FBI Director Kash Patel announced Wednesday that the first suspect named on the bureau’s newly launched “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list has surrendered to federal authorities.
Said Abdullahi Ereg, a former Minneapolis grocery and deli owner, turned himself in less than a week after the Justice Department publicly unveiled the list as part of a broader nationwide fraud crackdown.
Ereg, 47, faces federal charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering tied to an alleged multimillion-dollar COVID-era feeding scheme.
“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.
Federal authorities allege Ereg fraudulently obtained more than $4.2 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the pandemic.
According to prosecutors, Ereg operated Evergreen Grocery and Deli in south Minneapolis under the sponsorship umbrella of the now-infamous nonprofit Feeding Our Future.
Investigators say the business falsely claimed to have served meals to thousands of children each day in order to collect massive taxpayer-funded reimbursements.
Hannity’s Highlights
The FBI made its first arrest tied to its new “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list — a high-profile debut for a program the bureau launched to target government fraud.
Said Abdullahi Ereg surrendered to federal authorities Wednesday — becoming the first person taken into custody under the new initiative.
Prosecutors say he stole more than $4.2 million from a COVID child nutrition program — money meant to feed children during the pandemic was allegedly diverted for personal gain.
Authorities allege he used fake meal claims to obtain taxpayer reimbursements — submitting fraudulent records to pocket funds from a program designed to help vulnerable kids.
Court filings allege Evergreen Grocery and Deli reported serving more than 3,000 meals twice daily, seven days a week.
Prosecutors claim the operation laundered money through foreign accounts while Ereg allegedly used part of the proceeds to bankroll a lavish lifestyle.
Authorities said Ereg has been wanted on federal charges since 2024.
Patel credited the arrest to the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, led by Vice President JD Vance, saying the initiative was specifically created to target major public corruption and fraud schemes siphoning taxpayer money.
“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 new initiative sends a clear signal that “the days of Washington, D.C., turning a blind eye to fraud are over.”
The Feeding Our Future scandal has become one of the largest pandemic fraud cases in US history, with dozens of defendants accused of exploiting emergency child nutrition programs intended to feed needy children during COVID shutdowns.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 11, 2026
