Opening arguments are scheduled to begin Monday in federal court in Minneapolis for the trial of the alleged ringleader of the Feeding our Future fraud scheme.

Aimee Bock, the founder of the nonprofit, is one of 70 defendants charged in the overall case. Thirty of them have already pleaded guilty to various charges, including some who had been scheduled to go on trial with Bock.

Bock’s attorneys have said she is not guilty of the charges against her. They argue Bock was betrayed by others working with the organization whom she trusted.

Aimee Bock, founder of the nonprofit Feeding our Future, in Minneapolis on Feb. 23, 2022. Bock was among 44 people indicted on charges that they ran a brazen fraud against anti-hunger programs during the coronavirus pandemic, the Justice Department said on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. (Jenn Ackerman/The New York Times)

$250M in federal funds

Federal prosecutors say the scheme exploited the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to steal $250 million in federal money meant to help feed children.

Federal prosecutors allege the conspiracy revolved around two small nonprofits — Feeding Our Future and Partners in Nutrition — that were approved as sponsors of the Federal Child Nutrition Program before the pandemic. They dramatically increased the number of meal sites that they claimed to be sponsoring during the COVID pandemic.

Feeding Our Future went from taking in and disbursing $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021. Sites sponsored by Feeding Our Future falsely claimed to be serving thousands of children each day, prosecutors are alleging.

Prosecutors have called it one of the country’s largest pandemic-related fraud cases. A related trial last year — in which five of seven defendants were found guilty — was marred by an alleged attempt by some defendants and people linked with them to bribe a juror with a bag of $120,000 in cash. The juror went straight to police.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel, who is overseeing Bock’s trial, has ordered extra steps to shield the jurors’ identities and prevent any bribe attempts. The trial is expected to last four weeks.

Political repercussions

The federal money flowed through the state Department of Education, and the loss of 250 million taxpayer dollars became a political problem for Democratic Gov. Tim Walz.

His administration largely blamed federal authorities, saying the FBI asked them not to cut off the flow of funds to protect its investigation. A report issued last June from the Office of the Legislative Auditor found “inadequate oversight” by state officials allowed the fraud to happen. No one in state government has been disciplined in the matter.

Republican state lawmakers plan to investigate the matter further during the current legislative session and some have offered measures to combat future fraud. Walz also has proposed a series of anti-fraud measures to be considered by lawmakers.

This story contains information from the Associated Press.

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