Aimee Bock Sentenced to 500 Months for $250M Minnesota Pandemic Fraud Scheme

Aimee Bock, founder of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, was sentenced to 500 months (about 42 years) in federal prison for orchestrating a $250 million fraud that stole money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID‑19 pandemic. She was ordered to repay more than $242 million in restitution. Federal prosecutors said the scheme involved fake meal sites, bribery, and laundering of funds, with some proceeds funneled into real‑estate and other investments in Kenya. The sentencing came minutes before federal officials announced charges against 15 additional individuals accused of participating in the fraud.

Prosecutors highlighted the impact on taxpayers and children, noting that only about $50 million of the stolen funds has been recovered. "It’s a long sentence, and Aimee Bock did everything she could to earn it," former assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said outside the courthouse. Judge Nancy Brasel described the operation as a "vortex of fraud" during the hearing. The case also drew political attention, having been cited by the Trump administration as a justification for an immigration crackdown in Minnesota and influencing Governor Tim Walz’s decision not to seek a third term.