Minnesota confronts a dual crisis. Federal prosecutors have charged 78 defendants in a $250 million child nutrition fraud scheme—the largest pandemic-era fraud in U.S. history. Now, President Trump has intensified immigration enforcement targeting Minneapolis’s Somali community, citing the fraud cases.
Anonymous sources allege stolen funds reached terrorist organizations, though no evidence has been provided. Meanwhile, investigators say the child meal fraud is just one piece of a broader pattern. Federal officials are now examining 14 Minnesota programs for suspected fraud, with potential exposure exceeding $1 billion across multiple social service initiatives.
The Kids Meal Fraud That Triggered Federal Alarm
Feeding Our Future was intended to help feed low-income children during the COVID-19 pandemic through the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Instead, prosecutors say it became a vehicle for massive theft. The nonprofit, led by Aimee Bock, approved meal sites across Minnesota that claimed to serve millions of meals to children.
Federal investigators found many sites served few meals or none at all. Defendants submitted false invoices for food never purchased and rosters listing children who didn’t exist.
Aimee Bock Convicted as Scheme’s Leader
Aimee Bock, founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, was convicted by a federal jury on March 19, 2025. The jury deliberated just five hours before finding her guilty on multiple counts, including wire fraud conspiracy and federal programs bribery.
Prosecutors presented evidence showing Bock signed meal count certifications and reimbursement checks throughout the scheme. Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry Jacobs told jurors Bock was the “gatekeeper” who approved sites and managed operators.
State Suspended Payments
In March 2021, Minnesota’s Department of Education suspended payments to Feeding Our Future after detecting what it called “serious deficiencies” in meal counts and documentation. Bock responded by suing the state, alleging racial discrimination against the predominantly Somali operators in her network.
The state subsequently resumed making payments to Feeding Our Future voluntarily. Prosecutors say that decision allowed the fraud to accelerate dramatically.
Safari Restaurant Received $16 Million for Fake Meals
Salim Said, owner of Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, operated the largest fraud node in the network. Federal records show Safari and its affiliated sites received over $16 million in child meal reimbursements.
Court documents indicate Safari claimed to serve more than 4,000 meals per day almost immediately after joining the program, despite lacking the infrastructure to prepare or distribute that volume. Said was convicted alongside Bock.
Phantom Meals in a Tiny Town
On November 24, 2025, federal prosecutors charged Abdirashid Bixi Dool, age 36, as the 78th defendant in the Feeding Our Future case. Dool operated two purported meal sites: one at Bilaal Mosque in Pelican Rapids and another at the Multicultural Resource Center in Moorhead.
His meal count reports claimed more than 40,000 meals served weekly. The Bilaal site alone reported serving 6,000 meals daily—exceeding twice the entire population of Pelican Rapids.
56 Convicted, More Charges Expected
As of December 2025, federal prosecutors have secured 56 convictions in the Feeding Our Future investigation. Approximately 30 additional defendants have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with investigators. Jury trials have moved quickly despite the complexity of financial evidence; the Bock-Said trial, for instance, lasted five weeks, but jurors reached guilty verdicts in just five hours.
Sentences reflect the scheme’s scale, with prosecutors seeking at least 20 years in prison for the lead defendants.
Government Has Recovered Only $75 Million
Federal authorities have seized approximately $75 million in cash and assets—roughly 30 percent of the $250 million stolen. Joe Thompson, chief of the fraud and public corruption section in the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office, told the Star Tribune that recovery faces inherent limits.
Seized assets include $35 million in cash and real estate, originally valued at $40 million, although property values have since declined. Officials estimate final recovery may reach only $50 million, leaving more than $200 million unrecovered.
Autism Services Program Shows Explosive Growth
While investigating Feeding Our Future, federal authorities identified concerning patterns in Minnesota’s autism services program. State data shows autism providers increased from 41 in 2018 to 328 by 2024—a 700 percent jump. Payments through the program increased from approximately $6 million in 2018 to nearly $192 million in 2024, representing a roughly 3,000 percent rise.
Federal investigators are examining whether much of that growth represents legitimate service expansion or fraud similar to the meal program scheme.
