Money Meant For Student May Have Gone To Luxury Homes, Car. 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. Contact us atmembership@sahanjournal.com. Subscribe Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Salim Ahmed Said, 33, of Plymouth, 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. She was an MNCPD-approved trainer, a board member of Early Childhood Family Education and a substitute teacher. She has also a Director of Operations from 2015 to 2018. 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. To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete theUSDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027)found onlineat: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. 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. Before joining Sahan Journal, he worked for close to a decade in New Mexico, where his reporting prompted the resignation When the Minnesota Department of Education started asking questions about the claims, Bock and Feeding Our Future gave false assurances that they were monitoring the sites under its sponsorship and that the sites were serving the meals as claimed, the news release says. Authorities alleged the massive fraud scheme took at least $250 million from the federal child nutrition program money that was intended to help feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here at FEEDING OUR FUTURE, we are driven by a single goal; making participation in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program safe and easy for our community partners. Asad Abshir ran the Stigma-Free Mankato site. Abdikadir Ainanshe Mohamud, 30, of Fridley, 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. pic.twitter.com/1Sf15oxAr9. It consisted of a kitchen upgrade, which is still in process. Aimee Bock arrives at the federal courthouse with her attorneys, Kenneth Udoibok and Nancy Hylden. of Education. Together, they spend $4 billion a year to feed people across the country. Bock and Udoibok stopped short of alleging the FBI conducted a bad investigation, and instead argue that the probe is incomplete and that it was disclosed to the public too early in the process. Many of the companies that claimed to be serving food were sponsored by Feeding Our Future, which submitted the companies' claims for reimbursement. The defendants used the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme to purchase luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota as well as property in Ohio and Kentucky, real estate in Kenya and Turkey, and to fund international travel.. They have experience in childcare ownership. Powered by. MDE did not respond to requests to comment for this story before press time. We did market analysis. Bock said the $310,000 was for the purchase of a childcare center called The Learning Journey that she founded years ago but never got around to opening. Parents were out of work. Cody Fohrenkam sentenced in the killing of Deshaun Hill Jr. Black longevity depends on community health in Minnesota, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc. 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. The program is operated in Minnesota through the Division of Nutrition, Health andYouth Developmentat the Minnesota Department of Education. 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. These rosters were fabricated and created using fake names., For example, the government contends, one roster was created using names from a website called www.listofrandomnames.com. Because the program only reimbursed for meals served to children, other defendants used an Excel formula to insert a random age between 7 and 17 into the age column of the rosters.. Bock did not have to pay any money for bail, court documents show, but she must submit to supervision by the U.S. Because as we see time and time again, our more-populated areas get the services, but those in outstate Minnesota, those outside of Wilmar, dont get the help they need. 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. Bock was one of 47 defendants accused in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, DOJ says. That means it needs to be free! Schools were shut down. Men tied to alleged Feeding Our Future fraud donated to reelection campaign of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, records show. Between 2018 and 2021, Feeding Our Future accessed $244 million from two U.S. Department of Agriculture programs: the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program. We actually got additional services beyond the scope of what was contracted, but that money was spent legally within the realms of the program. Three people were charged via criminal information, which can only be done with their consent, meaning they are cooperating and likely to plead guilty: One person was arrested and charged via complaint after the U.S. Attorney's Office announcement: A 49th person was charged on Monday, Sept. 26: A 50th person was indicted, authorities said on Oct. 19: A 49th person has been charged in connection to the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme that took hundreds of millions of dollars from the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Again, the meals are reimbursed. In partnership with agencies across government, the Justice Department will continue to bring to justice those who have exploited the pandemic for personal gain and stolen from American taxpayers.. A former teacher, Bocks full name is Aimee Marie Bock. Overall, federal prosecutors allege individuals stole more than $250 millionthe largest COVID pandemic fraud in the country. . Joey Peters is a reporter for Sahan Journal. Before Aimee Bock got involved in federal food aid programs, she worked as a child care instructor. She appeared in court hours earlier on allegations that she embezzled federal money earmarked to feed underprivileged children. 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. Schools were shut down. At FEEDING OUR FUTURE, we are dedicated to making food program participation simple. These indictments, alleging the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme charged to date, underscore the Department of Justices sustained commitment to combating pandemic fraud and holding accountable those who perpetrate it, said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in the news release. Bocks lawyer told the publication he believes the genesis of the federal investigation into Bock derived from Lomen. The non-profit also alleges that MDE changed its application process requiring new administrative and procedural hurdles, imposed restrictions on its ability to expand, withheld federal funding and has taken retaliatory action against the Feeding Our Future leadership. Together, they allocated more than $4 billion a year to feed 7 million children across the country. Feeding Our Future breaks down to 10 percent. 2020by FEEDING OUR FUTURE.This institution is an equal opportunity provider. We paid a fair market price. No. Chao Xiong and Becky Z. Dernbach contributed reporting. She . The investigation implicated a total of 48 people across several indictments (or charging documents), including well-known local restaurateurs and former political appointees for the city of Minneapolis. : The following people are named in the indictment United States v. Liban Yasin Alishire, et al. The defendants claimed to be feeding thousands of children per day, prosecutors said. Or call us at 612-548-4344. Looking for all the latest news on the Feeding Our Future investigation? 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. Why are we only looking at the profit margins of our small minority-owned businesses? This site claimed to have served approximately 1.6 million meals and received more than $4 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Said was an owner and operator of Safari Restaurant, a site that received more than $16 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Its been an expansive, ongoing multi-year project. Bock arrived at the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis about 10:45 a.m. Tuesday with her attorneys Kenneth Udoibok and Nancy Hylden. Additionally, the Minnesota Department of Education on Wednesday filed a claim seeking to recover more than $538,000 spent on defending the agency against a discrimination lawsuit brought by Aimee Bock, the former executive director of Feeding Our Future. : The following people are named in the indictment United States v. Sharmake Jama, et al: 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. Nonprofit wins small battle in lawsuit with the, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Submit to Stumbleupon (Opens in new window), Nonprofit wins small battle in lawsuit with the MN Dept. For the Pioneer Press, she has covered the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, the northern Ramsey County suburbs, and weekend breaking news. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Try our monthly plan today. During this time of high need, MDE failed to process applications as required by law, said Aimee Bock, spokesperson for Feeding our Future. Feed 7 million children across the country to feed underprivileged children overall, federal allege! 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