The Minnesota Fraud Scandal

Executive Summary

Detailed Breakdown

• Standard Operation: Typically, non-profit organizations act as “sponsors.” They oversee various “sites” (like community centers or schools) where meals are distributed, and then they submit reimbursement claims to the state for the meals served. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is the state agency responsible for administering these federal funds.
• COVID-19 Changes: When the pandemic began in 2020, the USDA issued waivers to ensure children could still receive food even with schools closed. These waivers significantly altered the rules:
• For-Profit Restaurants: For-profit restaurants were allowed to participate for the first time.
• “Grab-and-Go” Meals: Meals could be bundled for multiple days and picked up by parents, rather than being served to children on-site.
• Loosened Oversight: The need to get food out quickly led to a reduction in on-site monitoring and paperwork requirements.

• Feeding Our Future: A Saint Anthony-based non-profit founded in 2017 by Aimee Bock. It grew exponentially during the pandemic, going from receiving a few million dollars in federal funds in 2019 to over $200 million in 2021. It acted as the primary sponsor organization, channeling federal funds to hundreds of food distribution sites across Minnesota.
• The Food Sites and Shell Companies: A vast network of individuals and small businesses who registered as food distribution sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship. Prosecutors allege that many of these sites were fraudulent operations, existing only on paper. The operators created shell companies to produce fake invoices for food that was never purchased.
• The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE): The state agency that disbursed the federal funds to Feeding Our Future. MDE raised concerns about the massive increase in reimbursement requests and attempted to halt payments, leading to a legal battle.
• The Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI: The federal agencies that investigated and are prosecuting the case.

• Grossly Inflated Numbers: A small storefront restaurant might claim to be serving 5,000 meals a day, a number physically impossible to achieve given its size and capacity.
• Fake Documentation: Defendants allegedly created fraudulent invoices from shell companies to “prove” they had purchased the food they were claiming to serve.
• Falsified Meal Counts: They submitted rosters with names of fake children, in some cases using online random name generators to create the lists.
• Kickbacks and Bribes: Prosecutors allege that employees at Feeding Our Future, including its founder Aimee Bock, received kickbacks and bribes from the food site operators in exchange for enrolling them in the program and pushing through their fraudulent reimbursement claims without proper scrutiny.

• Dozens of luxury vehicles.
• Millions of dollars in real estate, including residential and commercial properties in Minnesota, Ohio, and Kentucky, as well as property in Kenya and Turkey.
• Luxury goods, including jewelry and designer clothing.
• International travel.

• Initial Red Flags: The MDE noticed the explosive growth in Feeding Our Future’s reimbursement requests in 2020 and 2021. They questioned the validity of the claims and attempted to stop payments.
• Lawsuit: In response, Aimee Bock, on behalf of Feeding Our Future, sued the MDE, accusing it of discrimination and arguing that the department was failing to feed needy children. A Ramsey County judge sided with Feeding Our Future and ordered MDE to resume payments, which continued until the FBI raids.
• FBI Raids: In January 2022, the FBI conducted a series of coordinated raids on the offices of Feeding Our Future and the homes and businesses of many individuals involved.
• Indictments and Pleas: Beginning in September 2022, the DOJ began unsealing indictments. As of late 2025, over 70 people have been charged. A significant number have pleaded guilty, admitting their role in the fraud.
• First Major Trial and Jury Bribery: The first group of defendants went to trial in the spring of 2024. The trial took a dramatic turn when a juror reported being offered a $120,000 bag of cash to vote for acquittal. The juror was dismissed, and the FBI investigated the bribery attempt, leading to further arrests. The remaining jurors were sequestered, and the trial concluded with the conviction of five of the seven defendants on most charges.
• Ongoing Prosecutions: Aimee Bock and other key figures have been indicted but are awaiting trial. They have maintained their innocence, with Bock’s defense arguing that she ran a legitimate non-profit and was unaware of the fraud being committed by the independent sites she sponsored.

Conclusion