Alleged “Mastermind” of $250 Million Minnesota Fraud Scandal Wielded Power Through Threats and False Racism Claims

The alleged orchestrator behind Minnesota’s massive $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme used extraordinary power and intimidation tactics to maintain control over a sprawling network of accomplices, according to prosecutors and witness testimony.

Aimee Bock, who founded the Feeding Our Future nonprofit in 2016, has been convicted on all counts she faced, including wire fraud, conspiracy and bribery in what has become one of the largest pandemic-related fraud cases in the United States.

Unlike her co-conspirators who purchased luxury homes, cars and overseas property, prosecutors described Bock as the scheme’s “gatekeeper,” controlling the approval and reimbursement processes that allowed the fraud to flourish rather than directly splurging on lavish items herself.

“Aimee Bock was a God,” testified cooperating witness Hanna Marekegn, owner of Brava Café, a meal site sponsored by Feeding Our Future. This testimony highlighted the extraordinary influence Bock wielded over the network, with operators understanding that refusing to comply with her demands would result in losing their contracts and funding.

Before the pandemic, Feeding Our Future operated modestly, handling approximately $3-4 million annually in federal child-nutrition reimbursements. However, when COVID-19 struck, emergency rule changes loosened oversight requirements, allowing sponsors to submit claims without normal verification procedures. This regulatory gap created an opportunity that Bock and her associates quickly exploited.

As executive director, Bock approved meal distribution sites—many of which were fabricated—and certified reimbursement claims submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). Under her leadership, the nonprofit claimed to have served an astounding 91 million meals, fraudulently receiving nearly $250 million in federal funds. Later assessments have estimated the total impact closer to $300 million.

When state regulators attempted to halt suspicious payments in 2021, Feeding Our Future sued the MDE, alleging racial discrimination. A judge subsequently ordered the state to resume reimbursements, a ruling that prosecutors say allowed the scheme to expand dramatically.

“Bock lied to MDE and falsely accused state officials of racism to keep the money flowing,” prosecutors stated during the trial. They presented evidence showing Bock had approved 21 meal sites along a 1.8-mile stretch of Lake Street in Minneapolis, which collectively claimed to serve as many children as the entire Minneapolis school district.

When questioned about this improbable concentration of sites, Bock testified that several grocery stores in the area had been damaged during the George Floyd riots. “This large area became what’s known as a food desert,” she claimed.

Trial testimony revealed that operators paid kickbacks to Feeding Our Future employees or intermediaries to maintain their positions within the scheme. Those who refused to comply with inflated meal counts or kickback demands were cut off entirely from the funding stream.

While Bock may not have directly purchased mansions or luxury vehicles herself, court records show more than $1 million flowed to her longtime boyfriend, Empress Malcolm Watson Jr., who spent the money on travel, jewelry, vehicles and cash withdrawals. One trial exhibit showed Watson inside a Rolls-Royce with Bock standing nearby, while another displayed him with a Lamborghini alongside designer bags, jewelry and a Mercedes-Benz.

Watson has not been charged in connection with the Feeding Our Future cases, but in September he was charged with six tax-related felony offenses for allegedly underreporting income for 2020 and 2021, failing to file a return for 2022, and failing to pay over $64,000 in income taxes. He is currently held in Anoka County jail on an unrelated felony probation violation.

To date, at least 78 people have been indicted in this ongoing investigation, with many convicted defendants having spent their fraudulent gains on large homes, luxury vehicles and property in Kenya. Bock’s co-defendant, Salim Said, was also convicted on multiple charges, including wire fraud, bribery and money laundering.

The Feeding Our Future case represents one of the most significant fraud schemes to emerge from pandemic relief programs, exposing critical vulnerabilities in emergency funding oversight systems and the exploitation of accusations of racism to deflect legitimate regulatory scrutiny.