St. Louis Woman Sentenced for Diverting $11M in Children's Food Funds

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ST. LOUIS (KTVI) – In a significant legal verdict, a former leader of a nonprofit organization in St. Louis County has been found guilty of embezzling $11 million from a program designed to provide meals to underprivileged children in the area.

Connie Bobo, a 46-year-old resident of St. Charles, was convicted by a federal jury on Thursday. She faced charges including three counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of evidence tampering, and one count of attempted obstruction, as outlined in federal court records.

Bobo once held the position of executive director at the New Heights Community Resource Center. This nonprofit’s mission was to deliver meals to low-income children during after-school hours and over the summer months.

In connection with this case, a federal indictment that was revealed two years ago accused Bobo of falsely reporting that New Heights had served over three million meals to children from February 2019 to March 2022. The indictment claims these meals were neither purchased nor distributed by the organization.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reportedly paid Bobo around $11 million for meals. Nonprofits supported by the Missouri DHSS are required to demonstrate proper management standards and ensure fiscal responsibility. Leaders are required to submit budgets and annual management plans to DHSS.

The indictment claims she spent around $4.3 million on personal expenses, including a $1 million home for herself and relatives, along with a $2.2 million commercial real estate investment.

The indictment also claims Bobo submitted false management plans, falsely claimed that three people were serving on the New Heights board and forged an invoice from a food vendor to falsely claim that New Heights had purchased hundreds of gallons of milk.

Bobo has a sentencing hearing scheduled for Jan. 29, 2026. The wire fraud and obstruction charges each carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a penalty of up to two years in prison, consecutive with other charges.