Feeding our Future trial: Former restaurant owner describes fraud, kickbacks

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - In the spring of 2020, Abdulkadir Awale says he was approached by two men from Feeding Our Future, asking him to serve meals to kids from his three Twin Cities restaurants.

He said he did actually serve meals, but after a few days, preparing food for a few hundred kids a day proved to be too difficult, and he tried to quit.

One of those employees "told me a different way," Awale testified.  "He say I’m losing good chance to make good money."

That way was to start lying.

Abdulkadir Awale (FOX 9)

False claims and bribes

The backstory:

Awale is one of several dozen who’ve already pled guilty in the Feeding Our Future case.  He claimed to provide food for more than 3.6 million meals, taking nearly $12 million in reimbursements.  He also paid at least $83,000 in kickbacks to Feeding Our Future employees.

At his restaurant in Burnsville, he began claiming 1,200 kids fed per day, which he testified was a lie.  At his restaurant in Hopkins, he submitted invoices for $93,000 a day for meals prepared and provided to other false meal sites, which he also testified was fraudulent.

The jury saw a series of checks he wrote to other entities, which he said he was instructed to do by Feeding Our Future employees.  The prosecution says this was the "pay to play" money demanded by Feeding Our Future to remain involved in the fraud.

What did Aimee Bock know?

What we know:

The jury has seen countless meal count claims and invoices that Aimee Bock submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education with her signature.  FBI agents have testified that this alone is proof of her guilt, since the forms indicate that whoever signs them is verifying their accuracy.

Aimee Bock’s defense attorney is cross-examining each witness about their interactions directly with Bock.  Many of those who’ve pled guilty admit they rarely dealt with her other than by email.

As for the kickback checks, Awale was asked if he ever wrote a check or gave cash to Bock.  He answered no to both.  It was always to other people in her organization.

In response, the government showed one check for $2,800 written to a consulting company.  They then showed the jury the name attached to that account.  It was Aimee Bock.

Correction: FOX 9 mistakenly reported the check amount was $28,000 due to misreading handwriting on the check shown in court. The total has been corrected above.