The alleged leader of a massive pandemic-era fraud plot has been arrested in Somalia after spending more than four years on the run, according to federal officials.
Abdikerm Eidleh, 42, was arrested in Mogadishu, Somalia, following a raid by FBI agents and Somali intelligence officials, according to the Department of Justice.
His arrest follows a September 22, 2022, indictment naming him as an alleged leader in a $250 million fraud investigation. The indictment includes 31 counts, which include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.
Investigators have accused Eidleh of personally collecting $5 million in bribes and payments after convincing restaurants and caterers to overstate the receipts they submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education for pandemic-era reimbursement, CBS News reports.
He allegedly was the “second-in-command” to the scheme’s ringleader, Aimee Bock. She has been convicted and sentenced to more than 40 years in prison.
“This is a big fish,” Daniel Rosen, U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, told CBS News. “Eidleh was a key leader and was responsible for bribing and recruiting businesses to steal from the American taxpayer.”
Prosecutors have charged 79 people — primarily individuals of Somali descent — in the scheme. Since prosecutors began charging individuals, 66 have been convicted or entered guilty pleas.
Dozens of those charged in the plot — called the “Feeding Our Future” scheme — have also been charged in Minnesota for a range of alleged fraudulent activity involving the state’s social service offerings.
Rosen told CBS News that the total amount stolen in the fraud cases could exceed $1 billion.
“The chapter for Feeding Our Future might be closing, but we’re still in the beginning of making sure we protect the American taxpayer,” he said.
Eidleh allegedly worked for Feeding Our Future and was in charge of recruiting participants. The indictment describes the Feed Our Future scheme as a “pay-to-play” scheme in which operators of scam meal distribution sites illegally funneled their proceeds to the organization’s employees, like Eidleh and Bock. The payments were disguised as consulting fees and billed to shell companies, according to prosecutors.
According to the indictment, Eidleh allegedly operated his own fraudulent site and falsely claimed he served meals to thousands of children every day.
“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.”
