FBI Director Kash Patel announced Wednesday that Said Abdullahi Ereg, a former Minneapolis grocery and deli owner, had surrendered to federal authorities, marking the first person on the FBI’s new "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list to be taken into custody as federal authorities continue a nationwide fraud crackdown.Said Abdullahi Ereg, 47, faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.The FBI said Ereg, a former south Minneapolis grocery and deli owner, surrendered to federal authorities less than a week after the Justice Department unveiled its "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list, which 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.A TIMELINE OF THE ‘LARGEST COVID-19 FRAUD SCHEME' IN THE UNITED STATESSaid Abdullahi Ereg is accused of participating in a scheme that allegedly defrauded a federal child nutrition program of more than $4 million.(FBI)Authorities said Ereg has been wanted on federal charges since 2024 and is fraudulently obtaining more than $4.2 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID-19 pandemic.According to federal officials, Ereg operated Evergreen Grocery and Deli, a Minneapolis grocery store and deli 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 while using some of the money to finance a lavish lifestyle.SEE IT: FEEDING OUR FUTURE FRAUDSTERS BOUGHT MANSIONS AND MERCEDES WITH $250M IN STOLEN MEAL FUNDSThe FBI's new "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list is intended to help law enforcement locate and apprehend fugitives accused of large-scale fraud schemes.
(FBI)Court documents alleg...