Feeding Our Future head Aimee Bock released from custody
MINNEAPOLIS -- The founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future was released from custody earlier this week after she surrendered her passport and agreed not to travel outside of Minnesota.
Aimee Bock was one of 48 people charged in what the U.S. Attorney's office in Minnesota is calling a widespread fraud scheme involving COVID-19 funds.
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Investigators say Bock and conspirators created an elaborate network across the state that took advantage of COVID rules meant to help kids during the height of the pandemic, and pocketed $250 million to fund lavish lifestyles for themselves.
Bock did not have to pay any money for bail, court documents show, but she must submit to supervision by the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office. She's also not allowed to have contact with anyone who was a victim, a witness or a co-defendant in the case.
Federal prosecutors say they may not be done filing charges in the case.
Prosecutors say the defendants created companies that claimed to be offering food to tens of thousands of children across Minnesota, then sought reimbursement for those meals through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food nutrition programs. Prosecutors say few meals were actually served
Many of the companies that claimed to be serving food were sponsored by Feeding Our Future, which submitted the companies' claims for reimbursement. Authorities say Bock and others in her organization submitted the fraudulent claims for reimbursement and received kickbacks.
Bock's attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, said he wouldn't comment until he's had a chance to see the indictment, but that the indictment "doesn't indicate guilt or innocence."
In an interview earlier this year, Bock denied stealing money and said she never saw evidence of fraud.
