Prosecutors described both Aimee Bock and restaurant owner Salim Said as “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” in their closing arguments in the Feeding Our Future fraud trial on Tuesday.

In a dramatic end to six weeks of testimony and evidence, lawyers for the government and the defense took turns assigning blame for what investigators called the largest pandemic fraud in the nation.

Aimee Bock, the founder of the now-defunct non-profit, and Salim Said, co-owner of Safari Restaurant, are accused of conspiring to steal $250 million of taxpayer money from the child nutrition program. If found guilty, Said and Bock could face decades in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry Jacobs delivered closing arguments for the prosecution, saying both defendants used the pandemic to get rich, adding that the federal food program is about “making meals, not millionaires.”

Bock is accused of receiving kickback payments and Said is accused of making kickback payments to Abdikerm Eidleh, a former staff member of Feeding Our Future.

“Kickbacks were the grease that made the wheels turn at Feeding Our Future,” Jacobs told jurors.

Bock’s attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, blamed Eidleh and others connected to Feeding Our Future. He insisted his client never saw meal count sheets from food sites that falsely claimed to feed thousands of children a day, seven days a week.

“You can’t hold Ms. Bock accountable for someone else’s actions,” Udoibok said. “There’s no question that people lied to Aimee Bock.”

Adrian Montez, an attorney for Salim Said, pointed to videos and photos of food prepared at his Safari Restaurant in the early months of the pandemic and said their client was doing legitimate business before and after participating in the federal food program through Feeding Our Future.

“Safari Restaurant was well known before the pandemic,” Montez said. “These chefs, these crews were used to preparing massive amounts of food for massive amounts of people.”

But prosecutors say the evidence shows Said and his partners kept 99% of the federal aid the received in the form of reimbursements and spent that money on luxury cars, homes, and other personal expenses.

“No one was supposed to get rich. Kids were supposed to get fed,” Jacobs said. “But the opposite happened — No kids got fed and everyone got rich.”

Before closing arguments, attorneys briefly finished questioning Said. He was questioned about “lavish” spending. He didn’t deny the spending but said he earned the money.

But Jacobs told jurors that the purchases wouldn’t have been possible if Said was actually feeding thousands of kids per day.

The jury is expected to begin deliberations at 9 A.M. on Wednesday.

Stay with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS for ongoing reporting on air and online. You can find more of KSTP’s reporting on the Feeding Our Future case here.