FBI-Assisted Arrest in Somalia of Man Indicted in $250 Million Fraud Case

CBS News reported that Abdikerm Eidleh, 43, was arrested in Mogadishu, Somalia, earlier this week during a daytime raid coordinated by the FBI and Somali intelligence agencies. Eidleh had been on the run for more than four years and was indicted in September 2022 as part of the Feeding Our Future investigation into $250 million in alleged fraud. Daniel Rosen, U.S.

Attorney for Minnesota, described Eidleh as a key leader who recruited and bribed businesses to steal from the American taxpayer. Rosen said Eidleh ranked second in command to Aimee Bock, the convicted ringleader who received a sentence of more than 40 years in prison. Investigators allege Eidleh personally collected $5 million in bribes and kickbacks.

He directed restaurants and catering businesses to inflate receipts submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education for reimbursement under federal pandemic aid programs. CBS News reported that prosecutors have charged 79 people in the Feeding Our Future case, most of Somali descent. Of those charged, 66 have been convicted or have pleaded guilty.

Christopher Dotson, FBI Special Agent in Charge at FBI Minneapolis, said the arrest demonstrates the global reach of American law enforcement. Rosen stated that while the Feeding Our Future chapter may be closing, efforts to protect the American taxpayer from other fraud schemes continue.