‘BRAZEN SCHEME’

47 Fraudsters Charged With Stealing COVID Funds Meant for Needy Kids, Feds Say

A nonprofit and its affiliates are accused of weaponizing the organization’s sponsorship to buy luxury cars, houses, and jewelry.

The Justice Department indicted 47 people on Tuesday who were allegedly involved in a $250 million scheme that abused federal funds meant for hungry children during the pandemic. “Today’s indictments describe an egregious plot to steal public funds meant to care for children in need in what amounts to the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme yet,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray in a statement. The group took advantage of the Federal Child Nutrition Program, designed to feed children in need in Minnesota with federal dollars, diverting millions to buy luxury cars, houses, jewelry, and coastal resort properties around the world for themselves. Among those charged is Aimee Bock, the executive director and founder of Feeding Our Future, who’s indicted for overseeing the massive fraud program under the nonprofit’s sponsorship. According to the DOJ indictment, the 501(c)(3) went from distributing roughly $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021. “This was a brazen scheme of staggering proportions,” U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota said.