US prosecutors have indicted 47 people in the largest fraud case to date. The suspects are accused of stealing 250 million dollars (1.8 billion HUF) from a government aid program intended to feed needy children during the pandemic. The amount was allegedly spent on real estate, cars and luxury goods, reports the BBC .
A Minnesota nonprofit called Feeding Our Future, whose founder Aimee Bock denies any wrongdoing, is accused of orchestrating the scam. Bock's lawyer told the BBC:
We stand by our innocence from day one."
FBI Director Christopher Wray called the "outrageous conspiracy" the largest fraud of its kind ever uncovered.
The alleged perpetrators allegedly issued invoices for non-existent meals and 'served' them to children who did not exist.
- says the statement of the Ministry of Justice (DoJ).
It is suspected that they did this by taking advantage of a government initiative under which private restaurants could apply for subsidies to distribute food with the support of non-profit organizations. The defendants allegedly bribed Feeding Our Future employees to sponsor a number of bogus distribution sites.
Perpetrators claimed to distribute food to thousands of children daily in the days or weeks following their formation. However, instead they submitted false papers using fake children's names, some of which were taken from the website www.listofrandomnames.com.
The group used the proceeds to buy luxury cars and properties in the United States, Kenya and Turkey, as well as spend the money on foreign trips.
The suspected fraudsters were charged with, among other things, wire fraud, money laundering and bribery. US Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department would continue to crack down on those who
"they used the epidemic for personal gain".
BBC
Featured Image: Aimee Block/Gettyimages
