Copyright WJLA
A Missouri woman is on trial for allegedly siphoning off federal funding meant to cover the costs of providing meals to needy children to instead make extravagant purchases, including a $1 million home. For more than ten years, Connie Bobo ran the New Heights Community Resource Center. She enrolled her nonprofit into two which reimburses organizations providing meals to low-income children after school and during the summer. Prosecutors allege that Bobo made a request for $20 million in reimbursements for six million meals, but in reality, she only purchased enough food for fewer than three million meals. Regulators at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, which oversees the program, found major inconsistencies in New Height's reported meals served and the grocery receipts, which launched a former into Bobo. She allegedly received $11 million in money which she was to purchase fives in St. Charles County. She allegedly gave her boyfriend Howard Hughes III $1.4 million, which he used to buy a Mercedes-Benz G550 Wagon 4X4 Squared valued at $212,000. Bobo was indicted in October 2023 on three counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of obstruction for allegedly falsifying food vendor invoices subpoenaed by a grand jury. Her trial began on Tuesday. The aggravated identity theft charge stems from Bobo listing her former friend Dacia Betts as the vice president of New Heights on government paperwork. Betts was not made aware of this until she received a call from the FBI. “As her lies were discovered, the defendant used forged documents to try and cover up her crimes,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow told jurors in court on Wednesday, according to the Meanwhile, Bobo's defense attorney argued that Bobo did not intend to violate the intend to violate federal rules and meant to rectify the situation before her arrest. “Every step that Ms. Bobo took was for the best interest of the community and an attempt to give back,” attorney Katryna Spearman said. Just three weeks ago, Bobo refused a plea deal after she refused to acknowledge before a judge that she was guilty. If convicted, Bobo could more than 20 years in prison. Prosecutors are also seeking for Bobo to forfeit the homes and vehicles to reimburse the federal program.
