Only 33 of the 2,000 names on the meal roster matched the names of students in the school district. 5353 Gamble Dr Ste 320 . Types of Programs Served by FEEDING OUR FUTURE. The indictments charge Bock with overseeing a massive fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future's sponsorship. To get reimbursed, Bock said the nonprofits must submit documentation to Feeding Our Future, including the menu of meals theyve served, the number of meals served, receipts for the meals, and, sometimes, attendance records of the children served. Aimee Marie Bock, 41, of Apple Valley, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery and federal programs bribery. They can purchase food from our small local grocery stores, from our halal markets, and those are the folks that are being attacked. That Feeding Our Future grew too fast. Joey Peters is a reporter for Sahan Journal. Bocks LinkedIn page says she has a masters degree in educational leadership and administration from Argosy University in the Twin Cities and a bachelors degree from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. We are in charge of monitoring our nonprofit partners. Whoops! When we moved in here, it was in dire need of repairs just to be functional again. The feds have the purchase agreement, they have it all. 2023 FOX Television Stations, until WED 3:00 PM CST, Clay County, Crow Wing County, East Becker County, East Otter Tail County, Hubbard County, Mahnomen County, North Cass County, Northern Aitkin County, South Cass County, South Clearwater County, South Itasca County, Wadena County, West Becker County, West Otter Tail County, Wilkin County, until WED 6:00 PM CST, Carlton/South St. Louis Counties, Southern Lake/North Shore, a fraud scheme involving Feeding Our Future, A 49th person was charged on Monday, Sept. 26, MnDOT launches greater Minnesota trip planner for public transit, Richfield school fatal shooting: Man sentenced in Jahmari Rice's killing, Uvalde Foundation to investigate 3 St. Paul schools over recent violence, Wood From The Hood has gone out on a limb to reclaim urban wood for 15 years, Twin Cities woman celebrates defeat of rare brain cancer, Inver Grove Heights holds meeting on elevated levels of radium in water, Homicide victims cousin calls for more police in debate over safety at St. Paul schools, Police: Man convicted in arson trashes Caribou in Brooklyn Park, DNA test backlog in Minnesota causing problems for law enforcement, Deshaun Hill killing: Cody Fohrenkam sentenced in teen's murder, Final emergency SNAP benefits going out in March, Teen charged in shooting at event for Harding High School stabbing victim, Trans woman violently assaulted at Minneapolis LRT station, MnDOT awards 23 communities Safe Routes to School grants, 2 teens struck after getting out of car following crash on I-35 in Burnsville, Alex Murdaugh family home 'Moselle' recently for sale, now under contract, during murder trial, Minnesota weather: What to expect with more snow on the way. Welcome to the official YouTube channel of KARE 11 News. Sometimes that means reporting on allegations that some people would rather keep out of the public view. We compared other centers that were sold during that same timeframe to make sure that it was a fair market value, given location, size, condition, all of that. The following people are named in the indictment United States v. Haji Osman Salad, et al. The CACFP is the sister program to the Free and Reduced School Lunch Programandhas been providingmeals through a variety of programs since 1968. 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. 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. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Bock declined to comment as she walked through the courthouse lobby and passed through security screening to surrender herself to authorities. When MDE denied Feeding Our Future site applications, Bock and Feeding Our Future filed a lawsuit accusing MDE of denying the site applications due to discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act., In total, the government says, Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 sites throughout the state of Minnesota and fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. This is to ensure that nonprofits are serving the right food to qualify for the federal money. So when I was approached about selling it, it was a relief. For serving as a sponsor to Stigma-Free Willmar, Feeding Our Future received nearly $500,000 in administrative fees. Before Aimee Bock got involved in federal food aid programs, she worked as a child care instructor. 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. 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. Chao Xiong and Becky Z. Dernbach contributed reporting. 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. Money Meant For Student May Have Gone To Luxury Homes, Car. He has been a journalist for 15 years. He predicted that Bock and Feeding Our Future will ultimately not be charged or indicted. Most of the time it is a for-profit organization like a grocery store or restaurant. Feeding Our Future would then pass the federal money down to its contractorsreligious institutions, non-profits, and other groupsthat were supposed to use the money to feed children. Salim Ahmed Said, 33, of Plymouth, owner and operator of Safari Restaurant. According to the government, the defendants devised and carried out a massive scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program.. At FEEDING OUR FUTURE, we are dedicated to making food program participation simple. Looking for all the latest news on the Feeding Our Future investigation? "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. These are for-profit entities, and what they do with their money is outside the scope of what Feeding Our Future manages. In fact, its the opposite. 