By Shawn Henry 
A federal judge has ordered the founder of a Minnesota nonprofit at the center of a massive welfare fraud scheme to forfeit luxury property, cash and high-end goods after her conviction earlier this year.
Aimee Bock, 44, founded Feeding Our Future in 2016. Prosecutors said the organization initially operated on a relatively small scale, handling roughly $3 million to $4 million annually in federal child nutrition reimbursements. That changed dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, when emergency rule changes reduced oversight and allowed reimbursement claims to be submitted without standard verification.
According to the Department of Justice, Feeding Our Future became the hub of a sprawling fraud operation that siphoned roughly $250 million in federal funds intended to provide meals to children from low-income families. Prosecutors said much of the money was diverted into shell companies and used for personal enrichment, including luxury purchases and real estate acquisitions, some located overseas in Kenya and the Maldives.
Under a preliminary court order issued last week, Bock must forfeit approximately $5.2 million held in her personal nonprofit-related bank accounts. The order also includes a Porsche Panamera, dozens of electronic devices such as laptops, tablets and phones, diamond jewelry and designer items, including a Louis Vuitton purse and backpack.
Federal prosecutors have described Bock as the central gatekeeper of the operation, exercising near-total control over approvals and reimbursements that allowed the scheme to grow at an extraordinary pace. Court filings show the network claimed to have served 91 million meals, a level of activity that far exceeded the nonprofit’s pre-pandemic size and operational capacity.
The Feeding Our Future case has resulted in one of the largest welfare fraud prosecutions in Minnesota history. The Justice Department has convicted 57 people and charged 78 defendants in connection with the scheme. Of those charged, most are of Somali descent, and five defendants are considered fugitives believed to be in Africa. Authorities allege millions of dollars in fraud proceeds were sent to East Africa and the Middle East.
Law enforcement officials estimate that only about $75 million of the stolen funds has been recovered. While early estimates placed losses near $250 million, later court filings and sentencing documents have pushed the total closer to $300 million, with federal officials suggesting it could ultimately reach $400 million.
Bock was found guilty by a federal jury in March on multiple counts, including wire fraud, conspiracy and bribery. She is currently being held in the Sherburne County Jail while awaiting sentencing.
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