One of the biggest players in the Feeding Our Future scheme is now in custody in Somalia, according to the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Abdikerm Eidleh, 42, who has evaded prosecution for more than four years, “was taken into custody” in Mogadishu on Thursday, June 25, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. When reached by phone, a spokesperson for the office declined to comment further on the matter.
The Friday afternoon news release did not elaborate who or what agency took Eidleh into custody — whether Somali or U.S., or if and how both are cooperating — nor what the next steps for potential extradition of Eidleh to the U.S. would entail.
Eidleh was one of the top players, if not the top player, in the federal child nutrition aid fraud scheme that has dominated headlines since the scandal broke in 2022.
According to his indictment, as well as witness testimony from key players over two trials in the matter, Eidleh recruited several people to enroll their businesses and instructed them to inflate or even invent the meals they claimed to serve to needy kids in exchange for reimbursement from federal food programs.
Aimee Bock, the Feeding Our Future executive director who is alleged to have masterminded the fraud scheme, deflected much of the blame to Eidleh during her three days of testimony during her trial last year.
Eidleh was indicted in September 2022. He allegedly created several shell companies and funneled $5 million in federal money through them.
Eidleh has been in Africa since before his indictment and before the January 2022 raids of 15 properties in the Feeding Our Future investigation. He has stayed abroad ever since.
During Bock’s trial, an FBI agent testified that Eidleh had already been abroad in Africa when the FBI first conducted raids in the Feeding Our Future case in early 2022. Authorities said they spoke to Eidleh on the phone then but never heard from him after that.
In prepared statements, federal officials praised the FBI’s international partnerships with Eidleh’s apprehension.
“The FBI’s reach is far and wide, we will track down and bring to justice any fugitive, from anywhere,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dotson.
Added U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen: “We salute the FBI’s work in finding Eidleh, and are grateful to all our federal and international partners that help us hold accountable those who defraud our government.”
