ST. LOUIS – Nearly a year after a woman was indicted for alleged misuse of $11 million in funds to feed children in low-income areas during the pandemic, an assistant U.S. attorney has filed a motion to annul her bond, which officials say she has broken.
Connie Bobo, of St. Charles, serves 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.
During COVID-19, Bobo has claimed she delivered over 3 million meals to kids, which was paid for with the $11 million the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services gave her.
However, an indictment in October 2023 accuses Bobo of never purchasing or supplying these meals. Rather, the money was allegedly used elsewhere in Bobo’s life, including a $1 million home, a $2.2 million real estate investment, property for her relatives, gifting $1.4 million to her partner, and around $4.3 million on personal expenses.
A federal grand jury indicted Bobo on three felony counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft and two counts of obstruction of an official proceeding amid the investigation.
Bobo was released on bond and she was ordered to give up her access to personal and financial information at the Infinite Wisdom Early Childhood Center, which is the daycare she owns in St. Charles, as well as make it known to parents and employees of the charges against her. However, officials believe she has not taken these steps back from the program.
Our partners with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch have reported that Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman submitted a motion last week in an attempt to reverse her bond as a result of their suspicions. They also reported that within the motion, prosecutors noted that Bobo admitted to being the current leaseholder and handling the financials.
Bobo has pleaded not guilty.
