First person on FBI's Most Wanted Fraudsters list surrenders

FBI Director Kash Patel announced Wednesday that Said Abdullahi Ereg, a former Minneapolis grocery and deli owner, had surrendered to federal authorities. The surrender marks the first arrest from the FBI's new Most Wanted Fraudsters list.

Ereg, 47, faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. Authorities said he has been wanted on federal charges since 2024.

The FBI said Ereg surrendered less than a week after the Justice Department unveiled the Most Wanted Fraudsters list. The list 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.

Authorities said Ereg fraudulently obtained more than $4.2 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID-19 pandemic. He operated Evergreen Grocery and Deli in south Minneapolis 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. Court documents allege the business 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 said the arrest was only the beginning. "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," he 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 list.

The Justice Department 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.