The woman prosecutors identified as the mastermind behind a massive Minnesota pandemic fraud operation that siphoned away $250 million intended to feed needy children has been sentenced to 41 years behind bars.

Aimee Bock, 45, received the lengthy prison term Tuesday after a jury convicted her in March on every charge she faced. Federal prosecutors called her the “ringleader” of what they described as one of the largest COVID-era fraud operations uncovered anywhere in the United States.

Most of the defendants charged in the sprawling case are Somali immigrants, while the food assistance was intended to benefit members of Minnesota’s Somali community.

In addition to the prison sentence, Bock was ordered to repay $5.2 million.

According to prosecutors, Bock and fellow defendant Salim Said falsely reported serving 91 million meals through the program. Authorities said the pair instead diverted hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money to support extravagant personal spending, Acting US Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick said following the convictions.

Federal investigators said the nonprofit organization Feeding Our Future exploded from receiving roughly $3 million in federal funding to taking in more than $200 million by 2021. When officials at the Minnesota Department of Education began scrutinizing the dramatic increase, prosecutors said Bock responded by suing the agency, allowing the federal money to continue pouring in.

The scheme finally began to unravel in January 2022, when the FBI, IRS, and other federal authorities carried out coordinated raids at 26 sites across Minnesota suspected of participating in the fraud network.

To date, authorities have charged 79 individuals in connection with the Feeding Our Future scandal, and more than 60 people have already been convicted.

{Matzav.com}