{"id":3066,"date":"2026-06-27T06:06:36","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T06:06:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=3066"},"modified":"2026-06-27T06:06:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T06:06:36","slug":"central-figure-in-250m-minnesota-fraud-case-arrested-hiding-out-in-somalia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=3066","title":{"rendered":"‘Central figure’ in $250M Minnesota fraud case arrested hiding out in Somalia\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A \u201ccentral figure\u201d in a $250 million Minnesota welfare fraud scheme was arrested in Somalia this week after spending nearly four years on the run, the Justice Department announced Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Abdikerm Eidleh, 42, was one of the original suspects indicted in connection to the nation\u2019s largest COVID-19 fraud scheme \u2013 the infamous Feeding Our Future scam. He was taken into custody in Somalia\u2019s capital city of Mogadishu on Thursday, according to prosecutors.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In September 2022, Eidleh was hit with 31 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering for his alleged role in the scheme to steal pandemic relief funds from a federal program meant to feed hungry children in need.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald \u2013 President Trump\u2019s fraud czar \u2013 described Eidleh as a \u201ccentral figure in one of the largest fraud schemes in Minnesota history.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe not only stole taxpayer dollars, but he also robbed vulnerable children of critical resources they desperately needed,\u201d McDonald said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRather than answer for his crimes in the United States, he fled to Somalia in a futile attempt to evade justice,\u201d the DOJ official continued. \u201cThat attempt ended thanks to the exceptional work of our FBI partners.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Department of Justice will continue to track down and prosecute fraudsters wherever they run and wherever they hide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minnesota US Attorney Daniel Rosen said Eidleh\u2019s arrest demonstrates that \u201cif you commit fraud against the American taxpayer, and try hiding across the globe, the long arm of justice will find you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The indictment against Eidleh alleges he was responsible for recruiting and supporting criminals who set up sham food sites and fake vendor networks to bill the government for millions of meals that were never actually served to children.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Eidleh and other Feeding Our Future employees solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies seeking approval to operate fraudulent meal distribution sites, according to the DOJ.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The indictment further alleges that Eidleh created his own fraudulent food sites, claimed his sites were serving meals to thousands of children per day and created shell companies purporting to be meal vendors for his fake sites.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEidleh deposited more than $5 million in kickbacks, bribes, and other fraud proceeds into accounts associated with his shell companies, using them to conceal the true nature and source of the illegally obtained funds,\u201d according to the DOJ.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Aimee Bock, the mastermind behind the Feeding Our Future scam, was slapped with a 41 year prison sentence in May after being convicted of all counts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At least 79 people have been charged in connection with the Feeding Our Future scheme and more than 60 have been convicted of crimes.<\/p>\n

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A \u201ccentral figure\u201d in a $250 million Minnesota welfare fraud scheme was arrested in Somalia this week after spending nearly four years on the run, the Justice Department announced Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\n'Central figure' in $250M Minnesota fraud case arrested hiding out in Somalia\u00a0 - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=3066\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"'Central figure' in $250M Minnesota fraud case arrested hiding out in Somalia\u00a0 - 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