As the Trump administration intensifies its immigration crackdown in Minnesota, which so far has resulted in the death of one citizen, Renee Good, officials have repeatedly pointed to fraud tied to the state’s large Somali American community as justification. But federal prosecutors say the architect of the largest fraud scheme in Minnesota history was not Somali at all. The mastermind, it seems, is a white woman born and raised in the state: Aimee Bock.
What Happened in Minnesota
Bock, 45, is currently awaiting sentencing after being convicted on all counts in a COVID-era case involving Feeding Our Future, the nonprofit she founded and ran. Prosecutors say the scheme siphoned about $250 million from a federal child nutrition program meant to feed hungry children during the pandemic. In 2019, the nonprofit submitted $3.4 million in meal reimbursement claims. By 2021, that number had shot up to to nearly $200 million.
When Bock spoke to CBS News from jail on Jan. 20, she defended her actions, expressing regret, and shifting some responsibility to state officials who oversaw the program.
Federal authorities have charged 78 people connected to Feeding Our Future. More than 60 have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial. While many of the defendants are Somali American or East African, Bock, a white American, has been tagged as the leader of this crime ring.
During a five-week trial last year, prosecutors laid out evidence they said showed Bock approved reimbursement claims for millions of meals that were never served. She was also accused of collecting bribes and coordinating with meal site operators who used taxpayer money to bankroll luxury cars, real estate purchases, and vacations.
In March 2025 jurors convicted Bock on every count. She now faces up to 33 years in prison; her sentencing hearing has not been set. A judge has, however, ordered Bock to forfeit more than $5 million tied to the scheme.
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