The first person named on the Justice Department’s new “Most Wanted Fraudster” list has surrendered to authorities, according to the FBI. Said Abdullahi Ereg was taken into custody in Minneapolis on Wednesday after being added to the list six days earlier. FBI Director Kash Patel called the arrest historic and said it was the first arrest tied to the recently launched fraudster list, which was created alongside the White House task force aimed at combating fraud.
Federal prosecutors allege that Ereg stole about $4 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Justice Department, he claimed to be serving meals to children in need, but instead used government money to support a lavish lifestyle. Authorities say Ereg operated a grocery store and deli in Minneapolis that was enrolled in the child nutrition program through sponsorship by Feeding Our Future, a Minnesota-based nonprofit intended to provide meals to children who needed assistance.
Officials said the grocery store and deli claimed to have served more than 1.4 million meals and received approximately $4.2 million in payments. Prosecutors charged Ereg in 2024 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
The case is part of a broader federal crackdown on alleged pandemic-era fraud. Last week, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Kash Patel, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, and other federal officials traveled to Ohio to announce new charges against alleged fraudsters and to unveil the new “Most Wanted Fraudster” list.
The Justice Department has described the fraud list as a tool to identify and pursue major alleged fraud suspects, while federal officials say they are intensifying efforts to recover stolen public funds and hold defendants accountable. Ereg’s surrender marks an early test of that initiative and highlights how investigators are targeting cases involving emergency aid programs created during the pandemic.
Authorities allege that money meant to feed vulnerable children was diverted through a fraudulent operation that generated millions of dollars in government payments. Ereg’s arrest adds to the growing number of federal cases tied to pandemic relief and nutrition program fraud in Minnesota and elsewhere, where prosecutors say large-scale schemes exploited public assistance programs meant to provide critical support during a national crisis.
