Minnesota man accused in $250 million fraud scheme arrested in Somalia
Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, a Minnesota man accused in the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud case, was arrested in Mogadishu, Somalia, U.S. prosecutors said.
Mogadishu (Somali Report) — A Minnesota man accused of helping carry out a $250 million fraud scheme involving a federal child nutrition program was arrested in Somalia after fleeing the United States, U.S. authorities said on Friday.
Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota, was taken into custody Thursday in Mogadishu, U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen said in a statement.
Eidleh is among dozens of defendants charged in 2022 in the Feeding Our Future case, which prosecutors have described as one of the largest pandemic-era fraud schemes in the United States.
Court records do not indicate whether Eidleh has retained an attorney. He has not entered a plea.
According to court documents, Eidleh worked for Feeding Our Future, a Minnesota based organization that claimed to provide meals to children in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prosecutors allege that Eidleh and others created fake child nutrition program sites, falsely claimed they were serving thousands of children each day and sought federal reimbursement for meals that were never provided. Authorities said only a small portion of the money went toward feeding children.
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The indictment says much of the federal funding was laundered through shell companies and used to buy real estate, luxury vehicles and travel.
Eidleh is charged with 31 counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division described Eidleh as a central figure in “one of the largest fraud schemes in Minnesota history.”
“He not only stole taxpayer dollars, but he also robbed vulnerable children of critical resources they desperately needed,” McDonald said. “Rather than answer for his crimes in the United States, he fled to Somalia in a futile attempt to evade justice.”
The Feeding Our Future case has drawn national attention in the United States and has become a major political issue in Minnesota, where prosecutors say fraudsters exploited emergency federal programs created to help families during the pandemic.
Federal authorities have said the broader scheme involved claims for meals served through programs meant to feed low-income children. Prosecutors allege many of the meal sites existed only on paper or greatly inflated the number of children served.
The case has also fueled political debate over oversight of public funds, immigration and social service programs. President Donald Trump cited the fraud case late last year while defending a major immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
U.S. officials did not immediately provide details on how Eidleh was arrested in Mogadishu or when he would be returned to the United States to face the charges.
About the Author
Osman Hassan is a Senior Editor at the Somali Report based in Nairobi with over 15 years of experience in journalism. He has worked with local and international media outlets in Somalia and is an award-winning journalist. His reporting focuses on politics, security, and regional affairs in the Horn of Africa.