(NewsNation) — A man U.S. authorities identified as a recruiter in an alleged $300 million fraud scheme in Minnesota has been arrested in Somalia.
Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, was among 47 defendants charged in a 2022 indictment tied to the pandemic-era nonprofit Feeding Our Future. He fled the U.S. shortly after being charged, according to the Department of Justice.
The indictment includes 31 counts, among them conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering.
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According to court documents, Eidleh worked for Feeding Our Future and was responsible for recruiting and supporting program sites. Prosecutors allege he and others solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies seeking to operate fraudulent meal distribution sites.
The indictment describes a “pay-to-play” scheme in which operators of the sites funneled illicit proceeds to employees, including Eidleh, through payments disguised as consulting fees via shell companies.
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Prosecutors said Eidleh also created his own sites, falsely claiming to serve thousands of meals to children each day.
He is accused of depositing more than $5 million in kickbacks, bribes and other fraud proceeds through shell companies posing as meal vendors and submitting fraudulent invoices to obtain federal nutrition program funds.
“This defendant was a central figure in one of the largest fraud schemes in Minnesota history,” Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald said in a statement. “He not only stole taxpayer dollars, but he also robbed vulnerable children of critical resources they desperately needed.”
Last month, alleged scheme leader Aimee Bock was sentenced to nearly 42 years in prison after being convicted of using Feeding Our Future to steal millions. She has said she plans to appeal her conviction and sentence.
Her attorney says she warned Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s administration and Attorney General Keith Ellison about fraud years before she was charged, but said officials did nothing and later lied about what they knew.
State officials have acknowledged fraud in Minnesota extends to other programs receiving federal and state funds, including child care and non-emergency transportation services. Ongoing investigations prompted the FBI to raid more than 20 locations in Minneapolis in April.
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