DOJ Takes Custody Of Somali Fraudster 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.
BREAKING: Dolly Parton’s Cause Of Death Revealed: ‘Brief Battle’
Dolly Parton’s death came after a brief battle with cancer, her representatives revealed Tuesday.
The country music legend died Aug. 25 at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville. She was 80.
Parton had been admitted to the cancer center Friday, four days before her death. Her representatives confirmed the cancer diagnosis in a statement to PEOPLE but did not disclose what type she had.
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand,” the statement read.
“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” the statement concluded.
The “Jolene” singer had also been dealing with kidney and autoimmune issues before her death, PEOPLE previously reported.
Just days earlier, Dolly Parton opened up about her declining health and acknowledged that she had put off addressing some medical issues while caring for her husband, Carl.
“As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over [my husband] Carl. You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” Parton told PEOPLE.
Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her death in an Instagram video Tuesday on behalf of the Parton and Owens family.
“My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” he says in the video.
Seaver, who served as Parton’s head of security for more than two decades, said she had asked him years earlier to deliver the announcement.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” he continued. “As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.”
Seaver said the moment brought immense pride and heartbreak, but he took comfort in his faith that Parton had been reunited with Carl and other loved ones.
Seaver added: “It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless othe
