According to authorities, 47 persons have been prosecuted in Minnesota, a state in the north of the US, in relation to a Ksh 28.9 billion ($240 million) Covid relief fraud operation.

“Today’s indictments describe an egregious plot to steal public funds meant to care for children in need in what amounts to the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme yet,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said.

The defendants were accused by the Justice Department of stealing tens of millions of dollars distributed through the Federal Child Nutrition Program in order to feed hungry kids during the Covid pandemic.

Aimee Bock, 41, the founder and executive director of the nonprofit group Feeding Our Future, which sponsored the Federal Child Nutrition Program, is one of those accused.

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“These sites, created and operated by the defendants and others, fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day,” it said.

Instead, they used fictitious child identities to submit bogus bills and food count sheets.

The Justice Department claims that during the pandemic, Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 locations across the state of Minnesota.