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FBI Director Kash Patel announced Wednesday that Said Abdullahi Ereg, a former Minneapolis grocery and deli owner, had surrendered to federal authorities, marking the first person on the FBI’s new "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list to be taken into custody as federal authorities continue a nationwide fraud crackdown.
Said Abdullahi Ereg, 47, faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
The FBI said Ereg, a former south Minneapolis grocery and deli owner, surrendered to federal authorities less than a week after the Justice Department unveiled its "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list, which is intended to publicly identify individuals charged in major fraud cases.
"Today’s arrest is historic – the first ever arrest of a subject on our Most Wanted Fraudsters List released last week with the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud," Patel said in a statement.
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Authorities said Ereg has been wanted on federal charges since 2024 and is fraudulently obtaining more than $4.2 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to federal officials, Ereg operated Evergreen Grocery and Deli, a Minneapolis grocery store and deli under the sponsorship of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future.
Prosecutors allege he falsely claimed to have served meals to children in need, fraudulently obtained government reimbursements and laundered the proceeds through foreign accounts while using some of the money to finance a lavish lifestyle.
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Court documents allege Evergreen Grocery and Deli claimed to have served more than 3,000 meals twice daily, seven days a week.
"Led by Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we set up the historic, first ever 'Most Wanted Fraudsters' list for this exact purpose — to bring to justice the alleged worst of the worst who took advantage of American taxpayers and stole public funds," Patel said.
He added that the list serves as a warning that "the days of Washington, D.C., turning a blind eye to fraud are over."
In a post on X, Patel suggested the arrest was only the beginning of a broader enforcement effort.
"This historic result is only the beginning — and let it be a message to any fraudster who takes advantage of America, this team will find you," Patel said.
Federal officials said Ereg contacted authorities through his attorney and expressed a willingness to return to the United States one day after the FBI launched the "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list.
The Justice Department also noted that Ereg's wife, Najmo Ahmed, who worked at the business and received payroll payments directly from Feeding Our Future, pleaded guilty last year to money laundering charges and is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.
The arrest comes months after the Justice Department announced the creation of a National Fraud Enforcement Division to support President Donald Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which is led by Vice President J.D. Vance.
Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
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