Housing Assistance Program Shuts Down Amid Fraud
Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services program, launched in 2020 as the nation’s first Medicaid-funded housing assistance initiative, was terminated on October 31, 2025, due to concerns about widespread fraud. The program was projected to cost approximately $2.6 million annually, but paid out roughly $104 million in 2024 alone.
Over a period of approximately 4.5 years, total payments reached roughly $302 million. Eight defendants face federal wire fraud charges related to the program, and 115 businesses were banned from billing Medicaid.
Three Programs, $822 Million in Suspected Fraud
Feeding Our Future represents $250 million in documented fraud. The housing program paid out $302 million, with prosecutors stating that much of that total appears to be fraudulent. Autism services payments reached $220 million in recent years, with significant portions under federal investigation. That puts combined exposure at roughly $822 million across the three programs.
Acting U.S. Attorney Thompson has stated that when current investigations conclude, total fraud across Minnesota-administered programs could exceed $1 billion.
Trump Administration Increases Immigration Enforcement
President Trump has directed increased immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, explicitly mentioning the Somali community in public statements about fraud cases. In social media posts and public remarks, Trump has made critical statements about Somali immigrants.
Federal officials have confirmed enhanced ICE operations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has warned that enforcement operations risk detaining U.S. citizens and legal residents based on appearance or ethnicity.
Terrorism Allegations Remain Unverified
Anonymous sources cited in some media reports have alleged that proceeds from Minnesota fraud schemes may have reached Al-Shabaab, a terrorist organization based in Somalia. Some outlets report that the Treasury Department has reviewed potential national security concerns related to the fraud cases.
As of December 22, 2025, no public evidence has been presented to suggest that fraud proceeds have reached terrorist organizations. Rep. Ilhan Omar, who represents Minneapolis in Congress, has stated she is “pretty confident” such allegations are false.
Community Leaders Defend Somali Residents
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has publicly defended the city’s Somali residents against collective blame for individual crimes. Frey stated that Minneapolis is “proud to be home to the largest Somali community in the entire country.” City Council Member Jamal Osman told community members that “The City of Minneapolis stands behind you.”
Local officials have emphasized that the vast majority of Somali residents are law-abiding taxpayers who are also victims when public programs are defrauded.
Rep. Omar Calls for Prosecutions Without Scapegoating
Representative Ilhan Omar has acknowledged that the fraud cases are serious while pushing back against rhetoric targeting entire communities. Omar noted she was among the first members of Congress to request an investigation when concerns about Feeding Our Future emerged.
Regarding terrorism allegations, Omar said that if linkages to terrorist funding were proven, “we want to know and we want those people prosecuted.”
Why Minnesota Shows Unusual Fraud Patterns
Federal prosecutors describe Minnesota’s situation as unusual in scale and coordination. Acting U.S. Attorney Thompson has characterized what investigators found as “industrial-scale fraud.” The state’s combination of generous social service programs, rapid COVID-era expansion of eligibility and funding, limited verification systems, and networks of operators willing to exploit those systems created conditions prosecutors say they haven’t seen replicated elsewhere.
Thompson’s identification of 14 high-risk programs suggests systemic oversight weaknesses rather than isolated incidents.
Investigations Continue, More Defendants Likely
The Feeding Our Future investigation remains active, more than three years after the initial charges were filed. The charging of the 78th defendant in November 2025 indicates that prosecutors continue to identify participants. Thompson has indicated that additional indictments are probable as investigators trace money flows and interview cooperating defendants.
Asset forfeiture cases also continue, though recovery prospects diminish over time as money is spent or moved.
The Fraud’s Impact on Vulnerable Populations
The immediate victims of the Feeding Our Future scheme were the low-income children the program was designed to serve. Many children went without meals while defendants collected millions, claiming to feed them.
The broader impact includes program terminations, such as the shutdown of housing assistance, leaving legitimate participants without services.
What Happens Next in Minnesota
Minnesota confronts multiple challenges simultaneously. Federal prosecutions will continue with more trials and sentencings scheduled into 2026. Asset recovery efforts proceed but face practical limits on what can be reclaimed.
The political dimension remains volatile as immigration enforcement continues. Community leaders work to protect Somali residents from collective blame while supporting accountability for individuals who committed crimes. The case’s ultimate legacy will depend on whether reforms prevent future exploitation.
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)