[ad_1]
ST. LOUIS (KTVI) – A former St. Louis County nonprofit leader was convicted of stealing $11 million from a program intended to feed low-income children in the St. Louis region.
On Thursday, a federal jury found Connie Bobo, 46, of St. Charles guilty of three counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of obstruction by tampering with evidence and one count of attempted obstruction, according to federal court documents.
Bobo previously served as the executive director of the New Heights Community Resource Center, a nonprofit designed to provide meals to low-income, school-age children after school and during the summer.
A federal indictment, unsealed two years ago, accuses Bobo of falsely claiming to have served at least three million meals to children through New Heights between February 2019 and March 2022. The indictment alleges these were meals that New Heights neither actually purchased nor supplied.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reportedly paid Bobo around $11 million for meals. Nonprofits supported by the Missouri DHSS are required to demonstrate proper management standards and ensure fiscal responsibility. Leaders are required to submit budgets and annual management plans to DHSS.
The indictment claims she spent around $4.3 million on personal expenses, including a $1 million home for herself and relatives, along with a $2.2 million commercial real estate investment.
The indictment also claims Bobo submitted false management plans, falsely claimed that three people were serving on the New Heights board and forged an invoice from a food vendor to falsely claim that New Heights had purchased hundreds of gallons of milk.
Bobo has a sentencing hearing scheduled for Jan. 29, 2026. The wire fraud and obstruction charges each carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a penalty of up to two years in prison, consecutive with other charges.
[ad_2]
Joey Schneider
Source link