Dozens charged with conning food program

Federal authorities said Tuesday that 47 defendants claimed to offer food to low-income children in Minnesota during the pandemic and then asked the government to reimburse them. Instead, they allegedly stole at least $250 million and used it to buy luxury cars and jewels. Now they face multiple criminal counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and bribery.

How did they do it? Prosecutors said that the defendants created fake companies that claimed to be serving the food. A nonprofit called Feeding Our Future submitted the company’s claims for reimbursement. Its founder, Aimee Bock, was among those indicted. She denied stealing the money and said she hadn’t seen an instance of fraud.

Dig deeper: Read Addie Offereins’ report in Compassion on how inflation and supply chain problems are affecting food pantries and families.