Minnesota Fraud Update: ‘Mastermind' Aimee Bock Gets 41-Year Sentence

The convicted ringleader of a Minnesota nonprofit that orchestrated a massive $250 million pandemic fraud scheme has been sentenced to more than 41 years in prison.

Aimee Bock, the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, which falsely reported serving 91 million meals to hungry children, was sentenced Thursday to 500 months in prison (41.5 years) by District Judge Nancy Brasel in Minneapolis more than a year after her March 2025 conviction on multiple counts of wire fraud, conspiracy and bribery in what federal prosecutors billed as the nation’s largest pandemic fraud case. She was also ordered to pay $242 million in restitution.

“This is a vortex of fraud, and you were at the epicenter," Brasel reportedly told Bock prior to doling out the lengthy sentence.

Bock, 45, who was accused of acting as the “mastermind” in the sprawling scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program, but has maintained her innocence, insisting state regulators and two former employees were to blame. Bock has also accused Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar of being privy to the meals scam, which the lawmaker has vehemently denied.

“I understand I failed,” Bock told Brasel prior to sentencing. “I failed the public, my family, everyone.”

Federal prosecutors had sought 50 years for Bock, arguing in a court filing Monday that the former director ran the nonprofit like a “cash pipeline” available to anyone willing to submit “fraudulent claims and pay kickbacks.”

“The ripple effects of her actions are profound, immeasurable, and will have lasting consequences for both Minnesota and the nation,” prosecutors wrote.

In a statement released in December, President Donald Trump denounced Minnesota as a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” where “refugees from Somalia are completely taking over.” He also blamed Democratic Governor Tim Walz for allowing the scandal to unfold while vowing an immigration crackdown in the state, which has the largest Somali population in the U.S.

Federal prosecutors first uncovered the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme in 2022, with 47 defendants initially charged for allegedly exploiting $250 million from a federally funded child nutrition program. The number of defendants in the scheme, who are predominantly of Somali descent, later grew to 78, federal prosecutors in Minnesota announced in November. Of those, 65 pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial, with the harshest sentence totaling 28 years, the Sahan Journal reported.

Authorities hailed Bock’s conviction by a federal jury last year, arguing the verdict sent a message that fraud committed against the government would not be tolerated.

“Stealing from the federal government is stealing from the American people - plain and simple,” FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston said in a statement. “The egregious fraud uncovered in the Feeding our Future case represents the blatant betrayal of public trust. These criminals stole hundreds of millions in federal funding meant to feed hungry children during a crisis and instead funneled it into luxury homes, cars and lavish lifestyles while families struggled.”

Bock’s attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, had argued in court filings that she should receive no more than 37 months in prison, claiming she had provided information to investigators while being unfairly portrayed as the mastermind of the massive scam.

Bock, who has been in custody since last year’s conviction following a six-week trial, told Newsweek on Wednesday that she wasn’t sure what to expect during the much-anticipated sentencing hearing.

“I am not setting any expectations as far as a number goes,” she wrote Newsweek in a message from Sherburne County Jail. “I have spent the day reflecting with friends/family and praying for strength and peace for all of us. I am putting this in God’s hands.”

She contended she never demanded kickbacks while testifying at trial and, last week, during an interview from jail with the Sahan Journal, acknowledged her role in the scam, but insisted she had been innocent.

“Obviously, we missed it,” she told the outlet about the fraud. “I mean, that’s just clear.”

Still, Bock maintained there was “no intentional bad acting” on her behalf.

“I really, really genuinely thought we were doing good work,” she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 9:02 AM.