'We Got Him': Acting Attorney General Tood Blanche Announces MAJOR Arrest After Years-Long Manhunt
Federal authorities announced Saturday that Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota, was arrested Thursday in Mogadishu, Somalia, after spending nearly three years as a fugitive from justice.
Eidleh was indicted in September 2022 as one of the original defendants in the sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud investigation.
He faces 31 federal charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald said Eidleh allegedly stole taxpayer funds intended to provide meals to vulnerable children before fleeing to Somalia to avoid prosecution in the United States.
According to court records, Eidleh was a former employee of Feeding Our Future, the Minnesota nonprofit at the center of the fraud scheme.
Prosecutors allege he played a key role in recruiting participants and coordinating the operation by enlisting business owners to establish fraudulent child meal distribution sites operating under the nonprofit’s sponsorship through the federal Child Nutrition Program.
According to prosecutors, the fraudulent meal sites submitted reimbursement claims for meals that were never provided to children.
Federal authorities allege Eidleh operated a pay-to-play scheme in which site operators paid bribes and kickbacks to participate in the program.
Court filings cite one operator who allegedly paid about $30,000 a month in kickbacks, with some payments reportedly verified through video calls, while another allegedly paid a total of $150,000, including a demanded 5% share of federal reimbursements.
Prosecutors say Eidleh threatened to terminate contracts if operators failed to make the required payments.
Investigators also allege Eidleh instructed participants to inflate meal counts and submit fraudulent invoices for food that was never purchased.
According to prosecutors, more than $5 million in alleged kickbacks, bribes and fraud proceeds was deposited into bank accounts controlled through shell companies.
The broader Feeding Our Future investigation centers on the alleged misuse of federal Child Nutrition Program funds during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Feeding Our Future, a Minnesota nonprofit founded and led by Aimee Bock, sponsored more than 250 meal distribution sites throughout the state.
Bock was sentenced in May to 500 months (more than 41 years) in prison for her role in the $250 million fraud scheme.
Federal reimbursements to Feeding Our Future increased dramatically, rising from approximately $3.4 million in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021.
Prosecutors allege that operators at numerous meal sites submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims for meals that were never served, with portions of the proceeds allegedly funneled back through bribes and kickbacks.
Authorities estimate the overall fraud scheme involved roughly $250 million in federal funds.
Federal prosecutors have charged at least 79 individuals in connection with the investigation through multiple indictments. As of early 2026, more than 60 defendants had either pleaded guilty or been convicted.
Feeding Our Future founder and former executive director Bock was tried alongside co-defendant Salim Said.
During sentencing, the presiding judge described the case as a “fraud vortex” with Bock at its center, concluding that a lesser sentence would not adequately serve the interests of justice for the people of Minnesota.
The court also ordered Bock to pay substantial restitution to the federal government. She will also serve three years on supervised release following her prison sentence.
Eidleh is expected to be returned to the United States to face the charges pending against him.
His arrest follows the capture of other defendants linked to the case and marks the culmination of a years-long effort by U.S. and international law enforcement authorities to locate and apprehend him.
The Feeding Our Future investigation remains one of the Justice Department’s largest prosecutions involving alleged fraud tied to pandemic-era relief programs.
According to charging documents, prosecutors allege Eidleh played a significant operational role in establishing and maintaining the network of vendors and meal sites that authorities say formed the foundation of the fraud scheme.
Investigators allege that Eidleh, a fluent Somali speaker with strong ties to the local Somali community, helped recruit participants, facilitate enrollment and ensure compliance with the fraudulent reporting practices used to obtain federal reimbursements.
Successful Transfer of Abdikerm Eidleh from Somalia to Minnesota to Face Charges for Role in Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme
WASHINGTON – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota, was successfully transferred to Minnesota on July 16, 2026, after his lawful surrender in Somalia.
Eidleh was among the defendants originally charged by indictment in the Feeding Our Future scheme in September 2022 and is facing 31 charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.
In September 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota signed a warrant for Eidleh’s arrest.
Almost four years later in June 2026, Eidleh was located by law enforcement in Somalia. As a result of strong international law enforcement partnerships between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Intelligence and Security Agency of Somalia, and the Somali Police Force, Eidleh was escorted to the District of Minnesota by Special Agents of the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing Eidleh’s return to the United States.
“Fraudsters like Abdikerm Eidleh should know full well that they cannot escape the full weight of the Justice Department,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “I commend our law enforcement partners for swiftly and securely returning Eidleh to the United States, where he will now face justice for his crimes.”
“Abdikerm Eidleh is second only to Aimee Bock in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. His capture and transfer back to Minnesota show how far the arm of American law enforcement can reach, and that you can run, but you cannot hide,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
“Today is a historic moment in this FBI’s war on fraud,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The transfer of Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh brings to justice one of the alleged ringleaders of the $250 million ‘Feeding our Future’ fraud scandal out of Minnesota – where this FBI has already helped secure over 70 guilty pleas from fraudsters in partnership with the Justice Department. These are individuals who stole critical, taxpayer funded resources from kids in need during the COVID pandemic – and Eidleh was allegedly right at the top of the operation. He fled overseas after being charged in 2022, but thanks to the leadership of the Trump administration, our partners at the Justice Department, and counterparts in Somalia, this FBI got him. Criminals around the world should note: this is the 25th such transfer executed by this FBI in the last month alone, meaning no matter where you try to hide, we will find you.”
“The FBI will exercise all of its lawful authorities at home—and all of its extensive law enforcement partnerships abroad—to bring alleged criminals and fraudsters to justice,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “There is no safe harbor for criminals, no corner of the planet, where we will not work to seek justice for crime victims and the American taxpayer. The FBI extends its sincere gratitude to the National Intelligence and Security Agency of Somalia and the Somali Police Force for their dedicated work in locating and apprehending an alleged leader in one of the most significant frauds against the American taxpayer ever detected in Minnesota. We also recognize the cooperative efforts of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of the Federal Republic of Somalia in facilitating this defendant’s transfer to the United States to answer the charges brought in this case.”
“While families relied on a vital assistance program to feed their children during the pandemic, Abdikerm Eidleh stole from it and fled the country rather than face justice,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “His return makes clear that time and distance cannot shield those who steal from the American people. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents used their forensic accounting expertise to follow the money, unravel this massive fraud scheme, and help bring Eidleh back to answer for his crimes alongside his already convicted co-conspirators.”
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Eidleh is expected to make his initial appearance on July 17, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
