Jury Selection Begins in Trial of Ringleader of $250M Pandemic Fraud Scheme

The Big Picture

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

“In all, Feeding Our Future fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds during the Covid-19 pandemic,” prosecutors wrote in a preview of their case this month. The total included administrative fees to which Feeding Our Future was not entitled, they said.

“Bock and other Feeding Our Future employees also solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies sponsored by Feeding Our Future,” prosecutors continued. “Feeding Our Future operated a pay-to-play scheme, where individuals seeking to operate fraudulent sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future had to kick back a portion of their fraudulent proceeds to Feeding Our Future employees.”

The Defense

Bock’s attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, said they will argue at trial that she is not guilty of the federal fraud, conspiracy, and bribery charges against her.

“She’s innocent and she’s going to express that belief, that truth, until the day she dies,” Udoibok said in an interview last week. “This woman was hoodwinked, played by people she trusted. She trusted that these people that have pled guilty, she trusted them to have delivered food to needy children, needy people, deserving folks. And they played her.”

Udoibok said the large number of guilty pleas, and the fact that they are now down to just Bock and a co-defendant for this trial, doesn’t change the defense strategy. He said the jury will be able to see the difference between her and the rest of the defendants despite the complexities of the overall case.

“She accepted no bribes or kickbacks from anybody. She did not know that the invoices were fraudulent. She was focused on providing as much access to needy people as possible, that is, feeding adults and children during COVID and during the George Floyd protests,” Udoibok said.

An attorney for Bock’s co-defendant, Salim Ahmed Said, did not return a call seeking comment on the case.

The Bribe

Five people were charged with bribery because of the attempt in the first trial, including three who were on trial at the time. Two of the five have already pleaded guilty, while one more is scheduled to change his plea to guilty in March. U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger described the elaborate scheme as “something out of a mob movie.”

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

The Political Repercussions

The federal money flowed through the state Department of Education, and the loss of 250 million taxpayer dollars became a major 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. Walz’s critics insist he should have done more. While Walz comfortably won reelection in 2022, the issue resurfaced after presidential candidate Kamala Harris picked him as her running mate.

This year, Republicans in the closely divided Minnesota Legislature have made fighting fraud in government programs one of their top issues, and not just because of Feeding our Future. Walz himself has proposed his own anti-fraud package. But the 2025 legislative session is off to a contentious start, and it’s not clear yet if the sides can reach the bipartisan consensus that will be needed to pass anything.

Conclusion

The trial of Aimee Bock, the alleged ringleader of a scheme to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic and steal $250 million from a program meant to feed children, is set to begin. While the defense team claims that Bock is innocent and was hoodwinked by others, the prosecution will argue that she was at the center of a massive fraud scheme that involved soliciting and receiving bribes and kickbacks.

FAQs

* What is the alleged scheme?
The alleged scheme is a fraud scheme that exploited the COVID-19 pandemic and stole $250 million from a program meant to feed children.
* Who is Aimee Bock?
Aimee Bock is the founder of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit that was approved as a sponsor of the Federal Child Nutrition Program.
* What is the defense’s argument?
The defense argues that Bock is innocent and was hoodwinked by others, and that she did not know about the fraudulent invoices and did not receive any bribes or kickbacks.
* What is the prosecution’s argument?
The prosecution argues that Bock was at the center of a massive fraud scheme that involved soliciting and receiving bribes and kickbacks, and that she knew about the fraudulent invoices and received benefits from them.
* What are the potential consequences?
The potential consequences of a guilty verdict could include a lengthy prison sentence and significant financial penalties.