Jurors in the Feeding Our Future trial returned guilty verdicts for Aimee Bock and Salim Said after a brief deliberation Wednesday afternoon. The trial, which unfolded over the last several weeks, was considered the most high-profile case in the $250 million fraud scheme.
Bock was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, and bribery. Said was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.
Feeding Our Future was a non-profit organization that received significant sums of federal dollars via the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) with the understanding that they would reimburse organizations, restaurants, and partners who served meals to children.
However, federal prosecutors demonstrated at trial that many of the partners never served the meals that they claimed they served.
Bock was the executive director of Feeding Our Future; Said was a co-owner of Safari Restaurant, a since-shuttered establishment.
Bock and Said both testified in their own defense during the trial, as Bock tried to pin the blame on her underlings while presenting herself as tough on oversight. The trial was at one point disrupted by an attempt at witness tampering. At trial, Bock and Said denied the charges against them.
“The defendants falsely claimed to have served 91 million meals, for which they fraudulently received nearly $250 million in federal funds,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “That money did not go to feed kids. Instead, it was used to fund their lavish lifestyles. Today’s verdict sends a message to the community that fraud against the government will not be tolerated.”
Alpha News reached out to lawyers for Bock and Said but did not immediately receive a response.
The Feeding Our Future scheme garnered national attention in September 2022 after federal prosecutors charged 47 individuals for their alleged roles in the $250 million food fraud scheme. In total, 70 individuals have been charged.
So far, dozens of charged individuals have either been convicted or pleaded guilty for their role in the fraud scheme. Two have been found not guilty.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
