Woman at center of sprawling Minnesota fraud case gets nearly 42-year prison sentence
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- Aimee Bock, former leader of Minnesota nonprofit Feeding Our Future, was sentenced to nearly 42 years in prison for orchestrating a $250 million COVID-19 fraud scheme, described as the largest of its kind in the U.S.
- Feeding Our Future falsely claimed to provide millions of meals to children during the pandemic but operated a network of fraudulent claims, kickbacks, and fake distribution sites, enriching Bock and co-conspirators with luxury spending.
- Bock was convicted of conspiracy, fraud, and bribery last year, despite her claims of innocence and her lawyer's argument that she was unfairly portrayed as the mastermind.
- The fraud cases contributed to a federal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis-St. Paul under President Trump, who used the scandal to justify deploying federal officers and criticized Somali communities in the state.
- The investigation into social service fraud in Minnesota continues, with new charges filed against other individuals and organizations involving Medicaid and childcare fraud totaling millions of dollars.