And we need to be honest with ourselves about potential wrongdoing. Coupled that with the fact that it was the week of George Floyds murder. At FEEDING OUR FUTURE, we are dedicated to making food program participation simple. We had no grocery stores on Lake Street. Udoibok: Feeding Our Future and Ms. Bock only paid based on receipts and evidence of service performed. In the lawsuit, the department alleges that Feeding Our Futures auditor failed to file the audit properly, did not update its budget worksheet, has been slow to hire an accountant, that its applications was riddled with typos, and that it is investigating four complaints filed against the non-profit. Joey Peters is a reporter for Sahan Journal. We invite you to learn more about the food program and the financial benefit available to your program. Feeding Our Future's 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. Feeding Our Future received more than $18 million in administrative fees to which it was not entitled, the government says. We had no convenience stores. Our team processes and reviews it. I personally am passionate about making sure kids have the basic fundamentals of life, food. The charges against her include wire fraud and conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery. Again, that falls into the line of what these for-profit companies are doing is outside of the scope of what Feeding Our Future can mandate. Asad Abshir ran the Stigma-Free Mankato site. This is a full-time salaried position. 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. Aimee Bock (center in a white long sleeve shirt), executive director of Feeding Our Future, leaves the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis Tuesday evening with a garment draped over her head. But, federal authorities say, the meal count sheets, attendance rosters, and invoices were fraudulent. Prosecutors say the defendants created companies that claimed to be offering food to tens of thousands of children across Minnesota, then sought reimbursement for those meals through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food nutrition programs. Aimee Bock is the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. 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. The FBI alleges that Feeding Our Future, which Bock founded in 2017 and where she serves as executive director, mishandled tens of millions of dollars of federal child nutrition money. 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. Udoibok said Bock was doing well, and that they were informed earlier in the day that she would be indicted and required to surrender. Asad Mohamed Abshir, 32, of Mankato, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Gov't billed for more than 125M fake meals, with some defendants making up kids with online random name generator: authorities. That case has since been dismissed. Im not sure how they would determine that the money came from the child nutrition program, because by the time food distributors get the money, its their general fund money. In interviews after law enforcement searched multiple sites in January, including Bock's home and offices, Bock denied stealing money and said she never saw evidence of fraud. Many of these kickbacks were paid in cash or disguised as consulting fees paid to shell companies created by Feeding Our Future employees to make them appear legitimate.. Feeding Our Future. She did that a minimum of once a month. They purchase the food. The Associate Press contributed to this report. Bock. Feeding Our Future received $3.4 million in federal food-aid money in 2019, $43 million in 2020, and $198 million in 2021. "The company went from receiving and disbursing approximately $3.4 million in federal funds to sites under its sponsorship in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021," part of the indictment read. I started Sahan Journal to provide committed coverage to immigrants and people of color in Minnesota. Or call us at 612-548-4344. Her lawyer says documents seized by the FBI will prove her point, and predicts she wont be charged. Our team will meet your site on a regular basis to provide training and technical support. Anytime theres a conflict of interest, the people involved in the conflict are removed from the decision. The founder of Feeding Our Future and 46 others have been charged in what federal officials are calling the largest pandemic fraud in the country. The CACFP is the sister program to the Free and Reduced School Lunch Programandhas been providingmeals through a variety of programs since 1968. Bock went on to work for an education trade group called Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children, where she helped child care organizations manage accreditation. Instead of feeding children, the money was allegedly spent for personal purposes on real estate, luxury cars, and lavish travel. Udoibok said Bock would not engage with any possible plea negotiations. They can purchase food from our small local grocery stores, from our halal markets, and those are the folks that are being attacked. To read that all of my hard work is being twisted into something that its not is hard. She denied it was a kickback,. I was not in a position to just go buy one, so I slowly acquired throughout the years the stuff that I would need. