Feeding Our Future — a Minnesota program that claimed to provide millions of meals during the COVID pandemic — was central to a federal fraud case that prosecutors say diverted nearly $250 million in child nutrition funds into mansions, luxury cars and designer goods. Founder Aimee Bock was convicted on March 19, 2025, of wire fraud, conspiracy and bribery; prosecutors say she approved sites and certified fraudulent claims. Court exhibits link members of the Safari Group and other networks to real estate, vehicles and shell-company transfers. The probe has produced at least 78 indictments and remains one of the largest pandemic-era fraud cases in the U.S.
Feeding Our Future Fraud: Nearly $250M In Stolen Meal Funds Fueled Mansions, Luxury Cars And Designer Goods
The Feeding Our Future operation in Minnesota — once billed as a pandemic-era lifeline for children — was central to a sprawling federal fraud case in which program operators diverted nearly $250 million in federal child nutrition reimbursements into luxury purchases, prosecutors say.
Key Figures And Allegations
Aimee Bock, founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, was convicted by a federal jury on March 19, 2025, of wire fraud, conspiracy and bribery. Federal authorities described her as the network’s "mastermind," saying she approved meal sites, signed reimbursement claims and helped keep scrutiny at bay. Court exhibits shown at trial included a photograph of Bock withdrawing $30,000 in cash; prosecutors said that image supported their allegation of a kickback scheme in which meal-site operators paid cash for approvals.
Salim Said, operator of Safari Restaurant, was identified in court exhibits as a major beneficiary of the scheme. Prosecutors tied approximately $250,000 in reimbursements to a home in Plymouth and linked a $2.7 million wire transfer to a Minneapolis mansion-style office building that served as the Safari Group headquarters. Exhibits also show purchases of a black 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA and a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado, among other assets.
How The Scheme Worked, According To Prosecutors
Investigators say Feeding Our Future certified thousands of meal sites — some fictitious — and submitted inflated or fabricated reimbursement claims to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), which administered federal child nutrition funds provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Prosecutors presented evidence that the network claimed to have served roughly 91 million meals and sought almost $250 million in federal reimbursements.
According to prosecutors, operators created dozens of shell companies and multiple networks under Feeding Our Future’s umbrella. One cluster tied to Safari Group alone reportedly received more than $32 million. In total, the groups submitted more than $250 million in fraudulent invoices, making the conspiracy one of the largest pandemic-era frauds charged in the United States.
Other People And Evidence Shown At Trial
Exhibits displayed images of luxury items and properties purchased with allegedly diverted funds. Empress Malcolm Watson Jr., described in state records as Bock’s boyfriend, appears in some exhibits and was shown in photos with high-end vehicles; prosecutors say Watson earned more than $1 million for work tied to Bock’s for-profit childcare consulting business and spent more than $680,000 on travel, jewelry, vehicles and transfers. Watson has not been charged in the Feeding Our Future indictments but faces separate state tax charges.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors emphasized communications and internal documents suggesting that some reported meal counts and invoices were false or implausible. A witness told jurors, "Aimee Bock was a God," underscoring the authority she wielded over partner sites. Another witness testified, "That math ain’t mathin'," when describing impossible meal counts.
Defense And Legal Context
Bock’s defense told jurors she was an unwitting administrator who followed USDA guidance during a chaotic pandemic period and trusted the wrong people. The defense argued she believed the meal sites were legitimate and that broader oversight failures — not deliberate fraud by Bock alone — explained the payments.
Prosecutors countered with slide decks, emails and bank records they say show Bock knowingly approved improper claims and pressured regulators. When the MDE paused reimbursements in 2021 over concerns, Feeding Our Future sued the state alleging racial discrimination; a judge ordered reimbursements resumed, which prosecutors say allowed the scheme to expand.
Scope And Ongoing Investigation
The federal probe into pandemic-era human-services fraud in Minnesota has produced dozens of indictments. At least 78 people have been charged in connection with the broader investigation, which continues to draw scrutiny from state and federal authorities.
Note: Many details above are drawn from court exhibits and prosecutor statements introduced at trial. Some allegations described by prosecutors involve people who have not been convicted of all related charges.
