The FBI arrested the first suspect from its “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list on Wednesday when 47-year-old former grocery store owner surrendered.
Said Abdullahi Ereg, who owned Evergreen Grocery and Deli in south Minneapolis, turned himself in to the FBI at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. He had been on the run as a fugitive since a federal arrest warrant was issued in January.
A grand jury indicted Ereg in June 2024 on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
The Justice Department that between April 2020 and April 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic was in full sway, Ereg and his business exploited the Federal Child Nutrition Program. The business operated under the sponsorship of nonprofit Feeding Our Future. The grocery store allegedly claimed to have served over 1.4 million meals to children. In some periods, it claimed to have served over 3,000 meals twice a day, seven days a week.
The scheme scammed the government out of over $4.2 million that was paid to the business. The FBI alleged that Ereg used most of the funds to support his family’s lavish lifestyle. He transferred additional funds to foreign accounts belonging to foreign companies.
Ereg’s wife pleaded guilty in February 2025 to one count of money laundering. She worked in the business and received payroll payments from Feeding Our Future. She is set to be sentenced on June 15, 2026.
The defendant had been living overseas when the warrant was issued. Authorities in Kenya, Somalia, and the United Kingdom cooperated to facilitate his return to the United States. The FBI added Ereg to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list on June 4. He contacted the Bureau the next day through counsel to inform them of his intent to surrender.
“Today’s apprehension of Said Abdullahi Ereg, a fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters List, highlights the collective commitment of the DOJ, FBI, IRS, and USPIS, along with our USAO to bring every alleged fraudster to justice. Ereg was one of eight fugitives added to the FBI’s newly announced fraud list just six days ago and is the first to be taken into custody to face charges for his alleged actions.” FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson said at a press conference.
In a post on X, FBI Director Kash Patel characterized the arrest as “historic” and added that “the days of Washington, DC, turning a blind eye to fraud are over.”
IN CUSTODY: Said Abdullahi Ereg – the FIRST EVER arrest of a “Most Wanted Fraudsters” since the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud released our Most Wanted Fraudsters list last week. Ereg just landed in Minneapolis and was taken into custody after turning himself in. He… pic.twitter.com/Lqs5PG67UU
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 10, 2026
Ereg’s case is part of a much larger fraud operation involving Feeding Our Future, which carried out one of the largest pandemic-era fraud schemes in the nation. The Justice Department says the nonprofit obtained and allocated over $240 million in federal child nutrition funds.
Founder Aimee Bock was sentenced to 500 months in prison for her role in the scheme.
This comes as part of a national conversation on welfare fraud that started when it was revealed that Minnesota’s government allowed billions of dollars in fraud to occur. The House Oversight Committee recently released a report showing that Gov. Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison were repeatedly warned about the fraud, but took little action to address it.