Extradited Minnesota fugitive pleads not guilty in $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud case

Saturday August 1, 2026

Minneapolis (HOL) — A Minnesota man extradited from Somalia after spending four years as a fugitive pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges accusing him of playing a leading role in the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.

Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, appeared in federal court after being extradited from Somalia, where he was arrested June 26 in a joint operation involving the FBI and Somali intelligence authorities, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.

Federal prosecutors allege Eidleh was one of the scheme’s principal organizers and effectively served as the second-in-command of the sprawling conspiracy, which investigators say diverted hundreds of millions of dollars intended to provide meals to children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He faces 31 federal charges, including wire fraud, bribery involving federal programs, money laundering and related offenses. Prosecutors allege he personally received about $5 million in bribes and kickbacks through the scheme.

Following his arrest in Mogadishu, Eidleh was escorted to Minnesota by FBI agents and is being held at the Sherburne County Jail pending further court proceedings.

According to the indictment, Eidleh played a central role in coordinating fraudulent reimbursement claims through Feeding Our Future, a Minnesota nonprofit that administered meal programs funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Feeding Our Future investigation has become one of the largest pandemic-related fraud cases in U.S. history. Federal authorities have charged 79 people in connection with the conspiracy, alleging they fraudulently claimed reimbursements for millions of meals that were never served.