DOJ Usao Edmo Press Release Nonprofit Exec Sentenced 16 Years Largest Public Assistance F 2026 03 16

Summary

Federal press release datelined St. Louis announcing that U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig sentenced Connie Bobo, 46, former executive director of New Heights Community Resource Center, to 16 years in prison and ordered her to repay $19.7 million taken from a program meant to provide meals to low-income, school-age children in Missouri. The release quotes U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus calling it the largest public assistance and pandemic fraud in state history, and saying children were turned away when distribution events ran out of food while she spent public money on luxury goods, real estate and a vehicle. It also quotes Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division.

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Full text

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Monday sentenced a former nonprofit executive who stole $19.7 million from a program meant to feed Missouri children to 16 years in prison and ordered her to repay the money.

Connie Bobo, 46, was executive director of New Heights Community Resource Center at the time, which accepted money to provide meals to low-income, school-age children after school and during the summer.

“Connie Bobo’s trial clearly showed that this was the largest public assistance and pandemic fraud in state history,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “Hungry children were turned away when Bobo’s distribution events ran out of food, all because she was spending public money on luxury goods, real estate and an extravagant vehicle.”

“Connie Bobo’s greed is beyond reprehensible. She stole millions of dollars meant to feed low-income children in our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Instead of helping hungry kids, she used that money to buy a $1 million home, a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, and four additional properties—all of which the FBI has now seized. Those stolen funds from a taxpayer- funded program could have provided meals for children across Missouri.”

“This fraudster egregiously purloined American taxpayer dollars administered by USDA that she spent on personal luxuries including a new home,” said Inspector General John Walk for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. “This sentencing reflects the seriousness of stealing millions of dollars from a public program intended to provide meals to children in need. I commend Special Agent in Charge Matthew Wilkins and the dedicated USDA OIG special agents who worked on this investigation, as well as our partners at the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office for their efforts to hold the defendant accountable.”

Bobo set out to defraud the state from the very outset of her participation in the state’s meal program for children, a sentencing memorandum filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman says. In 2018, she submitted fraudulent state program enrollment documents and created fake board members, fake trainings and fake bylaws designed to induce Missouri to provide her with meal money, the memo says. Bobo submitted hundreds of fraudulent meal reimbursement claims from 2019-2022 and spent millions of dollars in public meal funds on luxury goods, homes for relatives, a new home for herself, a $200,000 Mercedes-Benz G550 Wagon for a romantic partner and a $2.2 million commercial real estate investment, evidence and testimony showed.

Bobo received a total of $19.7 million in state reimbursement funds and spent just $6.8 million on food and milk, evidence showed. The entire $19.7 million was fraudulently obtained because of Bobo’s fraud in enrolling in the program.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Bobo drastically ramped up her scheme, and her receipt of state meal reimbursement money, the trial showed. Many of the children that should have been fed by Bobo were out of school during Covid-19 and were not receiving regular meals.

The memo points out that Bobo produced fictitious food invoices when she learned of the FBI investigation and attendance logs listing fake children, and lied when she testified at trial.

Bobo, 46, of St. Charles, Missouri, was convicted by a jury of three counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and two counts of obstruction of an official proceeding after a three-day trial in October.

Anyone with information about COVID-19 related fraud should contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud at 866-720-5721.”

This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek Wiseman and Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.

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