No. No charges have been filed against Bock, Feeding our Future, or anyone else named in the search warrants. He predicted that her court case could continue for a year. The department began scrutinizing Feeding Our Future's site applications more carefully, and denied dozens of them. Prosecutors say few meals were actually served. The program is operated in Minnesota through the Division of Nutrition, Health andYouth Developmentat the Minnesota Department of Education. 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. U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger on Tuesday announced charges against founder Aimee Bock and others that include conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and bribery. We had no convenience stores. 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. Ahmed Abdullahi Ghedi, 32, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. : The following people are named in the indictment United States v. Qamar Ahmed Hassan, et al. The U.S. Department of Agricultures food service programs the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program work in tandem to ensure low-income children are provided free, nutritious meals year-round, including after school and when schools are not in session. Im surprised that shes indicted, because I didnt think the government would charge her. 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. The sponsoring agency retains 10 to 15 percent of the funds as an administrative fee. Whos been charged in the Feeding Our Future food fraud investigation? Is that a criminal act? A former teacher, Bocks full name is Aimee Marie Bock. 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. Before joining Sahan Journal, he worked for close to a decade in New Mexico, where his reporting prompted the resignation Have questions about your recurring donation to Sahan Journal, want to change your donation, or want to become a sustainer? These charges send the message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners remain vigilant and will vigorously pursue those who attempt to enrich themselves through fraudulent means.. This is a full-time salaried position. 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. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The FBI didnt have enough time to investigate. Schools were shut down. 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. Ahmed Sharif Omar-Hashim, 39, 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. It consisted of a kitchen upgrade, which is still in process. The federal guidelines say we can spend up to 15 percent of the money this way. Free-food lawsuits may be Minnesota's biggest growth industry. pic.twitter.com/kIrHaDdRrK. She has more than 15 years of experience at daily newspapers. 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. We had no convenience stores. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) administers and oversees the Federal Child Nutrition Program. indictment: 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. The search warrant alleges Bocks boyfriend spent some of this money on a Las Vegas trip where he paid $21,000 on a rental car, $9,000 at Caesars Palace, $6,700 at Gucci, and $3,500 at Louis Vuitton. A few days ago, on February 25th, 2022, a not-for-profit organization called Feeding Our Future announced that it is dissolving its operations. 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. Bock and her attorney accuse the Minnesota Department of Education of having an ax to grind against Feeding Our Future. I started Sahan Journal to provide committed coverage to immigrants and people of color in Minnesota. Do you have a news tip or story idea to share with us? She was an MNCPD-approved trainer, a board member of Early Childhood Family Education and a substitute teacher. We utilize the Child and Adult Care Food Program to increase healthy food access for Minnesota's youth and seniors, "You cannot feed the hungry on statistics". Bock: If we have an invoice that just simply says breakfast, that doesnt tell me enough. The following defendants are named in the United States v. Aimee Marie Bock, et al. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at, To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the, The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form. If its a conflict of interest, thats a whole different story. Men tied to alleged Feeding Our Future fraud donated to reelection campaign of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, records show. But when you say its a kickback, the use of the word is not supported by any evidence. Get news and stories that illuminate the lives and experiences of Minnesotas immigrants and communities of color. Everything was frozen. MDE is suing FOF, again, for recovery 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. Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Luger said an unspecified number of people were arrested in the morning, but some defendants are not presently in the US. Or call us at 612-548-4344. Instead, federal money was spent by conspirators to buy six pieces of real estate, including a $500,000 property in Kenya. Our team will meet your site on a regular basis to provide training and technical support. Somali The USDAs Food and Nutrition Service administers the program throughout the nation by distributing federal funds to state governments. We had no grocery stores on Lake Street. Bock: That language in particular triggers me, because he is one of the hardest-working people I know. Bock paid the money to Handy Helpers, a company run by her boyfriend, which she said did extensive and ongoing remodeling on roughly 10,000 square feet of office space in Feeding Our Futures St. Anthony headquarters. I think that bad intel was intentionally provided by the Department of Education. The defendants exploited changes in the program intended to ensure underserved children received adequate nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic, the governments news release says. But Ms. Bock did the opposite . The Department of Education then sent the meal counts to the federal government for compensation. And they paid $225,000 of that money in bribes and kickbacks to Abdikerm Eidleh, the Feeding Our Future employee who served as the site support manager in Willmar. According to the department, the scheme is the largest Covid-19-related fraud uncovered by investigators to date. We work with child care centers, adult care centers, emergency shelters and afterschool programs to provide nutritious meals to individuals that would otherwise have limited access.. Udoibok said that after seizing scores of documents during last months multiple raids, the FBI now has all of the relevant information. 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. Bock, 41, has staunchly defended herself and her organization in previous interviews with Sahan Journal. In total . AIMEE BOCK. There are people that have better relationships and more of an ability to grow. MINNEAPOLIS -- The founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future was released from custody earlier this week after she surrendered her passport and agreed not to travel outside of Minnesota. Weensure programs are easily able to receive funding to purchase nutritious meals and snacks. This site claimed to have served approximately 1.6 million meals and received more than $4 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. The other reality is due to the COVID pandemic, the USDA issued waivers that allow parent pickup as well as home delivery. Investigators accused Bock, the executive director of Feeding Our Future, of receiving a $310,000 kickback from a restaurant owner involved in the scheme. MDE spokesperson Ashleigh Norris said the department cannot comment on ongoing litigation. Udoibok: Feeding Our Future and Ms. Bock only paid based on receipts and evidence of service performed. 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