FBI Arrests Somali Man Involved in Minnesota $250M Fraud Scheme
Federal authorities have arrested a Minnesota man accused of playing a central role in a $250 million fraud scheme involving federally funded child nutrition programs after he fled to Somalia to avoid prosecution, the FBI announced Saturday.
Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota, was taken into custody June 25 in Mogadishu, Somalia, following a multinational investigation. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest Saturday.
Eidleh was indicted in 2022 on 31 federal counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, bribery concerning federal programs and money laundering. Prosecutors allege he was a key participant in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, one of the largest pandemic-related fraud cases in Minnesota history.
According to court records, Eidleh worked for Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that sponsored meal distribution sites reimbursed through federal child nutrition programs. Investigators say he recruited and oversaw meal sites while accepting bribes and kickbacks from individuals seeking approval to operate fraudulent locations.
Prosecutors allege many of the meal sites existed only on paper or vastly inflated the number of meals they claimed to serve. Operators allegedly returned portions of the fraud proceeds through shell companies disguised as consulting businesses.
Authorities say Eidleh also established his own fraudulent meal sites using nominee owners while claiming thousands of meals were being served to children each day. The indictment alleges he created fictitious food vendors, submitted fraudulent invoices and obtained millions of dollars in federal reimbursements for meals that were never provided.
Investigators said more than $5 million in kickbacks, bribes and fraud proceeds flowed through shell companies tied to Eidleh, helping conceal the origin of the funds.
The scheme allegedly diverted money intended to provide meals for low-income children and families across Minnesota during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This defendant was a central figure in one of the largest fraud schemes in Minnesota history,” Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division said in a statement.
“Rather than answer for his crimes in the United States, he fled to Somalia in a futile attempt to evade justice,” McDonald said. “That attempt ended thanks to the exceptional work of our FBI partners. The Department of Justice will continue to track down and prosecute fraudsters wherever they run and wherever they hide.”
Federal officials said international cooperation with law enforcement authorities in Somalia helped locate and arrest Eidleh after he fled the United States following his indictment.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Matthew C. Murphy and Austin Bowyer are prosecuting the case.
The arrest comes weeks after the Justice Department established its National Fraud Enforcement Division, which focuses on investigating fraud involving federal programs. The initiative is part of a broader Trump administration effort that includes the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance, per The Kenya Times.
Dozens of people have been charged in connection with the Feeding Our Future investigation. Authorities allege the fraud siphoned taxpayer money intended to feed children into personal bank accounts, luxury purchases and overseas transfers.
Federal officials said Eidleh will now undergo extradition proceedings before being returned to Minnesota to face the charges pending against him in U.S. District Court.
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