A suspect in the Feeding Our Future scam has been caught in Somalia after a four-year manhunt
A Minnesota fraud mastermind will face a $250 million settlement
Emily Compagno and the ‘Beyond the Number’ panel discuss the Minnesota COVID fraud case, where Aimee Bock is facing sentencing in a $250 million scheme. The interview also highlights the alleged lack of awareness of government officials and the lack of cooperation in government investigations, prompting calls for accountability from figures such as Kayleigh McEnany and JD Vance.
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A fugitive accused of helping orchestrate a $250 million Minnesota fraud scheme that used a child feeding scheme was arrested this week in Somalia after four years on the run, authorities said.
Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota, was taken into custody Thursday in Mogadishu, Somalia, according to the Department of Justice.
Prosecutors allege that Eidleh was one of the masterminds of the “Feeding Our Future” fraud scheme, which authorities have described as one of the largest fraud cases in Minnesota history.
Eidleh was charged in connection with the scheme on September 13, 2022.
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Federal authorities say Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh helped orchestrate a $250 million fraud scheme that took advantage of Minnesota’s federal child support program. (Getty Images; FBI)
He faces 31 charges, including conspiracy to defraud, fraud, conspiracy to bribe government programs, bribery of government programs, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering.
“This defendant was part of one of the largest fraud schemes in Minnesota history,” Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division said in a statement.
“Not only did he steal taxpayer dollars, but he also deprived vulnerable children of vital services they needed,” McDonald continued. “Rather than answer for his crimes in the United States, he fled to Somalia in an attempt to escape justice. That effort ended thanks to the exceptional work of our FBI colleagues.”
THE FREE MEAL PROGRAM CAUSED MN EDUCATION TO BE OBSERVED, OPENING THE DOOR TO MORE SCAMS.
Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, was arrested in Somalia after authorities say he spent nearly four years on the run in the high-profile Feeding Our Future fraud case. (FBI)
According to court documents, Eidleh was responsible for recruiting and supporting Federal Child Nutrition Program sites under the program’s funding while working as an employee of Feeding Our Future.
Prosecutors allege Eidleh, along with other members of the scheme, solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies seeking permission to use fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program sites.
According to the lawsuit, Feeding Our Future operated a “pay-to-play” scheme in which operators of fraudulent food establishments diverted an illegal portion of their money to workers, including Eidleh, often disguising the payments as consulting fees for shell companies.
The indictment also alleges that Eidleh created Federal Child Nutrition Program sites using named owners, then falsely claimed that these sites served thousands of children meals every day.
Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division Colin McDonald speaks to the media to announce anti-fraud actions in Minnesota at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the State of Minnesota on May 21, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (David Berding/Getty Images)
Prosecutors say he also created shell companies posing as food vendors at those locations and sent fake invoices to receive nutrition program funds.
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According to prosecutors, Eidleh deposited more than $5 million in fraud, money laundering and bribery into accounts related to shell companies in an effort to conceal the source of the money.
