Abdulkadir Salah was an owner and operator of Safari Restaurant, a site that received more than $16 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. The search warrant alleges Bocks boyfriend spent some of this money on a Las Vegas trip where he paid $21,000 on a rental car, $9,000 at Caesars Palace, $6,700 at Gucci, and $3,500 at Louis Vuitton. At the center of the investigation are claims about how the child nutrition program works and how the participants allegedly manipulated the money for their own purposes. That Feeding Our Future grew too fast. At FEEDING OUR FUTURE, we are dedicated to making food program participation simple. 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. 2020by FEEDING OUR FUTURE.This institution is an equal opportunity provider. / CBS Minnesota. 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. Instead of feeding children, the money was allegedly spent for personal purposes on real estate, luxury cars, and lavish travel. These programs include Family Child Care Homes, Child Care Centers, Emergency Shelters, Afterschool Programs, and Adult Daycare Programs. 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. Welcome to the official YouTube channel of KARE 11 News. They were down to a couple of gas stations. The WCCO Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on WCCO.com. Feeding Our Future breaks down to 10 percent. The feds have the purchase agreement, they have it all. Many of the companies that claimed to be serving food were sponsored by Feeding Our Future, which submitted the companies' claims for reimbursement. I can tell you with 100% confidence, all of that money was spent in accordance with the regulations surrounding child nutrition programs. He attached a roster with the names of the children. Minnesota State Senator Omar Fateh returns campaign contributions from donors tied to alleged Feeding Our Future fraud investigation. The Safari Restaurant co-owner who purchased it has experience running childcare organizations, Bock said. ), 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. According to the government, the defendants devised and carried out a massive scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program.. It started immediately after we signed our lease, which I believe was in 2019 or 2020. They approached me about purchasing the center. Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota, the release says. They have experience in childcare ownership. Money Meant For Student May Have Gone To Luxury Homes, Car. No charges have been filed against Bock, Feeding our Future, or anyone else named in the search warrants. People under criminal investigation such as Bock are often reluctant to speak publicly. The news release says: The Federal Child Nutrition Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a federally funded program designed to provide free meals to children in need. Asad Abshir ran the Stigma-Free Mankato site. indictment. Ahmed Abdullahi Ghedi, 32, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Shari L. Gross/Star Tribune via Getty 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. Federal prosecutors arrested and charged Aimee Bock on Tuesday for allegedly defrauding the federal government in a wide-ranging scheme to steal money from child nutrition programs. 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. These charges send the message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners remain vigilant and will vigorously pursue those who attempt to enrich themselves through fraudulent means.. Current Partners board members declined KARE 11's requests as well. Were saying that MDE fed the federal government with bad information. Why is nobody asking them where their profit margins went? Types of Programs Served by FEEDING OUR FUTURE. Aimee Bock, 41, of Apple Valley is the founder of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit that authorities say lied about providing millions of meals to children during the health crisis. The attorney general of the United States explained the scope of the scheme. No charges have been filed against Bock, Feeding our Future, or anyone else named in the search warrants. When MDE employees pressed Bock for clarification, Bock accused MDE of discrimination and unfairly scrutinizing Feeding Our Futures sites. Thats my opinion. Federal authorities charge 48 people in Feeding Our Future investigationallegedly largest pandemic fraud in the United States.. Mohamud ran the Stigma-Free Willmar site. While at the Port Huron Times Herald in Michigan, she covered the environment and several suburbs, and she was a columnist. Bock said the decision to hire her boyfriends company for the work came in a bidding process that saw three or four companies bid for the job. Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 39, of Burnsville, 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 defendants, prosecutors said, set up a network of shell companies connected to the Minnesota-based nonprofit Feeding our Future, to exploit the federal child nutrition program, which is designed to provide meals to children from low-income families. No paywalls. Omar ran the Stigma-Free Waite Park site. This site claimed to have served more than 1.6 million meals and received approximately $5 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. That said, the fraud allegations actually come from the FBI. Most of the time it is a for-profit organization like a grocery store or restaurant. Asked if he had a message for the families and children who relied on the government-subsidized meals, Udoibok said, Its an unfortunate situation. Aimee has 7 jobs listed on their profile. Why is nobody asking them where their profit margins went? 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. But site operators also paid Feeding Our Future employees kickbacks in the form of cash payments or checks often labeled as consulting payments. Those meals were served in the months immediately following the pandemic. The defendants claimed to be feeding thousands of children per day, prosecutors said. 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. All of the rooms needed holes patched, ceiling tiles replaced, new flooring. Feeding Our Future was legally allowed to keep up to 15 percent of the funds it received as administrative fees. "Feeding Our Future went from receiving and disbursing approximately $3.4. She said Feeding Our Futures board of directors signed off on the project. MDE did not respond to requests to comment for this story before press time. Feeding Our Future received $3.4 million in federal food-aid money in 2019, $43 million in 2020, and $198 million in 2021. For serving as a sponsor to Stigma-Free Willmar, Feeding Our Future received nearly $500,000 in administrative fees. Although she has not been criminally charged, she declined a new interview for this story. Charges against a 48th person were unsealed later in the day. Share this: Please reload the page and try again. Whoops! Your tax-deductible donation helps us keep bringing you and every Minnesotan essential, nonpartisan information. The indictment against Bock, executive director of the now-defunct nonprofit Feeding Our Future, is part of a sweeping federal investigation into the alleged theft of money from two programs meant to feed mostly children in daycare and afterschool settings. According to the indictment, individual sites submitted fake rosters of children they had fed using fake names and randomly generated ages. Its been an expansive, ongoing multi-year project. It has scaled back significantly, but during that time, they were one of the few sources of food in that area. Send us an email at contact@sahanjournal.com. Want more? Bock made her first appearance in court Tuesday afternoon, pleaded not guilty, and was released. If the allegation was there is a deposit of $310,000 in the account that is unaccounted for, thats a fair, objective statement. But, federal authorities say, the meal count sheets, attendance rosters, and invoices were fraudulent. I personally am passionate about making sure kids have the basic fundamentals of life, food. FBI investigates Minnesota nonprofit for allegedly misusing millions of dollars meant to feed kids, According to an FBI warrant, Feeding Our Future's federal funding grew from $3.4 million in 2019 to more than $197 million in 2021. She then joined a daycare company called Knowledge Universe, working her way up from instructor to center director. 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.". Sometimes that means reporting on allegations that some people would rather keep out of the public view. Litigation is ongoing and the non-profit said it would also protest in front of the MDE building in Roseville. Somali Ahmed Mohamed Artan, 37, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Our Future fraud investigation story before press time guilty, and she was a columnist are often reluctant speak. Money was allegedly spent for personal purposes on real estate, luxury cars, and Adult Daycare programs to up! Been filed against Bock, Feeding Our Future received nearly $ 500,000 in administrative fees margins?. 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