The woman at the center of Minnesota’s massive childcare fraud scandal has spoken out, defending her actions while admitting she regrets how the situation unfolded.
“I wish I could go back and do things differently, stop things, catch things,” Aimee Bock, 45, told CBS News from her jail cell, marking her first public remarks in years. “I believed we were doing everything in our power to protect the program.”
Bock was the founder and director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit that partnered with restaurants to use taxpayer funds to provide meals for children. In 2022, prosecutors accused her of masterminding a sweeping $250 million fraud scheme that stole money meant to feed hungry children and used it to fund a lavish lifestyle.
Nearly 80 people linked to the non-profit have faced charges since then, more than 60 of whom have been convicted or pleaded guilty. All the defendants are Somali-American — with the exception of Bock, who is white.
The scandal intensified public scrutiny into Minnesota's welfare programs and prompted fresh fraud allegations against Somali-run daycares. Late last year, federal officials launched an investigation after a viral video claimed misuse of millions in taxpayer child care dollars.
These developments have fueled federal targeting of Minnesota's Somali community, with President Donald Trump labeling them "garbage" and telling them to "go back where they came from." Meanwhile, the administration has ramped up ICE operations in the state, sparking multiple agent-involved shootings — including the January 7 fatal shooting of Renee Good — prompting state officials to sue over what they call an "unconstitutional invasion" by federal agents.
Bock was charged with multiple federal counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery. Prosecutors said she and other meal site operators stole taxpayer dollars, which they spent on vacations, real estate and luxury cars.
She was convicted on all counts by a jury and now awaits sentencing.
“The jury saw overwhelming evidence of what Bock knew," lead prosecutor Joe Thompson said after the verdict was handed down. "She was at the head of the scheme from Day One. She signed every single fraudulent claim that was submitted to the state of Minnesota.”
Bock pleaded not guilty, dismissing claims that she was a mastermind.
“It was heartbreaking,” Bock told CBS, recounting the moment the verdict was read. “I believe in accountability. If I had done this, I would've pled guilty. I wouldn't have gone to trial. I wouldn't have put my children and my family through what we've been through. I've lost everything.”
Bock minimized the items seized from her home during a 2022 raid.
"They found minimal jewelry," she told CBS News. "I believe it was like two pairs of earrings, a bracelet, a watch. There was some cash there."
She also said she did her best to root out fraud while leading the non-profit, which submitted $200 million in meal claims in 2021, up from just $3.4 million in 2019.
"I was the only one that stopped a claim and said, this is fraudulent," Bock said. "There are tens of millions of dollars in claims that we did not pay, that we refused."
The non-profit’s operations shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the outbreak, parents were permitted to pick up meals, resulting in many members of the state’s Somali community signing up. But, the state was skeptical of some of the applications.
After the killing of George Floyd, Bock filed a lawsuit accusing the state of discriminating against Somali applicants. Asked about officials’ response to the suit, Bock said: "Nobody wants to be labeled as racist."
State authorities eventually reached a settlement committing to faster handling of applications for the meal program. Later, state officials said they had been intimidated by “the threat of legal consequences and negative media attention.”
Bock said she wasn’t operating in a vacuum. Her claims, she said, were signed off by state officials and she noted that some lawmakers, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, would visit meal sites.
Multiple state officials, though, have denied knowing about the fraud, while upholding the state's actions as appropriate.
Omar denied having knowledge of the wide-scale fraud, and expressed “deep concern” about allegations of misuse in 2022.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who has has come under fire for his fraud oversight, culminating in his announcement earlier this month that he will not seek reelection in 2026, defended his administration’s approach. “Minnesotans are hard at work on this problem,” he wrote in a statement. However, he accused Trump of “demonizing our Somali neighbors,” adding, “It is disgusting. And it is dangerous.”
As a result of the fraud claims, Trump has said he will freeze billions in federal funds bound for the state. Walz accused the president of “wrongfully confiscating childcare funding that Minnesotans rely on.”
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