Minnesota faces a massive fraud reckoning alongside heightened immigration scrutiny. Federal prosecutors have charged 78 people in a $250 million child nutrition scam—the biggest pandemic-related fraud in U.S. history—while President Trump ramps up enforcement in Minneapolis’s Somali community, linking it to these cases.
The Kids’ Meal Fraud That Triggered Federal Alarm
Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that delivers meals to low-income children under the Federal Child Nutrition Program during COVID-19, has become a hub for theft. Led by Aimee Bock, it approved meal sites across Minnesota that reported serving millions of meals. Investigators discovered many sites delivered few or no meals, with false invoices for undelivered food and rosters of nonexistent children.
Bock’s rapid conviction underscored the scheme’s boldness. On March 19, 2025, a federal jury found her guilty after five hours of deliberation on charges including wire fraud conspiracy and federal programs bribery. Prosecutors showed she signed off on meal counts and reimbursement checks, acting as the key approver for fraudulent operators.
State actions fueled the problem. In March 2021, Minnesota’s Department of Education halted payments over flawed documentation. Bock sued, claiming bias against her, mostly Somali operators. Payments resumed voluntarily, prosecutors say, supercharging the fraud.
A prime example: Salim Said’s Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis pulled in over $16 million. It claimed 4,000 daily meals right after joining, despite having no capacity to produce them. Said was convicted with Bock.
Even remote sites drew scrutiny. In November 2025, Abdirashid Bixi Dool became the 78th defendant. His operations at Bilaal Mosque in Pelican Rapids—a town of under 3,000 residents—and Moorhead’s Multicultural Resource Center reported serving 40,000 weekly meals, with the mosque alone claiming 6,000 daily.
Broader Scheme and Convictions
By December 2025, 56 convictions had emerged from the Feeding Our Future probe, with an additional 30 defendants pleading guilty and cooperating with investigators. Trials moved fast; Bock and Said’s five-week case ended in swift guilty verdicts. Prosecutors seek at least 20-year sentences for top figures.
Recovery lags far behind. Authorities seized $75 million in cash and assets—about 30% of the $250 million loss. That includes $35 million in cash and real estate, down from $40 million due to market dips. Officials peg final haul at $50 million, leaving over $200 million gone.
The probe rippled outward. Federal teams are now scrutinizing 14 Minnesota programs for potential fraud risks exceeding $1 billion. Autism services exploded from 41 providers in 2018 to 328 by 2024, with payouts jumping from $6 million to $192 million—a 3,000% surge. Investigators probe if growth masks theft like the meal scam.
Housing Stabilization Services, a pioneering Medicaid-funded aid program launched in 2020, shut down on October 31, 2025, amid concerns about potential fraud. Projected at $2.6 million per year, it disbursed $104 million in 2024 and a total of $302 million over 4.5 years. Eight individuals face wire fraud charges; 115 businesses are barred from participating in Medicaid.
Across three programs—meals ($250 million), housing ($302 million), autism ($220 million in recent years)—exposure hits $822 million. Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson warns total fraud could surpass $1 billion.
Immigration Enforcement and Community Tensions
Trump directed stepped-up ICE operations in Minneapolis-St. Paul, spotlighting the Somali community in fraudulent remarks. Officials confirmed intensified efforts. Mayor Jacob Frey cautioned against mistaken detentions of citizens or legal residents based on looks.
Unverified claims swirl: anonymous sources suggest that fraudulent money reached Somalia’s Al-Shabaab terrorists, with Treasury reviews noted. No evidence has surfaced publicly. Rep. Ilhan Omar called such links unlikely and urged prosecutions if proven. She pushed early for the Feeding Our Future probe.
Local leaders push back. Frey hailed Minneapolis’s Somali residents as a point of pride, noting that most are law-abiding taxpayers who have been harmed by the thefts. Council Member Jamal Osman affirmed city support.
Prosecutors describe Minnesota’s fraud as “industrial-scale,” attributing it to lax COVID-era rules, generous programs, weak oversight, and exploitative networks—unique in scope.
Ongoing probes signal more charges as money trails lead to new names. Recoveries dwindle as funds vanish.
These scandals deprived children of meals and axed housing aid, hitting the vulnerable hardest. As trials stretch into 2026, Minnesota weighs reforms against the potential political fallout, with enforcement straining local communities. Stronger oversight could curb repeats, but rebuilding trust demands precise accountability without broad blame.
Sources:
U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Minnesota, “78th Defendant Charged in Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme” (November 24, 2025)
CBS Minnesota News, “Man, 36, becomes 78th person charged in Feeding Our Future fraud scheme” (November 24, 2025)
Fox News, “Feeding Our Future fraudsters bought mansions and Mercedes with $250M in stolen meal funds” (December 13, 2025)
Minnesota Judicial Branch Official Clarification, “Department of Education Voluntarily Resumed Payments to Feeding Our Future” (2025)
Star Tribune, “How much of the $250 million in taxpayers money will Feeding Our Future fraud case recover prospects” (March 27, 2025)
ABC News, “14 Minnesota programs are targeted for fraud and the state is swamped” (December 17, 2025)