Somali intelligence helped US authorities capture an alleged architect of the massive Feeding Our Future fraud, bringing a long-running international manhunt closer to trial, reports Africa Daily News Desk
A man accused of playing a central role in one of the largest pandemic-era fraud schemes in United States history has been arrested in Somalia and is expected to face trial in Minnesota after years as a fugitive.
The US Department of Justice announced that Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota, was taken into custody in Mogadishu on June 25 with assistance from Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency. Authorities said the arrest marks a major breakthrough in the long-running investigation into the massive Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, which prosecutors allege siphoned hundreds of millions of dollars from a federal programme intended to feed children during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Eidleh was first charged in September 2022 alongside dozens of other defendants. According to the indictment, he faces 31 criminal counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, federal programmes bribery, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Federal prosecutors allege that Eidleh was an employee of Feeding Our Future, a Minnesota-based non-profit that served as a sponsor for sites participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Investigators claim he recruited and supported meal distribution sites while operating what they describe as a widespread “pay-to-play” scheme involving bribes and kickbacks.
According to court documents, individuals and businesses seeking approval to operate meal sites allegedly paid kickbacks to Feeding Our Future employees, including Eidleh. Prosecutors claim these payments were frequently disguised as consulting fees channelled through shell companies to conceal their true purpose.
Authorities further allege that Eidleh established fraudulent meal distribution sites using nominee owners and falsely claimed they were serving thousands of meals to children each day. Investigators say he also created shell companies that purported to supply meals to those sites and submitted fabricated invoices to obtain millions of dollars in federal reimbursements.
The indictment alleges that more than $5 million in fraud proceeds, including bribes and kickbacks, flowed through bank accounts linked to shell companies controlled by Eidleh in an effort to disguise the source of the money.
The Feeding Our Future investigation centres on what prosecutors have described as a sprawling conspiracy that exploited emergency nutrition programmes established during the pandemic. Authorities have alleged that participants fabricated meal counts, created fake attendance records and submitted false reimbursement claims while diverting taxpayer funds for personal enrichment.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald said the defendant occupied a significant position in what prosecutors regard as one of the largest fraud schemes ever prosecuted in Minnesota.
He said the alleged offences not only stole taxpayer money but also deprived vulnerable children of resources intended to provide meals during a period of national crisis. McDonald added that Eidleh’s decision to flee to Somalia ultimately failed because of the coordinated efforts of US investigators and international partners.
US Attorney Daniel N. Rosen said the arrest demonstrated that individuals accused of defrauding the American government could be pursued across international borders. He praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked Somali authorities and other agencies that assisted in locating and apprehending the suspect.
