. The indictments charge Bock with overseeing a massive fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future's sponsorship. Many of the companies that claimed to be serving food were sponsored by Feeding Our Future, which submitted the companies' claims for reimbursement. Minnesota State Senator Omar Fateh returns campaign contributions from donors tied to alleged Feeding Our Future fraud investigation. Bock made her first appearance in court Tuesday afternoon, pleaded not guilty, and was released. Bock: I dont know what he spent it on when he was there. Investigators say Bock and conspirators created an elaborate network across the state that took advantage of COVID rules meant to help kids during the height of the pandemic, and pocketed $250 million to fund lavish lifestyles for themselves. 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.. Sponsors are also responsible for monitoring each of their sites and preparing reimbursement claims for their sites. Get news and stories that illuminate the lives and experiences of Minnesotas immigrants and communities of color. https://t.co/IayPMGyFHE pic.twitter.com/2iLU9gbfsO, @SaysDana (@SaysDana) September 20, 2022. 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. 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. ), ABC7 Chicago says farewell to Meteorologist Phil Schwarz, Arrest warrant issued for top NFL Draft prospect Jalen Carter, How officials cracked case of eyedrops that blinded people, Elizabeth Holmes requests new trial; key witness 'expresses misgivings,' filing says, Scammers use Biden's student loan forgiveness program to steal information. The indictment alleges that Bock took a $310,000 payment from Abdulkadir Salah, a co-owner of Safari Restaurant, which was a contractor with Feeding Our Future. Looking for all the latest news on the Feeding Our Future investigation? That said, the fraud allegations actually come from the FBI. At FEEDING OUR FUTURE, we are dedicated to making food program participation simple. Types of Programs Served by FEEDING OUR FUTURE. Feeding Our Future received hundreds of millions of dollars from these two federal programs from 2019 through 2021 and passed the money down to hundreds of mostly immigrant-run nonprofits across the state, according to records from the Minnesota Department of Education. Feeding Our Future was legally allowed to keep up to 15 percent of the funds it received as administrative fees. Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock released from custody. Your tax-deductible donation helps us keep bringing you and every Minnesotan essential, nonpartisan information. In response, Bock sued the department in November 2020, alleging discrimination, saying the majority of her sites were based in immigrant communities. Subscribe to our free newsletter! 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. It consisted of a kitchen upgrade, which is still in process. MINNEAPOLIS -- The Justice Department on Tuesday announced charges against 47 people accused of stealing $250 million from a federal program designed to provide meals for needy children during the pandemic, CNN reported. Feeding Our Future may reject a nonprofits application for reimbursement if the documentation shows it didnt provide enough complete mealsfor example if it didnt buy enough milk for the number of children it said it served, Bock said. She was an MNCPD-approved trainer, a board member of Early Childhood Family Education and a substitute teacher. Its still ongoing. Our winter sustainer campaign is happening now! Although she has not been criminally charged, she declined a new interview for this story. These are for-profit entities, and what they do with their money is outside the scope of what Feeding Our Future manages. Coupled that with the fact that it was the week of George Floyds murder. Sometimes that means reporting on allegations that some people would rather keep out of the public view. ), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. 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. Is that a criminal act? Eligible nonprofit organizations partner with the Minnesota Department of Education to sponsor unaffiliated sites participation inthe CACFP. Bock said the $310,000 was for the purchase of a childcare center called The Learning Journey that she founded years ago but never got around to opening. Eidleh also created his own fraudulent sites. Last week, the landlord of the Burnsville building listed as The Learning Journey filed an eviction lawsuit against Bock and others, alleging $30,000 in unpaid rent since October 2021. Heres what Bock said she wants people to know. We had no convenience stores. Were saying that MDE fed the federal government with bad information. But the indictment charges that she actually sold a food site to Cosmopolitan Business Solutions, the parent company of Safari. We had to build out offices. Contact us atmembership@sahanjournal.com. We paid a fair market price. About time, given that it is under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for misuse of federal aid, running into millions of dollars. The search warrants alleged that Bock used some of the $310,000 money on personal purchases at HOM Furniture and an Eagan mall, and spent more than $15,000 at a car dealership. If its a conflict of interest, thats a whole different story. Be as detailed as possible. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Forty-eight people have been charged in connection to a fraud scheme involving Feeding Our Future a scheme federal officials are calling the largest pandemic fraud in the country. Be as detailed as possible. Sams Club, Costco, and Aldi get by far the largest chunk of the money. 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. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. : The following people are named in the indictment United States v. Liban Yasin Alishire, et al. Schools were shut down. The following people are named in the indictment United States v. Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, et al. Main address. Why is nobody asking them where their profit margins went? RELATED: U.S. Attorney's Office charges 47 in "largest pandemic fraud in the United States". Here is the moment Aimee Bock and her two attorneys arrived at the courthouse (maybe about 10:45am). Documents say Bock oversaw the scheme and that she and Feeding Our Future sponsored the opening of nearly 200 federal child nutrition program sites throughout the state, knowing that the sites intended to submit fraudulent claims, "Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota," the Justice Department said in a release. 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Bock asserts that her organization goes beyond federal requirements by doing things like obtaining backup receipts from the food supplier from which the nonprofit purchased the 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. The search warrants also alleged that Bock used the money to write a $70,000 cashiers check to her ex-husband. Bock said that in 2021, Feeding Our Future completely denied 10 to 15 applications from nonprofits and partially denied countless others. Udoibok said Bock was doing well, and that they were informed earlier in the day that she would be indicted and required to surrender. View Aimee Bock's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. That means it needs to be free! 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. 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. We have to be able to operate, and we cant operate if we dont have a space. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Because if you are, I might get raided.. Free-food lawsuits may be Minnesota's biggest growth industry. Omar-Hashim created a company called Olive Management Inc., a site that received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. My client meant wellshe still means well, and we hope that the jury will see that all did was try to help folks.. Abdinasir Mahamed Abshir, 30, 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. MDE did not respond to requests to comment for this story before press time. Its an unfortunate situation, Aimee Bocks attorney Kenneth Udoibok said when I asked him to address parents and children who relied on the food aid. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Everything was frozen. Current Partners board members declined KARE 11's requests as well. 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