. Jeffrey Meitrodt is an investigative reporter for the Star Tribune who specializes in stories involving the collision of business and government regulation. Aimee Bock, the executive director of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, speaks out for the first time after accusations the group's partners defrauded the federal government of millions. The defendants submitted false invoices purporting to document the purchase of food to be served to children at the sites. If its payments were cut off, the organization told a judge, the results would be catastrophic, leading to bankruptcy, lost jobs and hungry children. Her role does not go beyond that. She really thrives on difficult conversations.". Twait blamed the slow pace on Providers Choice's insistence on documenting eligibility at levels above those required by the government. Aimee Bock, the executive director of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, speaks out for the first time after accusations the group's partners defrauded the federal government of millions of dollars, Thursday, January 27, 2022 in St. Anthony, Minn. Bock, appearing with her lawyers Kenneth Udoibok and Nancy Hylden, has not been charged. Heres what Bock said she wants people to know. Instead of feeding the future, they chose to steal from the future. In exchange for sponsoring these sites fraudulent participation in the program, Feeding Our Future received more than $18 million in administrative fees to which it was not entitled. Get your hands up!. Aimee! 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. Why are we only looking at the profit margins of our small minority-owned businesses? Qamar Ahmed Hassan, owner and operator of S & S Catering Inc. in Minneapolis. All of the rooms needed holes patched, ceiling tiles replaced, new flooring. Feeding Our Future was founded in 2016 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The indictment is not evidence of guilt or innocence. 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. Again, the meals are reimbursed. Aimee Bockhol. See Photos. Based on their fraudulent claims, the defendants received more than $18 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which they misappropriated for their own personal benefit, including expenditures such as vehicles and real estate. That the number of kids fed seemed unrealistic. Bock and others are accused of defrauding the Federal Child Nutrition Program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and helps bring free meals to children in need. In some cases, conspirators consulted websites to find names. Sees Massive Fraud in Groups Food Programs for Needy Children, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/08/us/politics/food-aid-nonprofits-fraud-investigation.html. Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) officials began questioning Bock about the sudden boom in sites that her organization sponsored in 2020. Aimee Bock. Since the sponsor is essentially the internal control for this program, any disreputable sponsor could abuse the program with little or no chance of being detected, the Agriculture Departments inspector general wrote in 1998, after an investigation called Operation Kiddie Care found fraud on a grand scale in one of these programs. Jeffrey Meitrodt is an investigative reporter for the Star Tribune who specializes in stories involving the collision of business and government regulation. "I told everybody in the community, that lady has a heart," Ali said. In all, more than 200 investigators from the F.B.I. "I am the white lady," Bock said in the interview. Critics say that creates a perverse incentive: a reason for the watchdog not to bark. 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. Jeffrey Meitrodt 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. "I don't think I ever cried so hard," Bock said. Postal Inspection Service for their collaboration and skilled investigative work in bringing these indictments. See Photos. Though her live-in boyfriend is a convicted felon, Bock's most serious offense is speeding. Omar Jamal, a local Somali activist, said it was stunning to see nearly 300 Somali community members turn out to celebrate in 2021 when Feeding Our Future won a court case against the Minnesota Department of Education that paved the way for the nonprofit's huge growth. 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. Though these changes were approved to ostensibly make access to food easier during the pandemic, authorities argue that Feeding Our Future exploited them to make off with millions. If youre buying doughnuts, that doesnt count. The indictments allege that conspirators shelled out tens of thousands of dollars to join the criminal enterprise, and later tried to cover their tracks by submitting fake invoices and enrollment forms with fictitious names pulled from such places as listofrandomnames.com. 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. In the 1970s, Congress created a role in both programs for nonprofits called sponsors, so that giant state bureaucracies and tiny day care centers did not have to talk to one another directly. I'm surprised that my client has been indicted because she did not commit any crimes.". "It shook me to my core. The group sought to formally dissolve in late February. "The indictment is the beginning of the criminal process," Bock's attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, said in a written statement. The Minnesota Department of Education, which administers the federal funding to Feeding Our Future, reported information to the FBI that prompted the eight-month investigation. I dont know where the 5,000 children came from.. According to charges, Safari received more than $16 million in federal money based on claims that it was feeding needy children. Prosecutors say the fraud was overseen by Aimee Bock, who ran a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future. Kelly Smith Federal prosecutors have indicted 47 people in connection with an alleged fraud scheme that saw $250 million, meant to help feed hungry kids in Minnesota, instead go to luxury cars, commercial real estate, and vacation homes. Those meals were served in the months immediately following the pandemic. To carry out the scheme, the defendants also created and submitted false documentation. She has to defend herself against the search warrants, and the search warrants took liberties, significant liberties, factually.. Feeding Our Futures share grew to about $19 million, which its founder and president, Aimee Bock, said she spent largely on salaries for her 80 employees and supplies for feeding sites. But to say stole? Log In. The owners of Brava Restaurant & Caf and other co-conspirators claimed to have served millions of meals from Brava Restaurant & Caf and falsely claimed to have a contract with Rochester Public Schools. She cried several times during the interview. 