"Mastermind" of Minnesota child meal fraud gets nearly 42 years in Feeding Our Future case

Bock, who was also ordered to pay $243 million back to the federal government, told Judge Nancy Brasel, "I don't have the words to express just how horrible I feel. I know I'm responsible," per the Star Tribune.

Brasel said Bock perjured herself during the trial and told her: "This is a vortex of fraud, and you were at the epicenter," per the Strib.

Catch up fast: Bock, whose organization onboarded and sponsored a constellation of fake meal sites, was convicted in March 2025 of wire fraud, bribery and conspiracy.

• Prosecutors say she and her co-conspirators submitted false documentation with inflated meal counts and falsified rosters for reimbursements, in some cases claiming to feed thousands of non-existent children.

Zoom out: Bock, who is 45, is one of close to 80 people charged in connection with the case so far. Over 60 have been convicted or pleaded guilty so far.

Context: The sentence, handed down Thursday, is lower than the federal prosecutors' request of 50 years behind bars.

• An attorney for Bock, who maintains that she was unaware of the fraud and is being scapegoated, had asked for about three years.

What we're watching: Federal investigators recently conducted a new round of raids as part of ongoing investigations into alleged fraud targeting government-subsidized day care and autism service centers in Minnesota.