The scale of the fraud was breathtaking. In Minnesota, a scheme designed to feed children during the pandemic became a vehicle for unimaginable greed, funneling nearly a quarter of a billion dollars into the hands of those who exploited the system. At the heart of it all was Aimee Bock, founder and director of Feeding Our Future, and the network she built.
Court exhibits paint a stark picture of the stolen funds at work. Mansions rose in affluent suburbs, luxury cars filled driveways, and designer goods were flaunted with impunity – all purchased with money intended for hungry children. The evidence revealed a calculated betrayal of public trust, a shocking contrast to the struggling families the program was meant to serve.
Aimee Bock, labeled the “mastermind” by prosecutors, oversaw a network that claimed to have served an astonishing 91 million meals. She approved meal sites, many of which were entirely fabricated, and authorized reimbursements, effectively signing off on the massive theft. To date, at least 78 individuals have been indicted in the sprawling investigation.
Salim Said, a local restaurant owner, exemplified the brazen spending. He used $250,000 to acquire a home in Plymouth, and an additional $2.7 million flowed into a Minneapolis office building that served as the headquarters for his company, Safari Group. This opulent property stood as a glaring symbol of the fraud, a far cry from the daycare centers and after-school programs it was supposed to support.
Said’s extravagance didn’t stop there. He acquired a black 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA and a 2021 Chevy Silverado, further illustrating the lavish lifestyle fueled by stolen funds. His restaurant, Safari Restaurant, falsely claimed to serve over 4,000 meals daily, becoming a central hub in a network of shell companies that received over $32 million in federal nutrition funds.
While Said openly indulged, prosecutors argued Bock operated differently. She didn’t amass personal wealth through direct purchases, but instead, constructed and protected the network that allowed others to profit. She approved the sites, signed the checks, and shielded the operation from scrutiny, orchestrating the entire scheme from behind the scenes.
Evidence presented included a photograph of Bock making a $30,000 cash withdrawal, suggesting involvement in a kickback scheme. She allegedly accepted cash payments from meal-site operators in exchange for approvals and reimbursements, acting as the “gatekeeper” of the fraudulent system. A series of signed reimbursement checks further solidified this claim.
Adding another layer to the story, Empress Malcolm Watson Jr., described as Bock’s boyfriend, appeared in exhibits alongside her. Photos showed him inside a Rolls-Royce and standing in front of a Lamborghini, surrounded by designer bags and jewelry – items prosecutors labeled “Handy Helpers Spending.” Despite no direct claim that Bock purchased these items, the imagery spoke volumes.
Interestingly, testimony revealed Bock even cautioned co-conspirators against excessive spending, warning that luxury purchases would “become obvious.” Watson himself earned over $1 million through work connected to Bock’s businesses, but has since been charged with tax-related offenses and is currently in jail on a probation violation.
Bock’s defense team argued she was an unwitting administrator who trusted the wrong people and followed USDA guidelines during a chaotic time. They claimed she believed the meal sites were legitimate and was being scapegoated for systemic failures. However, prosecutors countered that she knowingly approved the most egregious offenders, including the Safari network.
The prosecution also presented evidence of Bock accusing the Minnesota Department of Education of racism when regulators questioned suspicious claims. When the MDE attempted to halt the flow of funds, Feeding Our Future filed a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination, and a judge ultimately ordered the state to resume reimbursements – a decision prosecutors say allowed the fraud to escalate.
One slide presented at trial quoted a witness describing Bock as “a God,” highlighting the immense power she wielded over the network. Another revealed testimony stating Bock understood the submitted numbers were fabricated, yet approved them anyway. “That math ain’t mathin’,” one witness bluntly stated, underscoring the sheer audacity of the scheme.
The Safari Group was just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Dozens of additional networks operated under the Feeding Our Future umbrella, collectively submitting over $250 million in fraudulent invoices. This conspiracy stands as one of the largest pandemic-era frauds in the United States, a devastating betrayal of trust and a stark reminder of the consequences of unchecked greed.
