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‘Kickback King’ – Fugitive mastermind of $250million Minnesota Covid fraud scheme finally taken into custody in Mogadishu

&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpcnt">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpa">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<span class&equals;"wpa-about">Advertisements<&sol;span>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"u top&lowbar;amp">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<amp-ad width&equals;"300" height&equals;"265"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; type&equals;"pubmine"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-siteid&equals;"109460728"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-section&equals;"1">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;amp-ad>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;190505&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>Fugitive alleged fraudster Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh&comma;<strong> of Burnsville&comma;<&sol;strong> Minnesota was arrested Thursday in Mogadishu&comma; the capital of Somalia on June 25<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;190505&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong><strong>Eidleh&comma; 42&comma;<&sol;strong> was indicted in September 2022 in connection with the Feeding Our Future <strong>Covid fraud scheme<&sol;strong> in Minnesota&comma; considered the country&&num;8217&semi;s largest Covid–era fraud<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;190505&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>Indictment charged Eidleh with 31 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud&comma; wire fraud&comma; conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery&comma; federal programs bribery&comma; conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering <&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;190505&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>Feeding Our Future received about &dollar;250 million in federal funds while falsely claiming to be serving millions of meals for hungry children &&num;8211&semi; prosecutors <&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;190505&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>Eidleh allegedly recruited and sponsored Federal Child Nutrition Program sites for the fraudsters<&sol;strong>&comma; making up to &dollar;5million <strong>principally through kickbacks<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;190505&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>He also allegedly created his own Federal Child Nutrition Program sites&comma; fraudulently claiming to serve meals to thousands of children per day <&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;190505&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>Prosecutors accused Eidleh of creating shell companies that were supposedly meal vendors and submitting fraudulent invoices to obtain federal nutrition program funds<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2026&sol;06&sol;Abdikerm-Abdelahi-Eidleh-1&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-499481" style&equals;"aspect-ratio&colon;0&period;9723921227852892&semi;width&colon;840px&semi;height&colon;auto"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Fugitive fraud scheme mastermind Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh&comma; &lbrack;photo&rsqb;&comma; of Burnsville&comma; Minnesota&comma; was arrested Thursday in Mogadishu&comma; Somalia&period; He had been indicted in September 2022 for his role in the Feeding Our Future scam&comma; which prosecutors called the country&&num;8217&semi;s largest Covid–era fraud<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">One of the alleged perpetrators of Minnesota&&num;8217&semi;s massive Covid fraud scheme was taken into custody in Somalia&period;<br>Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh&comma; 42&comma; was arrested Thursday June 25&comma; in Mogadishu&comma; the capital of Somalia&period;<br>Eidleh of Burnsville&comma; Minnesota&comma; had been indicted in September 2022&comma; along with fellow ringleader Aimee Bock&comma; in connection with the Feeding Our Future scam in Minnesota&comma; a scheme which which prosecutors called the country&&num;8217&semi;s largest Covid–era fraud&period; <br>Feeding Our Future received about &dollar;250 million in federal funds while falsely claiming to be serving millions of meals for hungry children&comma; prosecutors said&period; <br>Abdikerm Eidleh allegedly recruited and sponsored Federal Child Nutrition Program sites for the fraudsters&period;<br>He also allegedly created his own Federal Child Nutrition Program sites&comma; fraudulently claiming to serve meals to thousands of children per day&period; Prosecutors accused Eidleh of creating shell companies that were supposedly meal vendors and submitting fraudulent invoices to obtain federal nutrition program funds&period;<br>In total&comma; Eidleh allegedly deposited more than &dollar;5 million into his shell companies&&num;8217&semi; accounts&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2026&sol;06&sol;Abdikerm-Abdelahi-Eidleh-2&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-499483" style&equals;"aspect-ratio&colon;0&period;8644729503625209&semi;width&colon;789px&semi;height&colon;auto"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>&&num;8216&semi;Mr&period; kickback&&num;8217&semi;&colon; Eidleh appropriated more than &dollar;5 million in federal covid relief funds and related bribes&comma; then fled justice in the US&period; He was arrested in Mogadishu by the FBI working with the National Intelligence Agency and the Security Agency of Somalia<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">&&num;8216&semi;Rather than answer for his crimes in the United States&comma; he fled to Somalia in a futile attempt to evade justice&comma;&&num;8217&semi; Colin