A man federal prosecutors describe as “one of the biggest fish” in the sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud case made his initial appearance in a St. Paul courtroom on Friday.
Abdikerm Eidleh, 42, appeared in federal court just weeks after authorities said he was arrested in Mogadishu. According to the FBI, Eidleh left the United States four years ago after being indicted in connection with the Feeding Our Future scheme and was taken into custody with assistance from the Somali government.
Federal prosecutors say Eidleh faces 31 charges, including wire fraud, federal programs bribery and money laundering.
In an interview following Eidleh’s June arrest, Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen described him as the alleged No. 2 figure in the Feeding Our Future fraud operation, behind only Aimee Bock.
“Mr. Eidleh is one of those big fish. With his arrest now, we can prosecute one of the biggest fish involved in the Feeding Our Future scheme,” Rosen said.
Rosen alleged that Eidleh demanded monthly kickback payments from others tied to the scheme. Prosecutors say he deposited more than $5 million in bribes and other fraud proceeds into bank accounts connected to shell companies he controlled.
“It shows that the long arm of American law reaches all around the globe — that even in Somalia, you can’t escape the FBI,” Rosen said.
The FBI says the $300 million Feeding Our Future scandal has already led to more than 70 guilty pleas, and investigators are now hoping Eidleh will be the next defendant to admit guilt.
In court, he wore an orange jail suit and sat next to a federal defense attorney. He was also flanked by two U.S. marshals.
The judge deemed Eidleh a serious flight risk and did not grant him bail.
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He is scheduled to appear in court again on July 31 for an arraignment and detention hearing.
The judge said Eidleh will now work with the federal defender’s office to find a public defender for his case.
Jonah Kaplan
contributed to this report.
