Minnesota Nonprofit Leader and Restaurant Owner Convicted in $250 Million Pandemic Fraud Scheme
Aimee Bock, the founder and executive director of the Minnesota-based nonprofit organization Feeding Our Future, and Salim Ahmed Said, owner of the now-defunct Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, were found guilty by a jury on Wednesday for their roles in a massive $250 million pandemic fraud scheme. The scheme exploited a federal child nutrition program, according to prosecutors.
Federal prosecutors have labeled the scheme as one of the largest pandemic-related frauds in the nation. Bock, 44, and Said, 36, faced multiple criminal charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud, and bribery. Said was also charged with several counts of money laundering.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota confirmed the convictions, highlighting the severity of the fraud perpetrated by Bock and Said. Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa Kirkpatrick condemned their actions, stating that they "took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to carry out a massive fraud scheme that stole money meant to feed children."
The defendants falsely claimed to have served 91 million meals, for which they fraudulently received nearly $250 million in federal funds. Kirkpatrick emphasized that "that money did not go to feed kids. Instead, it was used to fund their lavish lifestyles."
The case is part of a broader crackdown on pandemic aid fraud. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has been actively pursuing individuals and organizations that exploited relief programs, managing to claw back $1.4 billion and charge 3,500 people.
The fraudulent scheme was tied to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Federal Child Nutrition Program, which is designed to provide meals to children in need. The program expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing for-profit restaurants to participate in federally funded food distribution, provided they were sponsored by a nonprofit organization.
Prosecutors alleged that restaurant owners and others bribed Feeding Our Future employees to secure the organization’s sponsorship for sham distribution sites. These participants then diverted federal funds intended for the sites to personal purchases, including luxury cars, houses, jewelry, and resort property abroad.
The case garnered significant attention last year when five individuals were charged with conspiring to bribe a juror with a bag containing $120,000. To date, 37 defendants have pleaded guilty in the case, and five others have been convicted, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors accused Bock and Said of overseeing a massive fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Feeding Our Future employees recruited restaurant owners and others to open food distribution sites across Minnesota. These sites, created and operated by Bock, Said, and others, fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed.
As part of the scheme, prosecutors said Bock and Said submitted false documentation to the Minnesota Department of Education, including fraudulent meal counts and fake attendance rosters. The pair then disbursed the federal funds to their co-conspirators.
The pair also created dozens of shell companies to run the fake distribution sites and launder the proceeds of the scheme, according to prosecutors. In exchange for sponsoring these sites’ fraudulent participation in the program, Feeding Our Future received more than $18 million in administrative fees to which it was not entitled, the U.S. Attorneys Office said, adding that employees also solicited and received bribes and kickbacks.
Prosecutors said Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 Federal Child Nutrition Program sites, stealing $250 million.
Said, who owned and operated Safari Restaurant, enrolled his restaurant in the Federal Child Nutrition Program in April 2020. The restaurant was sponsored by Feeding Our Future, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said that by July 2020, Said fraudulently claimed that the restaurant served meals to 5,000 children per day, seven days a week. In total, between April 2020 and November 2021, Said falsely claimed that the restaurant served over 3.9 million meals to children. Said also claimed that Safari Restaurant provided more than 2.2 million meals to other food sites involved in Feeding Our Future’s fraud scheme, prosecutors said.
The convictions of Bock and Said mark a significant victory for federal prosecutors in their efforts to combat pandemic-related fraud. The case highlights the vulnerability of federal aid programs to exploitation and the importance of robust oversight mechanisms to prevent such schemes.
The ongoing investigation into Feeding Our Future and its associates is expected to continue, with prosecutors vowing to hold all those involved accountable for their actions. The case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of defrauding government programs intended to support vulnerable populations.
Federal watchdogs estimate that more than $200 billion in COVID-19 relief may have been stolen.
