The FBI has added Said Abdullahi Ereg, accused in Minnesota’s Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, to its newly launched “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list and is offering up to $150,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
By the time the FBI’s list went live on Thursday, Said Abdullahi Ereg was already a name prosecutors have been trying to reach for months. Now, the agency says it wants the public’s help catching him.
The FBI announced the launch of its “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list—dedicated to publicly identifying individuals charged in major fraud cases—and included Ereg. a former south Minneapolis grocery and deli owner accused of defrauding a federal child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bureau is offering up to $150,000 for information leading to Ereg’s arrest and conviction.
Prosecutors allege that between April 2020 and April 2021. Ereg’s business falsely claimed to have served more than 1.4 million meals to children and received more than $4.2 million in payments. The allegations describe a scheme in which much of the money. investigators say. was used to support the family’s lavish lifestyle. along with transfers of funds to foreign accounts controlled by overseas companies.
Ereg has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. A federal arrest warrant was issued for him on Jan. 24, 2024, and the FBI’s reward announcement puts additional pressure on finding him.
The FBI said the new list is meant to draw public attention to fugitives accused of large-scale financial crimes. So far, the list consists of eight individuals accused of stealing anywhere from $1.3 million to $1.2 billion.
“Fraud is not a victimless crime,” the FBI said in a press release. “Victims lose savings, homes, businesses, and benefits they earned and depended on.”
The message to the public is straightforward: anyone with information about Ereg’s whereabouts—or the whereabouts of anyone else on the list—is encouraged to contact the FBI.
FBI Most Wanted Fraudsters Said Abdullahi Ereg Feeding Our Future Minnesota fraud child nutrition program wire fraud money laundering reward