ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MISSOURI — September 2026

A Missouri public-assistance fraud case involving former nonprofit executive Connie Bobo has returned to the spotlight after federal authorities took custody of a million-dollar St. Charles County home connected to the case.

Bobo, the former executive director of New Heights Community Resource Center, was convicted of fraudulently obtaining $19.7 million in state reimbursement funds connected to programs intended to provide meals to low-income, school-age children.

In March 2026, U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig sentenced Bobo to 16 years in federal prison and ordered her to repay the $19.7 million.

Federal prosecutors described the case as the largest public-assistance and pandemic-related fraud case in Missouri history.

According to federal prosecutors, Bobo began setting up the fraudulent operation in 2018.

Investigators said she submitted falsified program-enrollment documents, including purported board members, training records and organizational bylaws, in order to obtain money through Missouri’s child-meal programs.

From 2019 through 2022, prosecutors said Bobo submitted hundreds of fraudulent reimbursement claims.

Federal evidence showed that Bobo received approximately $19.7 million in state reimbursement funds but spent only about $6.8 million on food and milk.

Prosecutors said the fraudulent claims escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when vulnerable children and families faced increased challenges accessing food.

Evidence presented at trial, revealed millions of dollars were diverted toward personal purchases and investments.

Federal prosecutors identified spending that included:

• A home valued at approximately $1 million.

• Additional properties purchased for relatives.

• A $2.2 million commercial real-estate investment.

• Luxury goods.

• A $200,000 Mercedes-Benz G550 Wagon purchased for a romantic partner.

Court records later identified six real-estate properties and the Mercedes-Benz as property subject to forfeiture proceedings.

The government also sought a forfeiture money judgment of: $19,748,071.30.

The case did not end with the alleged fraudulent reimbursement claims.

When Bobo learned that the FBI was investigating, she produced fictitious food invoices and attendance records containing names of children prosecutors said did not exist.

A federal jury ultimately convicted her of:

• Three counts of wire fraud

• One count of aggravated identity theft

• Two counts of obstruction of an official proceeding

The convictions followed a three-day federal trial in October of 2025.

The case received renewed attention on September 17, 2026, when Deputy U.S. Marshals took custody of a home on Spring Mill Creek in St. Charles.

Local reporting identified the property as being connected to Bobo’s fraud case.

St. Charles County property records reportedly place the home’s market value at approximately $1.1 million.

Bobo is currently serving her federal sentence at a low-security federal prison in Minnesota.

Local reporting lists her projected release year as 2038.

At the center of this case were programs designed to provide food to children who needed it.

Federal prosecutors said children were turned away from some distribution events when food supplies ran out, while money connected to the program was being spent on real estate, luxury purchases and other personal expenses.

The Missouri State Auditor’s Office had previously begun investigating New Heights after receiving a whistleblower complaint alleging that federal funds connected to the child-meal program may have been improperly used.

The auditor’s initial investigation found the allegations credible and led to a broader audit.

Bobo’s criminal case has resulted in a federal conviction, a 16-year prison sentence, a $19.7 million repayment order and forfeiture proceedings involving millions of dollars in property.

For families who depend on public assistance programs, the case also highlights the importance of oversight, accountability and ensuring that resources intended for vulnerable children actually reach them.