Abdikerm Eidleh appeared in federal court in St. Paul on Friday after his arrest in Mogadishu. The 42-year-old faces 31 charges tied to the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.
Eidleh, described by prosecutors as the No. 2 operator in the scheme, fled the United States four years ago following his indictment. He was arrested in Somalia with assistance from the Somali government.
U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen stated that Eidleh demanded monthly kickbacks from others in the scheme. Rosen added that Eidleh deposited more than $5 million in bribes and fraud proceeds into accounts linked to his shell companies.
The judge ruled Eidleh a serious flight risk and denied bail. He wore an orange jail suit during the hearing and sat next to a federal defense attorney.
Eidleh is scheduled to appear again on July 31 for an arraignment and detention hearing. The Feeding Our Future case has already resulted in more than 70 guilty pleas.