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) administers and oversees the Federal Child Nutrition Program. For the Pioneer Press, she has covered the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, the northern Ramsey County suburbs, and weekend breaking news. Investigators accused Bock, the executive director of Feeding Our Future, of receiving a $310,000 kickback from a restaurant owner involved in the scheme. Abdihakim Ali Ahmed, 36, of Apple Valley, 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. I mean, we were in lockdown. Bock was just executive director of Feeding Our Future, which is under investigation for receiving millions of dollars in food aid. We want to hear from you. Chao Xiong and Becky Z. Dernbach contributed reporting. Bock: I dont know what he spent it on when he was there. Meals funded by the Federal Child Nutrition Program are served by sites. Each site participating in the program must be sponsored by an authorized sponsoring organization. Try our monthly plan today. Again, the meals are reimbursed. Im surprised that shes indicted, because I didnt think the government would charge her. 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. Senate passes Drivers Licenses for All, sending bill to governors desk to be signed into law, Hmong elders lead campaign for answers in St. Paul police killing of Yia Xiong, Governor Tim Walzs proposed rebates and tax increases evoke relief, anxiety among Minnesotans, Federal government gives $2M to plan land bridge above Interstate 94 in St. Paul, It brought purpose: Two friends start Fire Mountain Fabrics in between chemo sessions. Parents were out of work. Ghedi created ASA Limited LLC, a site that received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Unlock our in-depth reporting by signing up for our free newsletter. Help us reach 150 new monthly donors by March 15. A Minneapolis non-profit last week won a battle in a year-long legal fight with the Minnesota Department of Education over funding for meals for low-income children. Before joining Sahan Journal, he worked for close to a decade in New Mexico, where his reporting prompted the resignation The process was supposed to work like this: Every month, Feeding Our Future supplied the Minnesota Department of Education with reports on the number of meals their contractors served. Bock says whatever the for-profit food distributors do with their profit margins is outside of her authority. Even if they want to say its inappropriate to hire your boyfriend to renovate your office and pay him this amount of money, Ill take that. But Ms. Bock did the opposite . 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. Feeding Our Future was legally allowed to keep up to 15 percent of the funds it received as administrative fees. Did you witness an incident that you think we should write about? An indictment is not an indication of guilt or innocence. RELATED | Scammers use Biden's student loan forgiveness program to steal information. Bock: Most of the folks named in the search warrants are at the for-profit level. Abdi Salah registered Stigma-Free International, a non-profit entity used to carry out the scheme with sites throughout Minnesota, including in Willmar, Mankato, St. Your tax-deductible donation helps us keep bringing you and every Minnesotan essential, nonpartisan information. All of the rooms needed holes patched, ceiling tiles replaced, new flooring. Aimee Bock arrives at the federal courthouse with her attorneys, Kenneth Udoibok and Nancy Hylden. Regardless of whether hes my boyfriend, I have no say. Cloud, Waite Park, and St. Paul. "In all, Feeding Our Future fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds during the Covid-19 pandemic," it continued. Bock said that in 2021, Feeding Our Future completely denied 10 to 15 applications from nonprofits and partially denied countless others. The law does not require her to sit at 200 centers and count the kids. Welcome to the official YouTube channel of KARE 11 News. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. The USDAs Food and Nutrition Service administers the program throughout the nation by distributing federal funds to state governments. Aimee Bock was one of 48 people charged in what the U.S. Attorney's office in Minnesota is calling a widespread fraud scheme involving COVID-19 funds. Our winter sustainer campaign is happening now! The indictments charge Bock with overseeing a massive fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future's sponsorship. Subscribe to our free newsletter! FBI search warrants unsealed in January allege that Feeding Our Future was the center of the scheme. MDE is suing FOF, again, for recovery Help us reach 150 new monthly sustainers by March 15. Probation and Pretrial Services Office. So we had parents driving in, we had staff driving to houses to deliver food. The defendants also created shell companies to receive and launder the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme., The government alleges the defendants submitted fraudulent meal count sheets purporting to document the number of children and meals served at each site. 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