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. Trump Melts Down Over Murdoch Admitting Fox Lied About Election Fraud We are grateful the matter is now before the Court and there can be a public presentation of Mr. Farah's side of the story to a federal jury. I was like, All right. Mr. Stayberg declined to give the friends name. Since the F.B.I. This is to ensure that nonprofits are serving the right food to qualify for the federal money. The Safari Restaurant co-owner who purchased it has experience running childcare organizations, Bock said. "It's no secret. "I am a rule follower People are going to believe what they want to believe. Meals are handed out at designated sites, which must be sponsored by an authorized organization (such as Feeding Our Future). Over the course of the fraud scheme, the defendants claimed to have served millions of meals. The bulk of the reimbursement claims goes back to the sites, though the sponsoring agency retains 10 to 15 percent as an administrative fee. School was out. We were growing in site numbers, we were growing in staff size. Feeding Our Future executive director Aimee Bock said in a statement that the group's board voted Wednesday to dissolve "in light of negative media reports and frozen assets." Fardowsa Ali, owner of the Hooyo Child Care Center in Minneapolis, said she signed up with both Partners and later Feeding Our Future because Bock probably kept her center from closing by providing last-minute training just before a state inspection. indictment: The following defendants are named in the United States v. Haji Osman Salad, et al. I believe this is punishment for going against the grain.". United States v. Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, et al., 22-CR-124 (NEB/TNL), charges eight defendants with conspiracy, wire fraud, federal programs bribery, and money laundering for their roles the Federal Child Nutrition Program fraud scheme. Bock: If we have an invoice that just simply says breakfast, that doesnt tell me enough. If the allegation was there is a deposit of $310,000 in the account that is unaccounted for, thats a fair, objective statement. That said, the fraud allegations actually come from the FBI. We could call it breakfast and make five times more, Ms. Crooks recalled the woman saying. Aimee Bock, referenced in Friday's press release as Feeding Our Future's "embattled executive director," said in a statement . I believe this is an attack on the community. They bid on a job. The money was . MINNEAPOLIS Last year, with the federal government making available huge new sums of money for programs to feed needy children during the pandemic, a nonprofit organization called Advance Youth Athletic Development set up what it described as an enormous child care operation in northeast Minneapolis that could prepare 5,000 dinners each weeknight. The scale of this, and the rapidity of it, is astonishing, said State Senator Roger C. Chamberlain, a Minnesota Republican whose committee oversees the food programs. The two are part of an eight-person indictment alleging a $40 million fraud scheme. Child nutrition programs include money for administration and for maintenance, because you have to be able to sustain a business. Make a gift of any amount today to support this resource for everyone. Trending In August 2020, S & S Catering Inc. enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Hassan pleaded not guilty at a court appearance Tuesday. All Rights reserved. The owner of Hajis Kitchen LLC and other co-conspirators enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Sponsor A. Our team processes and reviews it. Then, Feeding Our Future reviews these records and decides whether they meet federal guidelines. or. But Bock said her new colleagues strongly encouraged her to bring the kids to one of the company's other suburban locations, explaining that Bock's sons would be the only white children in Burnsville. She said the job completely transformed her outlook on life and work. . "Bock then deposited the check into a personal account held by her and her ex-husband," a search warrant says. In fact, the design of the program may encourage program abuse., The Agriculture Department declined a request to interview an official about the case. "That is not for me to say," Luger said. The meal sites allegedly submitted fake invoices purporting to document their food purchases. Bock: I think the feds are acting on bad intel. Feeding Our Future took millions in federal money in 2020. As a result of the raids last month, the FBI obtained accounting documents that Bock andUdoiboksay will vindicate her and Feeding Our Future. raids, Feeding Our Future was blocked from receiving state food aid. Parents were out of work. Aimee! The owner of S & S Catering and other co-conspirators opened sites across the Twin Cities and claimed to have served millions of meals. So when I was approached about selling it, it was a relief. The group sued the Minnesota Department of Education to win approval, and the two-year battle took a toll on Twait's mental health. No. Bock told the Star Tribune earlier this year that she never stole money or saw evidence of fraud among her subcontractors. By the time I submitted the application, the pandemic hit. United States v. Aimee Marie Bock, et al., 22-CR-223 (NEB/TNL), charges 14 defendants 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 for their roles the Federal Child Nutrition Program fraud scheme. Watch more KARE 11 Investigates: Watch all of the latest stories from our. The FBIs Persecution of Sidney Poitier. 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. Abdihakim Nur, a Somali activist and blogger who shot the video, said he heard the gold came from food vendors who were getting rich off the money they collected through Bock's nonprofit, Feeding Our Future. I personally am passionate about making sure kids have the basic fundamentals of life, food. Udoibok:I was a prosecutor before. Though some state legislators have faulted MDE for not acting more aggressively on its fraud suspicions, Luger declined to assess the department's oversight. Bock says whatever the for-profit food distributors do with their profit margins is outside of her authority. An official website of the United States government. Starting in 2020, Congress poured money into the feeding programs and allowed the Agriculture Department to waive rules that had been put in place after previous scandals to make sure states watched the watchdogs. One pays for meals at preschools, emergency shelters and aftercare centers. The F.B.I. 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