McDonald&comma; <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;justice&period;gov&sol;usao-mn&sol;pr&sol;man-taken-custody-somalia-role-feeding-our-future-fraud-scheme" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener" class&equals;"">said<&sol;a> Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department&&num;8217&semi;s National Fraud Enforcement division&period;<br>McDonald added that Eidleh &&num;8216&semi;not only stole taxpayer dollars&comma; but he also robbed vulnerable children of critical resources they desperately needed&period;&&num;8217&semi;<br>US authorities had been &&num;8216&semi;tracking his whereabouts for a couple of weeks&period; The FBI thanked the National Intelligence and Security Agency of Somalia for their help in locating and ultimately apprehending Eidleh so he may be brought to justice&period;<br>The founding purpose for Feeding Our Future was to provide millions of meals to children in need during the Covid pandemic under a federally–funded child nutrition program&period; Instead the organization used the money to fund international trips and buy luxury vehicles or expensive real estate&comma; prosecutors said&period;<br>Prosecution in the massive fraud case is a result of an investigation conducted by the FBI&comma; IRS Criminal Investigations&comma; U&period;S&period; Postal Inspection Service&comma; and Homeland Security Investigations&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2026&sol;06&sol;Aimee-Bock-4&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-499479" style&equals;"width&colon;801px&semi;height&colon;auto"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Aimee Bock &lbrack;photo&rsqb;&comma; 45&comma; was sentenced to 42 years in prison for masterminding the Feeding Our Future scam&period; Eidleh was her &&num;8216&semi;second in command&&num;8217&semi; authorities said <&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Investigators said that the fraud scheme&comma; which also involved the nonprofit Partners in Quality Care&comma; also known as Partners in Nutrition&comma; cost taxpayers around &dollar;300 million&period;<br>Eidleh is one of 79 people charged in the case&comma; most of whom are members of Minnesota&&num;8217&semi;s Somali American community&period;<br>Fifty-nine have pled guilty&period; Seven others&comma; including Bock&comma; were convicted at trials in 2024 and 2025 bringing the number of convictions till date to 65&comma; the DOJ said&period; <br>Several people caught in the dragnet testified that Eidleh solicited and collected kickbacks for Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock&comma; who’s serving a 42-year prison sentence&period;<br>The September 2022 <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;justice&period;gov&sol;archives&sol;opa&sol;pr&sol;us-attorney-announces-federal-charges-against-47-defendants-250-million-feeding-our-future" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener" class&equals;"">indictment<&sol;a> charged Eidleh with 31 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud&comma; wire fraud&comma; conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery&comma; federal programs bribery&comma; conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2026&sol;06&sol;Feeding-Our-Future-scheme-1&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-499480"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>The Feeding Our Future scheme allegedly&comma; received about &dollar;250 million in federal funds while falsely claiming to be serving millions of meals for hungry children&comma; according to prosecutors<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Daniel Rosen&comma; the US Attorney for Minnesota&comma; alleged that Eidleh was &&num;8216&semi;second in command&&num;8217&semi; to Aimee Bock&comma; founder and executive &&num;8216&semi;Eidleh was a key leader and was responsible for bribing and recruiting business to steal from the American taxpayer&comma;&&num;8217&semi; Rosen <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;cbsnews&period;com&sol;news&sol;minnesota-fraud-arrest-somalia-abdikerm-eidleh" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener" class&equals;"">said<&sol;a>&period; <br>Bock&comma; 45&comma; was convicted last March of multiple counts involving conspiracy&comma; wire fraud and bribery for her role in the scam&period;<br>She was sentenced to more than 41 years in prison in May&period;<br>Eidleh is considered &&num;8216&semi;one of the key players&&num;8217&semi; in the scam&period;<br>&&num;8216&semi;His role in recruiting other people to join the fraud scheme really is part of why the fraud became so sprawling as it did&comma;&&num;8217&semi; authorities said&period;<br>Eidleh left the US in November 2021&period; However by December 2025&comma; he was first located by investigators&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2026&sol;06&sol;FBI-announce-arrest-of-Abdikerm-Abdelahi-Eidleh-1&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-499506" style&equals;"width&colon;840px&semi;height&colon;auto"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>The FBI announced the arrest of the fugitive alleged fraudster<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">&&num;8216&semi;It&&num;8217&semi;s an extraordinary effort to locate and effectuate the arrest of someone in a foreign country&comma; even more so in a country like Somalia&comma; which does not have an organized federal government &lbrack;and&rsqb; does not have robust federal law enforcement like we do here in the United States&comma;&&num;8217&semi; a former DOJ official involved with the investigation remarked&period;<br>Eidleh has not yet had an opportunity to enter a plea in the case&comma; and while he is presumed innocent until proven guilty&comma; his decision to flee the country will work against him in court&comma; DOJ sources indicated&period;<br><br><br><&sol;p>&NewLine;

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