Fraud Suspect Arrested in Somalia Nearly 4 Years After Indictment in Major Minnesota Case

Federal and state officials load evidence into a vehicle as they execute a search warrant at The Original Childcare Center in south Minneapolis on April 28, 2026. Ben Hovland/Minnesota Public Radio via APAuthorities tracked down a Minnesota fraud suspect in Mogadishu, Somalia, and arrested him on June 25—nearly four years after he was first charged in the nation’s largest COVID-19 pandemic scam.Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota, was allegedly “one of the orchestrators of the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme,” the Justice Department said in a June 26 news release. He and 46 others tied to the now-defunct nonprofit Feeding Our Future were originally charged in September 2022. Dozens of additional defendants have been charged since then, officials said, and most were of Somali descent. The nonprofit operated more than 200 meal sites across Minnesota, officials said at the time of the original 2022 indictments. Altogether, they allegedly reaped nearly $250 million during the pandemic. “The indictment describes Feeding Our Future as operating a pay‑to‑play scheme in which operators of fraudulent meal sites kicked back a portion of their illicit proceeds to employees, including Eidleh, often disguised as ‘consulting fees’ through shell companies,” the latest Justice Department release said.Specifically, “Eidleh 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,” the release said.U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen said, “Eidleh’s capture shows that, if you commit fraud against the American taxpayer, and try hiding across the globe, the long arm of justice will find you.”Eidleh’s arrest comes amid a national fraud-enforcement crackdown. President Donald Trump directed multiple federal agencies to ramp up anti-fraud efforts after Minnesota’s massive scandals gained widespread attention in late 2025. Rosen commended the FBI along with other federal and international agencies for locating Eidleh and helping hold others accountable for ripping off government-benefit programs. “The FBI and our partners will shine a light on fraudsters wherever they may try to hide,” FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dotson said in the release. He thanked the National Intelligence and Security Agency of Somalia for helping U.S. authorities find and apprehend Eidleh.Other U.S. agencies involved in the case included the IRS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald, who heads the Justice Department’s new National Fraud Enforcement Division, vowed that federal prosecutors “will continue to track down and prosecute fraudsters wherever they run and wherever they hide.”“Every dollar stolen from the pockets of hardworking Americans emphasizes the Postal Inspection Service’s commitment to protecting our communities,” said Bryan Musgrove, who heads that agency’s Denver office. “This arrest shows that criminals who abuse the financial system and exploit innocent people for their own gain will not escape their day in court.”