Somali fugitive in $250 million U.S. COVID fraud case returned from Somalia to face charges

WASHINGTON — A Somali man accused of being one of the alleged masterminds behind a $250 million COVID-19 pandemic fraud scheme has been returned to the United States from Somalia to face criminal charges, U.S. authorities said Friday.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota said Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, was transferred to Minnesota on July 16 after surrendering to authorities in Somalia.

Eidleh was indicted in September 2022 in the sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud case and faces 31 federal charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, bribery involving federal programs, and money laundering.

Federal prosecutors allege Eidleh was among the leading figures in the scheme, which prosecutors say fraudulently diverted millions of dollars intended to provide meals to children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authorities said Eidleh fled the United States after charges were filed and remained at large until law enforcement located him in Somalia in June 2026.

His return was coordinated through cooperation between the FBI, Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), the Somali Police Force, and the U.S. Justice Department's Office of International Affairs. FBI agents and IRS Criminal Investigation officials escorted him back to Minnesota.

U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen described Eidleh as "second only to Aimee Bock" in the alleged fraud scheme, saying his return demonstrated that U.S. authorities would pursue suspects regardless of where they fled.

FBI Director Kash Patel said Eidleh's transfer marked another milestone in the investigation, noting that more than 70 defendants have already pleaded guilty in connection with the Feeding Our Future case.

The FBI also thanked Somali authorities, including NISA, the Somali Police Force, and Somalia's Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, for assisting in locating and facilitating Eidleh's return.

Eidleh is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty in Minnesota.

The Feeding Our Future case is considered one of the largest pandemic-related fraud prosecutions in U.S. history, involving allegations that defendants stole funds from a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

GAROWE ONLINE