Federal agents tracked Abdikerm Eidleh halfway around the world, took him into custody in Mogadishu, and brought fresh pressure on a U.S. congresswoman who still refuses to hand over records tied to the largest pandemic-era fraud scheme in Minnesota history. Now a Republican state lawmaker wants to know what Rep. Ilhan Omar's office discussed with the man prosecutors call a central organizer of the $250 million Feeding Our Future swindle.
Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota, was originally indicted in September 2022 on 31 federal counts, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. He fled the country rather than face trial. AP News reported that he was finally taken into custody in Mogadishu, Somalia, with federal authorities announcing the arrest on June 26.
The arrest marks another milestone in a sprawling federal prosecution that has now produced charges against at least 79 people and more than 60 convictions, Breitbart reported. But for State Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, the chair of Minnesota's House Fraud Prevention and State Oversight Committee, the criminal convictions are only half the story. She wants to know why the politicians who made the fraud possible have faced no consequences at all.
Federal prosecutors allege Eidleh recruited fraudulent meal sites, solicited bribes and kickbacks from operators seeking approval under Feeding Our Future's sponsorship, and created shell companies to launder the proceeds, all while employed by Feeding Our Future itself. The New York Post reported that Eidleh allegedly deposited more than $5 million in kickbacks and bribes into shell company accounts and is accused of creating fake food distribution sites that claimed to serve thousands of children per day.
The scheme exploited a federal child nutrition program designed to feed vulnerable kids during the pandemic. Charging documents allege Eidleh recruited another defendant, Said Abdullahi Ereg, into the operation and accepted $100,000 in kickbacks from him. Ereg himself allegedly obtained more than $4.2 million in taxpayer dollars by submitting false reimbursement claims.
Ereg became the first fugitive apprehended after being placed on the FBI's "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list. He surrendered to FBI agents at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport after spending years overseas, just weeks before Eidleh's own capture in Somalia.
The scheme's central figure, Aimee Bock, has already been convicted. She received a 41.5-year federal prison sentence for orchestrating the fraud.
Trial exhibits introduced during Bock's federal prosecution include details of communications between Omar's congressional office and Eidleh. Those materials are currently subject to a court order restricting their release by parties in the case. But Robbins argues that neither she nor Omar is bound by that order, and she wants the records made public.
In an exclusive interview with The Center Square, Robbins laid out her case plainly:
"He's clearly a very important player in this, and we should understand what his communications were with Ilhan Omar's office."
Robbins' committee attempted earlier this year to subpoena Omar for the records. That effort failed by a single vote, with Democratic members blocking it. After the subpoena fell short, Robbins asked U.S. congressional oversight leaders for assistance. She said her repeated requests to Omar's office have gone unanswered.
Omar's office did not respond to The Center Square's request for comment. Robbins characterized Omar's public stance this way:
"Omar says she's had nothing to do with it. Well, then she should release them to clear her name. If there's nothing there, put them out."
That challenge carries particular weight given that Omar's name surfaced multiple times in the Feeding Our Future fraud trial exhibits. If the communications are as innocent as Omar implies, voluntary release would settle the question. The continued silence invites a different conclusion.
Robbins pointed to a specific piece of legislation as the origin point of the fraud. She told The Center Square that Omar passed the MEALS Act in March 2020, and that the law removed federal oversight protections from the child nutrition program.
"She took all the guardrails off the federal nutrition program by passing the MEALS Act back in March of 2020. She's at the epicenter of this, because she, by passing the MEALS Act, created the conditions that allowed Feeding Our Future to happen in the first place."
That claim, that loosened federal rules opened the door for the fraud, aligns with the committee's own findings. The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Oversight Committee adopted its majority report in May, concluding that repeated failures in oversight across multiple state agencies left taxpayer-funded programs vulnerable to fraud.
Robbins did not limit her criticism to Omar. She also named Governor Tim Walz and his agencies as having enabled the fraud and escaped accountability. Previous reporting on Bock's claims added another layer, with the convicted fraud organizer herself alleging that Omar had knowledge of the scheme.
Not everyone in the Minnesota legislature agrees the committee should be pressing Omar. Rep. Emma Greenman, DFL-Minneapolis, objected during the May committee proceedings, arguing the Republican majority report had become a partisan exercise rather than a genuine oversight effort.
"This committee is called the Fraud Prevention and Government Oversight Committee, not the make the case and picture what you think the Democratic Party is. This report turned into... no Democratic leader left un-disparaged."
Greenman's complaint is revealing. She did not dispute the underlying facts of the fraud or argue that Omar's communications should remain hidden. She objected to the framing. That is a process complaint, not a substantive defense, and it does nothing to answer the question of what Omar's office discussed with a man now facing 31 federal counts.
The pattern is familiar. Minnesota Democrats blocked the subpoena of Omar over these very records, shielding a member of their own party from the kind of transparency that any public servant should welcome.
Whatever the political maneuvering in St. Paul, federal prosecutors made clear they are not finished. U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen issued a pointed statement after Eidleh's capture:
"Eidleh's capture shows that, if you commit fraud against the American taxpayer, and try hiding across the globe, the long arm of justice will find you. We salute the FBI's work in finding Eidleh, and are grateful to all our federal and international partners that help us hold accountable those who defraud our government."
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the DOJ's National Fraud Enforcement Division was equally direct, as Fox News reported:
"This defendant was a central figure in one of the largest fraud schemes in Minnesota history. He not only stole taxpayer dollars, but he also robbed vulnerable children of critical resources they desperately needed."
McDonald added that Eidleh "fled to Somalia in a futile attempt to evade justice", an attempt that ended thanks to the FBI and its international partners.
The Feeding Our Future scheme siphoned more than $250 million in federal funds meant to feed children during the pandemic. But Robbins told The Center Square the damage to Minnesota taxpayers extends far beyond that single case.
"Minnesotans are incredibly frustrated. They've had well over $9 billion of their tax dollars stolen, and it hurts actual vulnerable Minnesotans who do need real services."
She argued that criminal convictions alone are not enough. The politicians and agencies that created the conditions for the fraud must also answer for their roles.
"We have not seen any accountability for the politicians, and Minnesotans are fed up with that. We can't say 'We've got all these convictions on the criminal side. It's good enough.' We need to get to the root of how this started."
Robbins' broader claim, that $9 billion in taxpayer dollars has been stolen, goes well beyond the $250 million tied to Feeding Our Future. She did not specify the source of that figure, and it remains an open question how she arrived at it. But the documented fraud in this single case is staggering enough on its own.
The claims by Bock that Omar had knowledge of the scheme remain unresolved. Omar has not addressed them publicly in any detail captured in the available record. Her office's refusal to comment, and her refusal to release the communications voluntarily, leaves the question hanging.
Eidleh now faces the 31-count federal indictment he tried to outrun for nearly four years. His case will proceed through the federal courts. The status of his arraignment and any detention proceedings following his capture in Somalia has not been publicly detailed.
Robbins made clear she has no intention of dropping the matter. She told The Center Square she will continue pressing Omar to release the records voluntarily, noting that neither she nor Omar is bound by the court order restricting parties in the Bock case from releasing the trial exhibits.
"I'm not bound by the court order. Omar is not bound by the court order. So, we should continue to pressure her to voluntarily turn them over."
She closed with a simple declaration: "We have to keep the pressure on. The people want justice."
The FBI tracked a fugitive to Mogadishu. Federal prosecutors have secured more than 60 convictions. A woman who ran the scheme is serving 41 years. But the elected officials who wrote the rules that made it all possible? They still haven't answered a single question under oath.
