Missouri Nonprofit Director Indicted for Stealing Millions from Child Feeding Program

Connie Bobo, director of New Heights Community Resource Center, charged with using funds for a luxury home, real estate investments, and gifting $1.4 million to a romantic partner; prosecutors are seeking reimbursement including forfeiture of assets.

• Connie Bobo, the executive director of a Missouri nonprofit named New Heights Community Resource Center, is accused of stealing millions of dollars from a program designed to provide meals for low-income children, according to a federal indictment.
• The funds were provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the state for feeding low-income school-aged children after school and during the summer, including amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The indictment alleges that Bobo used the stolen funds for personal expenses like buying a home worth nearly $1 million, gifting nearly $1.4 million to a romantic partner who later spent over $200,000 of the funds on a Mercedes-Benz car, and buying properties for relatives.
• Bobo also allegedly invested $2.2 million of the organization's money into a commercial real estate venture.
• If convicted, Bobo could face more than 20 years in prison, and prosecutors are seeking reimbursement, including the forfeiture of all homes and the luxury vehicle purchased with the embezzled funds.

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