Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota, was taken into custody Thursday in Mogadishu, Somalia, according to U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen. Eidleh is charged with helping orchestrate a $250 million fraud scheme that allegedly defrauded a federal child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background
Eidleh was one of dozens of people indicted in 2022 in connection with what prosecutors described as a massive scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program. According to court documents, Eidleh was an employee of Feeding Our Future, an organization that claimed it helped provide millions of meals to children in need during the pandemic.
Prosecutors allege that only a small portion of the federal money actually went toward feeding children. The rest was allegedly laundered through shell companies and spent on property, luxury cars and travel, according to the indictment.
The Investigation
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Department of Justice's National Fraud Enforcement Division said Eidleh was 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. Rather than answer for his crimes in the United States, he fled to Somalia in a futile attempt to evade justice," McDonald said.
According to prosecutors, Eidleh is accused of creating fake child nutrition program sites, falsely claiming they were feeding thousands of children per day and establishing shell companies that purported to be meal vendors at those sites. Court documents do not show if Eidleh has obtained an attorney, and he has not yet entered a plea in the case.
The indictment charges him 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.
Key Takeaways
- Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh was arrested Thursday in Mogadishu, Somalia, after allegedly fleeing the United States
- He is charged with orchestrating a $250 million fraud scheme involving federal child nutrition program funds
- Prosecutors allege most of the money went to property, luxury cars and travel rather than feeding children
- The indictment includes 31 counts spanning wire fraud, bribery and money laundering conspiracies
What's Next
Eidleh faces extradition proceedings. He will eventually be transported back to Minnesota to face charges in federal court. A trial date has not yet been set.