The executive director of a Missouri nonprofit allegedly misappropriated $10 million that was meant to feed low-income children. Instead, she spent it on lavish mansions and luxury cars, her trial revealed on Tuesday. Connie Bobo, 46, led the New Heights Community Resource Center in Bridgeton, a suburb of St. Louis, for over ten years.
She signed the charity up for two U.S. Department of Agriculture programs that reimburse nonprofits for providing food to children in need, according to prosecutors. Bobo is accused of submitting claims for $20 million in reimbursements for New Heights, even though the organization only bought enough food and milk to cover fewer than three million meals.
Complete Fraud
Bobo funneled the money into a mansion for herself, homes for her family, and a bright yellow Mercedes for her boyfriend, the court heard at her trial, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Her attorney, however, argued that Bobo did not intentionally break the rules of the federal program and had tried to fix the issues before her arrest. The defense also claimed that all her actions were done with the "best interest of the community" in mind, as an effort to give back.
Bobo faces three counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of obstructing an official proceeding.
Between February 2019 and March 2022, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services paid out roughly $11 million after Bobo submitted reimbursement claims saying that New Heights had served nearly six million meals. In reality, prosecutors say she received $11 million in fraudulent funds, which she spent on five properties in St. Charles County.
She allegedly bought herself a $1 million mansion in St. Charles, claiming it as New Heights' office, purchased properties for relatives, and invested $2.2 million in commercial real estate. She also gave nearly $1.4 million to her romantic partner, Howard Hughes III, who reportedly spent $211,907 of it on a Mercedes-Benz G550 Wagon 4X4 Squared, according to the indictment.
"As her lies were discovered, the defendant used forged documents to try and cover up her crimes," Assistant US Attorney Jonathan Clow told the court Tuesday.
Planned Move
Bobo is accused of listing her family members and friends as board members of New Heights on official documents.
During the trial, her former friend Dacia Betts testified that she only found out that she had been named vice president of the organization when the FBI reached out to her.
Under cross-examination, Betts said she had attended some of Bobo's family gatherings where business matters were discussed, but insisted she had never agreed to serve on the New Heights board.
Bobo also owned the Infinite Wisdom Early Childhood Center daycare and was indicted in October 2023. She remained free while awaiting trial, but the court barred her from accessing any personal or financial information related to the daycare.
Prosecutors later alleged that in August of last year, Bobo was still acting as the leaseholder of Infinite Wisdom and controlling its accounts. When FBI agents went to her home to arrest her, she reportedly refused to cooperate and tried to flee. Authorities say she was caught after a nearly two-hour standoff when police breached the front door.
Bobo was offered a plea deal three weeks ago but turned it down, refusing to admit any wrongdoing in front of the judge.
Her trial began on Tuesday and is expected to stretch into next week. If convicted, Bobo could face more than 20 years in prison, and prosecutors are also seeking restitution, including the forfeiture of the homes and the luxury SUV.
