Suspect in Minnesota fraud case arrested in Somalia after 4 years on the run, officials say

CBSnews ^ | 6/26/26 | Jonah Kaplan

[CFW]

MINNEAPOLIS — An alleged leader of the largest pandemic-era fraud scheme in the country has been arrested overseas after being on the run for more than four years, according to federal officials.

Abdikerm Eidleh, 42, was taken into custody Thursday in Mogadishu, Somalia, in a daytime raid coordinated by both the FBI and Somali intelligence agencies. He was indicted in September 2022 as part of the sweeping $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud investigation.

"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 business to steal from the American taxpayer."

Rosen said Eidleh was "second in command" to Aimee Bock, the convicted ringleader of the scheme, who was just sentenced to more than 40 years in prison.

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TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: 202209; abdikermeidleh; eidleh; fraud; learingcenter; minnesota; mn; somalia; walz

[CFW]

Hot dang! I didn't realize that the FBI was still pursuing this guy. I thought (and apparently he did as well) that once he got out of the country, there was no chance of him being arrested or held accountable for the fraud.

[Libloather]

It’s all part of the learing curve.

[MtnClimber]

[FlingWingFlyer]

Hurry up and lock the scum up before Sgt. Minor Timmy Walzy shows up with his National Guard Cavalry to rescue the POS. Lock the Skinny up, try him and then hang him.

God Bless ICE and CBP. Have AN ICE Day.

[Hot Tabasco]

in a daytime raid coordinated by both the FBI

Ping to all the Kash Patel haters.......

[RetiredArmy]

I AM SHOCKED AND AGREE!! The So-Ma-lees assisted the FBI????????????????? What the Effff you See Kay????

[frank ballenger]

His mama told him more than once:

Don’t take your billao to town, son, 🎶
don’t take your billao to town. 🎶

For those not yet living in Somali controlled areas of the US:

The Billao is the most iconic and widely recognized Somali dagger.

Double-edged, leaf-shaped, and slightly asymmetrical blade. A handle typially carved from dark buffalo horn or wood, with brass or metal ringed accents.

It uniquely features a prominent, three-pronged pommel (often shaped like a crown) or a single protruding metal tang

[Nateman]

I hope he gets sent to CECOT after he is convicted. Then back to Somali after release.

[frank ballenger]

Van Hollen: Send me his shirt size. And what mixed drink goes he prefer? I’m on my way to console him. 👕🍹🍹

[FlingWingFlyer]

I’ll bet this Skinny SOB was one of the ones involved in “Blackhawk Down.” Murdering, burning and dragging American soldiers through the sewage covered streets of Ilham Omar’s beloved Mogadishu before hanging them from the bridges.

[CivilWarBrewing]

Does he have Ilhan Omar’s personal phone number on his phone?

[Liz]

Mug Shot

Abdikerm Eidleh, 42, was taken into custody Thursday in Mogadishu, in a daytime Somalia raid coordinated by the FBI and Somali intel. Eidleh was indicted Sept 2022 in the infamous Somali $250 million thievery, "Feeding Our Future" tax dollar theft.

"This is a big fish," Daniel Rosen, Min US Atty for Minnesota, told CBS News. "Eidleh
was key, responsible for bribing and recruiting businesses to steal from the American taxpayer."

[Liz]

Send me his shirt size. And what mixed drink
does he prefer? I’m on my way to console him.

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LOL.......you’re such a nice guy.......(hug)

[No name given]

And give him a very long time in CECOT.

[No name given]

Good question.

[LouAvul]

September 2022? They’ve known about this scam since then and those mongrels have been scamming us into 2026?

[CFW]

“Does he have Ilhan Omar’s personal phone number on his phone?”

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That’s a good question. I hope the FBI goes through his phone with a fine tooth comb.

[CFW]

September 2022? They’ve known about this scam since then and those mongrels have been scamming us into 2026?

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Since about 2020, the FBI has shut down one scam after another. They arrest some of the perps and the Somalians quickly move to another fraud scam.

There has been child care fraud
children lunch fraud,
adult day care fraud
autism fraud
housing fraud
medical billing fraud

And probably a couple more that I can’t think of right now.

Some of the perps were involved with more than one of the schemes.

[JeepersFreepers]

Here’s everyone who’s been sentenced in the Feeding Our Future fraud. All of the 16 that have actually been sentenced are serving prison terms with the exception of one on probation.

We constantly read of the many being charged. We need to see how many are actually serving time.

[T-Bird45]

“Does he have Ilhan Omar’s personal phone number on his phone?”

GMTA - my similar thoughts were along the lines of his mouthpiece working a deal with DOJ on him fully implicating OMAR in every scheme & fraud in MN in exchange for a better sentence that includes restitution & ends with his banishment to SOMALIA. I’d count that as WIN all around.