Aimee Bock, the founder of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future and a key defendant in the large Minnesota pandemic-era meals fraud case, expressed regrets from jail and claimed she tried to stop false claims, according to an interview with CBS News.
Bock spoke with CBS News Minnesota reporter Jonah Kaplan from her jail cell after a federal jury found her guilty in March 2025 on fraud and bribery charges linked to what prosecutors call the largest COVID-19 relief fraud scheme in the nation.
In the interview, Bock described herself as someone trying to oversee misbehavior among contractors seeking reimbursement for meals. However, prosecutors contended that she organized and profited from the scheme. “I was the only one that stopped a claim and said, this is fraudulent,” Bock told CBS News. “There are tens of millions of dollars in claims that we did not pay, that we refused.”
A senior U.S. Justice Department press release announcing the verdict stated that Bock was convicted after a six-week trial of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and federal programs bribery counts, among others. The release noted the case involved stealing federal child nutrition funds meant to feed children, with the government claiming fraud amounted to about $250 million.
The Associated Press reported that jurors found Bock and co-defendant Salim Ahmed Said guilty on all counts in March 2025. U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel ordered both to be held without bail while they await sentencing.
Bock’s comments to CBS News came as the court moved forward with asset seizure related to the case. In late December, a judge allowed the government to take millions in assets tied to Bock, including funds in accounts, according to Minnesota Public Radio. MPR reported that Brasel ordered Bock and another defendant jailed at that time and did not set a sentencing date in the forfeiture proceedings.
The largest COVID-19 fraud in Minnesota is not Somali, it’s Aimee Bock. A progressive white woman.
“We relied on the state”, she said, and Rep. Ilhan Omar, to make sure they were allowed to bilk the government legally.
Yes, she blames the state and federal government for… pic.twitter.com/MntY9LF8cr
— Hank Campbell (@HankCampbell) January 20, 2026
CBS News Minnesota also reported that Bock was ordered to forfeit $5.2 million.
Prosecutors claim Feeding Our Future and a network of meal sites took advantage of relaxed pandemic rules meant to speed up food distribution, submitting inflated or false claims for reimbursement. The AP reported that authorities have found only a small portion of the money they say was stolen, and the broader investigation includes dozens of defendants, many of whom have pleaded guilty or been convicted.
Bock has insisted that she is not responsible for the fraud described by prosecutors and has maintained that she tried to remove sites she believed were cheating the program. CBS News reported that Bock said she ended agreements with dozens of entities she thought were breaking the rules.
Her remarks come amid ongoing legal proceedings, with prosecutors seeking prison time and forfeiture. Bock plans to pursue post-trial motions and an appeal. The Justice Department has characterized the scheme as a broad effort that diverted taxpayer money away from children and toward luxury purchases and other expenses.
Minnesota’s fraud scandals have resurfaced due to the Trump Administration’s investigation into the matter. The scandal has led to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz stepping down from a race to continue his governorship.
