The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has apprehended the first person on its new “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list, a former Minneapolis grocery and deli owner named Said Abdullahi Ereg.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest of 47-year-old Ereg on Wednesday, marking it as part of a nationwide crackdown on rampant fraud, Fox News reported.
“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.
Ereg is facing charges for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Ereg reportedly surrendered to federal authorities, with officials saying he contacted them through his attorneys a day after the launch of the “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list and that he was willing to return to the United States, according to the report.
Ereg has been wanted since 2024 for allegedly fraudulently obtaining more than $4.2 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the pandemic, authorities said.
Federal officials said Ereg operated Everygreen Grocery and Deli in Minneapolis under the sponsorship of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future.
Prosecutors allege Ereg falsely claimed to have served children in need — 3,000 meals twice daily, seven days a week — and then fraudulently obtained government reimbursement. They allege he then laundered the proceeds from his scheme through foreign bank accounts and used some of the funds on a lavish lifestyle.
FBI
“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.
Patel said the arrest is only the beginning, and shows that “the days of Washington, D.C., turning a blind eye to fraud are over.”
“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.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Ereg’s wife, Najmo Ahmen, pleaded guilty last year to money laundering and is set to be sentenced later this month, per the report. She also worked at the business and received payroll payments directly from Feeding Our Future.
Ereg’s arrest comes months after the DOJ announced the creation of a National Fraud Enforcement Division in accordance with President Donald Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, led by Vice President JD Vance.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
