Friday March 7, 2025
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn (HOL) — Federal prosecutors have detailed how Aimee Bock, the former executive director of Feeding Our Future, allegedly misappropriated $1.9 million in federal food-aid funds meant to feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The revelations came as the prosecution neared the conclusion of its case against Bock and her co-defendant, Salim Said, the former co-owner of Safari Restaurant.
The allegations against Bock, while representing a smaller sum than some of her co-defendants, point to a systematic misuse of funds. Prosecutors claim Bock exploited her leadership role to funnel money through personal business dealings, pre-payment schemes, and kickbacks.
Tracing the Money: Breakdown of Alleged Fraud
Court filings and testimony from forensic accountants revealed the alleged financial misconduct, including:
- $871,514 in payments from Feeding Our Future to Handy Helpers, a company owned by Bock’s former boyfriend, Malcolm Watson, for supposed renovation work.
- $310,000 paid to Cosmopolitan Business Services, linked to Safari Restaurant, which prosecutors describe as a kickback for enrolling Safari in the federal child nutrition program.
- $237,363 in salary payments to Bock from Feeding Our Future between April 2020 and January 2022.
- $180,050 solicited in donations from food site operators and vendors at a time when Bock was engaged in a legal dispute with the Minnesota Department of Education.
- $103,600 transferred into Bock’s personal company, School Age Consultants.
- $72,000 raised through a GoFundMe campaign to establish a successor organization, Feeding Our Future 2.
- $2,800 in employment payments made to Bock’s son.
Prosecutors presented text messages as evidence of pre-payment transactions, which are considered illegal under federal child nutrition program rules. A notable exchange between Bock and Said showed Bock defending her pre-payment practices as a “favor” to maintain Safari Restaurant’s loyalty.
Massive Scale of the Alleged Fraud
Federal agents uncovered a network of fraudulent food sites operating under Feeding Our Future. FBI forensic accountant Pauline Roase testified that Bock’s organization established 21 meal sites within a 1.8-mile stretch of Lake Street, which at their peak claimed to serve 59,000 meals daily—a number nearly double the total student population of Minneapolis Public Schools.
Jurors were shown a breakdown of reimbursements:
- $45.8 million directed to Safari Restaurant-affiliated groups.
- $5.3 million in pre-payments issued by Bock’s organization—$2.9 million of which went directly to Safari-linked sites.
- $34.3 million in reimbursements for the 12.8 million meals allegedly served by the cluster of Lake Street meal sites.
The trial, now in its fourth week, is set to see the prosecution rest its case on Friday. The final witness, FBI forensic accountant Sonya Jansma, traced large-scale expenditures linked to the fraud, including luxury real estate, expensive vehicles, and business investments. Said allegedly used federal reimbursements to fund:
- $890,000 down payment on a Park Avenue South mansion.
- $866,000 purchase of a business in Ohio.
- Nearly $1 million acquisition of a 5,962-square-foot home in Plymouth.
- $107,000 for high-end vehicles, including a Chevy Silverado pickup and a Mercedes GLS SUV.
Following the prosecution’s case, defense attorneys are expected to argue that Bock was unaware of fraudulent activity by meal site operators. Her attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, has emphasized that Bock did not accumulate personal wealth from the scheme, contrasting her with other defendants who purchased mansions, luxury cars, and took lavish vacations.
The defense team has not yet confirmed whether Bock or Said will testify, but proceedings will resume after a short recess next week.
While Bock’s legal team seeks to downplay her role in the fraud, prosecutors argue she was the gatekeeper of a scheme that ultimately enabled widespread financial misconduct. The trial’s outcome could set a precedent for accountability in federal nutrition aid programs, as investigators continue to unravel one of the largest pandemic-era fraud cases in Minnesota history.