Federal authorities announced Saturday that Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota, was arrested Thursday in Mogadishu, Somalia, after spending nearly three years as a fugitive from justice.
Eidleh was indicted in September 2022 as one of the original defendants in the sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud investigation.
He faces 31 federal charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald said Eidleh allegedly stole taxpayer funds intended to provide meals to vulnerable children before fleeing to Somalia to avoid prosecution in the United States.
According to court records, Eidleh was a former employee of Feeding Our Future, the Minnesota nonprofit at the center of the fraud scheme.
Prosecutors allege he played a key role in recruiting participants and coordinating the operation by enlisting business owners to establish fraudulent child meal distribution sites operating under the nonprofit’s sponsorship through the federal Child Nutrition Program.
According to prosecutors, the fraudulent meal sites submitted reimbursement claims for meals that were never provided to children.
Federal authorities allege Eidleh operated a pay-to-play scheme in which site operators paid bribes and kickbacks to participate in the program.
Court filings cite one operator who allegedly paid about $30,000 a month in kickbacks, with some payments reportedly verified through video calls, while another allegedly paid a total of $150,000, including a demanded 5% share of federal reimbursements.
Prosecutors say Eidleh threatened to terminate contracts if operators failed to make the required payments.
Investigators also allege Eidleh instructed participants to inflate meal counts and submit fraudulent invoices for food that was never purchased.
According to prosecutors, more than $5 million in alleged kickbacks, bribes and fraud proceeds was deposited into bank accounts controlled through shell companies.
The broader Feeding Our Future investigation centers on the alleged misuse of federal Child Nutrition Program funds during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Feeding Our Future, a Minnesota nonprofit founded and led by Aimee Bock, sponsored more than 250 meal distribution sites throughout the state.
Bock was sentenced in May to 500 months (more than 41 years) in prison for her role in the $250 million fraud scheme.
Federal reimbursements to Feeding Our Future increased dramatically, rising from approximately $3.4 million in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021.
Prosecutors allege that operators at numerous meal sites submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims for meals that were never served, with portions of the proceeds allegedly funneled back through bribes and kickbacks.
Authorities estimate the overall fraud scheme involved roughly $250 million in federal funds.
Federal prosecutors have charged at least 79 individuals in connection with the investigation through multiple indictments. As of early 2026, more than 60 defendants had either pleaded guilty or been convicted.
Feeding Our Future founder and former executive director Bock was tried alongside co-defendant Salim Said.
During sentencing, the presiding judge described the case as a “fraud vortex” with Bock at its center, concluding that a lesser sentence would not adequately serve the interests of justice for the people of Minnesota.
The court also ordered Bock to pay substantial restitution to the federal government. She will also serve three years on supervised release following her prison sentence.
Eidleh is expected to be returned to the United States to face the charges pending against him.
His arrest follows the capture of other defendants linked to the case and marks the culmination of a years-long effort by U.S. and international law enforcement authorities to locate and apprehend him.
The Feeding Our Future investigation remains one of the Justice Department’s largest prosecutions involving alleged fraud tied to pandemic-era relief programs.
According to charging documents, prosecutors allege Eidleh played a significant operational role in establishing and maintaining the network of vendors and meal sites that authorities say formed the foundation of the fraud scheme.
Investigators allege that Eidleh, a fluent Somali speaker with strong ties to the local Somali community, helped recruit participants, facilitate enrollment and ensure compliance with the fraudulent reporting practices used to obtain federal reimbursements.
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