• Ben Stayberg discovered his name listed as board president only after FBI investigation became public
• Jamie Phelps thought he was joining board for nonprofit called Feeding Our Friends, not Feeding Our Future
• Both witnesses testified they never attended meetings or signed documents bearing their names

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (TDR) — A bartender testified in federal court he had no idea he was listed as board president of a nonprofit organization accused of defrauding the government of more than $250 million until journalists began calling him about the scandal. Ben Stayberg, who worked at various St. Paul restaurants, told jurors his only connection to Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock was serving her drinks over an eight-year period.

Stayberg's testimony came during the federal trial of Bock, who was convicted in March 2025 on all counts related to her role as mastermind of the nation's largest pandemic fraud scheme. The case involved fraudulent claims for meals allegedly served to children during the COVID-19 pandemic through the Federal Child Nutrition Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Discovery Through Media Coverage

When Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson showed Stayberg the Feeding Our Future organizational chart with his name listed at the top as board president, the witness responded with dry humor that brought smiles to the courtroom. "Yeah, big shoes," he commented laconically, according to trial testimony reported by Fox 9.

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The 42-year-old bartender told prosecutors he met Bock around 2018 through mutual friends who came into the St. Paul restaurant where he worked. At one point, Bock presented him with what he thought was a petition and obtained his signature. Stayberg testified he never saw that signature again until federal investigators showed him organizational documents listing him as board president.

"I had no idea that I was any part of that."

Prosecutors presented multiple documents bearing what appeared to be Stayberg's signature, including board meeting minutes and forms listing his food service management experience. When shown the credentials attributed to him, Stayberg testified with a chuckle: "I serve drinks."

Mechanic Named as Treasurer

Jamie Phelps, a 49-year-old mechanic from Eagan, Minnesota, provided similarly shocking testimony about discovering he had been listed as Feeding Our Future's board treasurer. Phelps told jurors he met Bock at backyard bonfires through his nextdoor neighbor, who worked with her at the nonprofit organization.

During one of these casual social gatherings before Feeding Our Future was formally established, Bock asked Phelps if he would join the board of a new company she was starting. The mechanic said he agreed to help but never heard about it again until news broke in early 2022 that the organization was under federal investigation.

Phelps testified he was exiting an airplane in Mexico when attorney friends began texting him, asking if he was okay. His name had appeared in newspaper coverage of the $250 million fraud scandal, listed as the nonprofit's treasurer.

"Pretty angry. Pretty upset. Because I am in federal court for something I know nothing about."

When asked by prosecutors if he would be well-suited for the role of treasurer at a large organization, Phelps responded bluntly: "I'm going to say no." He later elaborated, telling the court he would be "a fish out of water" in such a position, noting he had no accounting or financial background.

Forged Documents and Fake Meetings

Federal prosecutors presented jurors with extensive documentation showing both men's names on board meeting minutes, training quizzes, employment oversight documents, and various corporate filings submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education. Both witnesses testified the signatures were not theirs and they never attended any board meetings.

Meeting minutes seized during FBI raids on January 20, 2022, listed Stayberg and Phelps as having been present at numerous board gatherings. One document indicated Stayberg made a motion to expand the number of meal sites. He testified he was never there and had no knowledge of such meetings.

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Documents also claimed Phelps volunteered approximately five hours per week overseeing the nonprofit's financial operations and participated in board training on topics including household income statements, claims for reimbursement, and meal count procedures. Phelps confirmed none of this was true.

Third Board Member Shares Similar Story

A third purported board member, John Senkler, another bartender, also testified he had no knowledge of serving on Feeding Our Future's board. Phelps characterized his fellow supposed board members during testimony, describing Stayberg as "a great guy, but I don't think I'd want him to be president of anything of mine," and noting Senkler was "also a good guy" but someone he "would not want in charge of my piggy bank."

Bock's Response to Allegations

When Aimee Bock testified in her own defense during the trial, she described her board of directors as "very informal" and claimed she asked Stayberg to join in 2018 because of his restaurant management experience. She told the court Stayberg was "a bar friend."

Regarding the fraudulent signatures and documents, Bock said she didn't forge Stayberg's signature and was unsure who did, though she acknowledged filling out the rest of the typed forms. When confronted with Phelps' testimony that he never served on the board, Bock insisted he had actually agreed to the position, suggesting his memory might not be reliable due to medical issues.

Prosecutor Thompson challenged Bock's characterization of board meetings occurring during COVID-19 when people didn't want to congregate, pointing out that meeting minutes in question were dated 2019, before the pandemic began.

Pattern of Deception

While the fake board testimony doesn't directly relate to the meal fraud charges Bock faced, prosecutors used the evidence to question her credibility with jurors. If Bock falsified board documents submitted to state regulators, the argument went, it becomes easier to believe she also falsified meal program claims.

The testimony revealed a pattern in which Bock recruited individuals from her social circle for board positions without their knowledge, forged their signatures on official documents, and created meeting minutes for gatherings that never occurred. This fabricated leadership structure allowed her to present Feeding Our Future as a legitimate nonprofit to state oversight agencies.

The Broader Fraud Scheme

The case represents the nation's largest pandemic-related fraud, with 78 individuals indicted as of late 2025. More than 50 defendants have pleaded guilty, while seven were found guilty at trial, including Bock. The scheme involved false claims that meal sites served thousands of meals daily to children when little or no food distribution actually occurred.

Federal prosecutors alleged the fraudulent reimbursements were used to purchase luxury cars, houses, jewelry, and property overseas. Bock received more than $18 million in administrative fees to which Feeding Our Future was not entitled, according to Department of Justice court filings.

Salim Said, former co-owner of Safari Restaurant, was jointly tried with Bock and also convicted on all counts in March 2025. Safari was one of Feeding Our Future's largest food distribution sites.

How did oversight agencies fail to detect that the nonprofit's board of directors was entirely fabricated?

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