Alleged Feeding Our Future No. 2 appears in Minnesota court
Abdikerm Eidleh was ordered held without bail after his arrest in Somalia in the $300 million Feeding Our Future fraud case.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
2 min read
A man prosecutors describe as a top operator in the Feeding Our Future fraud case appeared in federal court in St. Paul on Friday after being arrested in Somalia.
Abdikerm Eidleh, 42, is facing 31 federal charges, including wire fraud, federal programs bribery and money laundering, according to prosecutors. The allegations are part of the sprawling Feeding Our Future case, which the FBI has described as a $300 million fraud scandal.
The FBI said Eidleh left the United States after he was indicted in the case and remained out of the country for four years. He was arrested in Mogadishu with assistance from the Somali government, the bureau said.
Daniel Rosen, the U.S. attorney for Minnesota, described Eidleh after the June arrest as the second-ranking operator in the alleged scheme, behind Aimee Bock.
“Mr. Eidleh is one of those big fish. With his arrest now, we can prosecute one of the biggest fish involved in the Feeding Our Future scheme,” Rosen said.
Prosecutors allege kickbacks and shell companies
Rosen said Eidleh allegedly demanded monthly kickbacks from others connected to the scheme. Prosecutors allege he deposited more than $5 million in bribes and other fraud proceeds into accounts tied to shell companies.
“It shows that the long arm of American law reaches all around the globe, that even in Somalia, you can't escape the FBI,” Rosen said.
The charges against Eidleh have not been proven in court. The next step in the case is scheduled for July 31, when he is due back in court for an arraignment and detention hearing.
Held without bail
At Friday’s hearing, Eidleh wore an orange jail uniform and sat beside a federal defense attorney, according to CBS News. Two U.S. marshals stood near him in court.
The judge found Eidleh to be a serious flight risk and did not grant him bail. The judge also said Eidleh would work with the federal defender’s office to secure a public defender for the case.
The FBI has said the Feeding Our Future investigation has already produced more than 70 guilty pleas. Authorities are now seeking to move Eidleh’s case forward after his arrest overseas.
Feeding Our Future has been the center of a major federal prosecution in Minnesota tied to pandemic-era food aid. Prosecutors have alleged that participants stole public money intended to feed children, though the specific case against Eidleh remains pending.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.