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Closing arguments wrap in Aimee Bock Feeding Our Future trial

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Beret Leone
Beret Leone
Reporter
Beret Leone is a native Minnesotan who joined the WCCO team as a reporter in September 2022 - and she's thrilled be back home in the Twin Cities! Beret grew up in Chaska and graduated from Bethel University.
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Beret Leone

/ CBS Minnesota

Prosecutors made a final plea Tuesday in their mission to convict alleged Feeding Our Future ringleader Aimee Bock and codefendant Salim Said.

Said owned and operated Safari Restaurant, a site that received more than 16 million in fraudulent funds. Prosecutors say it was a team effort, alleging that Said devised fake meal counts, rosters and invoices and Bock submitted them to the state department for funding. 

The pair "worked together every step of the way to carry out this fraud scheme," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry Jacobs "and they both got rich doing it."

closing-arguments-fof-trial.jpg
Cedric Hohnstadt

Bock's attorney disputes that, maintaining she wasn't aware of any fraud happening. 

"She trusted her staff. They lied to her," said Bock's attorney Kenneth Udoibok. "She trusted her consultants, they lied to her... I want you to remember she acted on good faith."

Prosecutors also argue the sheer amount of food Safari claimed to have made and distributed was not plausible. 

But Said's attorney Andrian Montez says Safari Restaurant was ready, saying "These chefs, these cooks were used to preparing massive amounts of food to massive amounts of people . . . they had the capacity to cook this amount of food."

His attorney argues others took Said's legitimate business and corrupted it. The jury likely won't have the case in their hands until Wednesday morning. 

Before closing arguments, prosecutors questioned Said on his "lavish" spending on real estate, clothing and more. He didn't deny the spending, but repeatedly told prosecutors that he spent money he earned.

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