{"id":2329,"date":"2026-05-21T16:41:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/21\/former-head-of-minnesota-nonprofit-gets-nearly-42-year-prison-sentence-for-fraud\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T16:41:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:41:17","slug":"former-head-of-minnesota-nonprofit-gets-nearly-42-year-prison-sentence-for-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=2329","title":{"rendered":"Former head of Minnesota nonprofit gets nearly 42-year prison sentence for fraud"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"145e55be-5011-4ebe-9dd8-4a0dbd05aeab\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a woman looks ahead\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/0805017f3ca1deac29473763b339eb2740ca79e1\/139_0_3001_2400\/master\/3001.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"371.87604131956016\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Aimee Bock on 27 January 2022 in St Anthony, Minnesota.<\/span> Photograph: Shari L Gross\/AP<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"145e55be-5011-4ebe-9dd8-4a0dbd05aeab\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Aimee Bock on 27 January 2022 in St Anthony, Minnesota.<\/span> Photograph: Shari L Gross\/AP<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Former head of Minnesota nonprofit gets nearly 42-year prison sentence for fraud<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Aimee Bock ran Feeding Our Future, which claimed it helped provide millions of meals to children during the pandemic<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/2026\/feb\/17\/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB\" data-link-name=\"in standfirst link\">Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A judge on Thursday handed down an extraordinary prison sentence \u2013 nearly 42 years \u2013 to the former leader of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/minnesota\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Minnesota<\/a> nonprofit who was convicted in a staggering $250m fraud case that helped ignite an immigration crackdown by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/trump-administration\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Aimee Bock ran Feeding Our Future, which had claimed it helped provide millions of meals to children in need during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI understand I failed. I failed the public, my family, everyone,\u201d Bock said in federal court.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Donald Trump used the fraud cases against Bock and many others to initially justify a surge of federal officers to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area last winter, leading to a pushback by residents and the deaths of two people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cFeeding Our Future operated like a cash pipeline, open to anyone willing to submit fraudulent claims and pay kickbacks,\u201d prosecutors said in a court filing. \u201cThe ripple effects of her actions are profound, immeasurable, and will have lasting consequences for both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/minnesota\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Minnesota<\/a> and the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Bock was convicted last year of multiple counts involving conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery. She had long insisted she was innocent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Her lawyer, Kenneth Udoibok, argued for a much shorter sentence, saying Bock had provided information to investigators. He argued that Bock had been unfairly painted as the mastermind and insisted that two co-defendants were responsible for running the scams.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The nonprofit sat atop a fraud network that included a web of partner organizations, phoney distribution sites, kickbacks and fake lists of children supposedly being fed, prosecutors say. Dozens of people, many from the state\u2019s large Somali community, have been convicted for their roles in a series of overlapping food fraud cases that have spent years in the courts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Meanwhile, authorities this week filed additional charges against others in a sprawling investigation into federal social service spending in Minnesota.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The targets include Fahima Mahamud, who was CEO of Future Leaders Early Learning Center, a childcare center in Minneapolis. Over three years, Mahamud\u2019s organization was reimbursed approximately $4.6m for services on behalf of people who didn\u2019t make a required copayment, prosecutors allege.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A message seeking comment from her lawyer was not immediately returned on Thursday. Mahamud was charged separately in February with fraud related to meals. She has pleaded not guilty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Two other people were charged with conspiring to receive $975,000 in Medicaid subsidies for housing services that were not provided. They are expected to plead guilty in June, according to a court filing.<\/p>\n<figure data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.NewsletterSignupBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-ri3hap\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Two additional people were accused of receiving $21.1m by billing Medicaid for autism therapy that was either unnecessary or not provided. Investigators said they paid families as much as $1,500 per child per month to add their names to the program and get reimbursement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Trump, who has long derided Somalis, last year blasted the state as \u201ca hub of fraudulent money laundering activity\u201d. He also criticized the leadership of Tim Walz, the governor and the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in the 2024 election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cSomali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from,\u201d Trump wrote on social media.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Bock is white and the US attorney\u2019s office says the overwhelming majority of defendants in the cases are of Somali descent. Most are US citizens.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The immigration surge led to repeated protests and confrontations between residents and federal officers and resulted in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/minnesota\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Minnesota<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-crime\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US crime<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/trump-administration\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Trump administration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/usimmigration\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US immigration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Former%20head%20of%20Minnesota%20nonprofit%20gets%20nearly%2042-year%20prison%20sentence%20for%20fraud&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/21\/minnesota-nonprofit-fraud-prison-sentence?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F21%2Fminnesota-nonprofit-fraud-prison-sentence&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/21\/minnesota-nonprofit-fraud-prison-sentence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aimee Bock on 27 January 2022 in St Anthony, Minnesota. Photograph: Shari L Gross\/AP View image in fullscreen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2331,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2329\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}