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. Unlock our in-depth reporting by signing up for our free newsletter. Because if you are, I might get raided.. 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. In an interview earlier this year, Bock denied stealing money and said she never saw evidence of fraud. / CBS Minnesota. To read that all of my hard work is being twisted into something that its not is hard. ), ABC7 Chicago says farewell to Meteorologist Phil Schwarz, Arrest warrant issued for top NFL Draft prospect Jalen Carter, How officials cracked case of eyedrops that blinded people, Elizabeth Holmes requests new trial; key witness 'expresses misgivings,' filing says, Scammers use Biden's student loan forgiveness program to steal information. MDE not only violated federal regulations, it also violated (a previous) court order Even after being found in contempt of court, the MDE is continuing to take the position that it is above the law and the children in Minnesota do not deserve access to nutritious meals and snacks.. Feds investigate nonprofit incorporated by Minneapolis City Council Member Jamal Osman in alleged Feeding Our Future food fraud. 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. 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. Thats my opinion. In response, Bock sued the department in November 2020, alleging discrimination, saying the majority of her sites were based in immigrant communities. Asad Abshir ran the Stigma-Free Mankato site. Subscribe Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Help us keep them free to read for everyone. Feeding Our Future does not commit fraud, does not allow fraud, does not condone fraud, and most certainly does not actively participate in fraud, Bock said. Sponsors must submit an application to MDE for each site. Our team processes and reviews it. The Minnesota Department of Education has filed a lawsuit in Ramsey County District Court against Feeding our Future and the nonprofit's co-founder and former executive director Aimee. Two more people have since been charged. Bock was the. Our team will meet your site on a regular basis to provide training and technical support. They purchase the food. I need to see that it was cereal, that it was oatmeal, that it was something within the parameters of the meal requirements. She created a contract stating the transaction involved selling a childcare center to make it appear legitimate, the indictment alleges. Among other things, the USDA allowed for-profit restaurants to participate in the program, as well as allowed for off-site food distribution to children outside of educational programs, the news release says. 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.. Judge John Guthmann of Ramsey County District Court ordered the department to pay $35,750 to Feeding Our Future and $11,750 in attorney's fees for failing to follow through on an earlier. They were down to a couple of gas stations. Unlock our in-depth reporting by signing up for our free newsletter. RELATED | Scammers use Biden's student loan forgiveness program to steal information. Feeding Our Future received hundreds of millions of dollars from these two federal programs from 2019 through 2021 and passed the money down to hundreds of mostly immigrant-run nonprofits across the state, according to records from the Minnesota Department of Education. She was an MNCPD-approved trainer, a board member of Early Childhood Family Education and a substitute teacher. Eligible nonprofit organizations partner with the Minnesota Department of Education to sponsor unaffiliated sites participation inthe CACFP. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Please reload the page and try again. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Help us reach 150 new monthly sustainers by March 15. If the allegation was there is a deposit of $310,000 in the account that is unaccounted for, thats a fair, objective statement. Did you witness an incident that you think we should write about? Feeding Our Future's founder and executive director, Aimee Bock, was among those indicted, and authorities say she and others in her organization submitted the fraudulent claims for. Bock's attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, said he wouldn't comment until he's had a chance to see the indictment, but that the indictment "doesn't indicate guilt or innocence.". Powered by. Bock was just executive director of Feeding Our Future, which is under investigation for receiving millions of dollars in food aid. of Education. The community is tired of MDE illegally blocking access to the federal food program, Bock said. Be as detailed as possible. FBI search warrants unsealed in January allege that Feeding Our Future was the center of the scheme. She's also not allowed to have contact with anyone who was a victim, a witness or a co-defendant in the case. We had no convenience stores. 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. Up for Our free newsletter by clicking Sign up, I confirmthat I have read and the. 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