Aimee Bock, the alleged mastermind behind the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, took the stand in her own defense Wednesday as she attempted to distance herself from fraudulent activity that occurred at meal sites under her organization’s oversight.
Bock’s attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, laid the groundwork for her defense, arguing that she was not directly involved in fraudulent claims and relied on her staff to review and monitor sites.
Bock testified that the organization had a structured process for processing meal claims, involving coordinators and site support staff who were responsible for reviewing meal counts, verifying menus, and inspecting receipts.
In her testimony, Bock stated that while she submitted meal count data to the Minnesota Department of Education, she did not personally review invoices. Instead, she said site coordinators handled that responsibility and only escalated concerns to her if they identified a red flag.
Oversight structure and site closures
“If anything was discovered, they would put it in a red folder, then it would be escalated to their manager. From there, their manager would do an initial investigation,” said Bock, who added that any issue beyond a simple misunderstanding would be escalated to her and could result in a denied claim.
At its peak, Feeding Our Future had nearly 100 employees managing an expansive and rapidly growing network of meal sites. The organization’s growth was staggering—expanding from 26 sites in 2018 to 299 by 2021.
Bock attributed this increase to a rising demand for food assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly after the George Floyd riots left parts of Minneapolis without accessible grocery stores.
According to Bock, the aftermath of the riots left major retailers like Cub, Aldi, and Target destroyed, creating a “food desert,” prompting Bock to open 21 Feeding Our Future sites in a 1.8-mile stretch of Lake Street to help fill the need.
The defense also addressed federal waivers that relaxed meal distribution rules during the pandemic, which allowed sites to distribute meals through home delivery or pickup without requiring attendance records.
Bock said this significantly changed how Feeding Our Future operated and made oversight more challenging.
“That was the time during the COVID pandemic. There was record-high unemployment,” said Bock. “Locations would open so parents could have access to the food.”
Throughout the trial, prosecutors have demonstrated how some meal sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship claimed to be serving thousands of meals per day. According to Bock’s testimony, this was possible because a parent could pick up a week’s worth of meals for their children in one day.
When questioned about specific meal sites, Bock said she personally terminated 50 sites for failing to meet the organization’s standards.
Aimee Bock testifies that she terminated over 50 sites and banned 10 from working with Feeding Our Future again. She’s trying to present herself as tough on oversight, claiming closures happened for various reasons – some for noncompliance, others for failing to meet standards.
— Jenna Gloeb (@Jenna_Gloeb) March 12, 2025
Wire fraud allegations
After a break, the defense shifted focus to wire fraud allegations against Bock.
Udoibok walked Bock through a series of emails that are being used as evidence of wire fraud against her, including one where she had “no way not to receive it.”
“I’m confused. I’m upset,” Bock testified, claiming she had no control over the email being sent to her.
Throughout her testimony, Bock spoke directly to the jury in a matter-of-fact tone, explaining Feeding Our Future’s internal processes. Despite her knowledge of the organization’s operations, Bock must convince jurors that she was unaware of the widespread fraud occurring under her leadership.
Bock’s testimony began on Friday and resumed Wednesday after a two-day break. Udoibok is expected to finish his questioning of Bock Thursday morning, then Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson will take over with the cross examination of Bock.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
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