Man indicted in $4 million pandemic fraud case turns himself in, officials say

U.S. newsMan indicted in $4 million pandemic fraud case turns himself in, officials saySaid Abdullahi Ereg sat atop the FBI’s “Most Wanted Fraudster” list and allegedly stole millions from the Federal Children’s Nutrition Program.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Said Abdullahi Ereg turned himself in this week to the FBI while facing several charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 11, 2026, 5:07 PM EDTBy Alicia Victoria LozanoA Minneapolis man accused of stealing $4 million from Federal Child Nutrition Program during the Covid-19 pandemic surrendered to the FBI on Thursday, federal officials announced in a statement.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Said Abdullahi Ereg was indicted on June 24, 2024 on charges of including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Ereg allegedly obtained, misappropriated and laundered millions of dollars meant to feed children in need, officials said.“Today’s arrest is historic,” said FBI director Kash Patel in a different statement. It was not immediately clear if Ereg has retained a lawyer.Ereg was added to the Justice Department’s “Most Wanted Fraudster” list last week and is the first person to be arrested, Patel said.The list was established by federal officials to “bring to justice the alleged worst of the worst who took advantage of American taxpayers and stole public funds, and let them know that the days of Washington, D.C. turning a blind eye to fraud are over,” Patel said in the statement.Officials said Ereg ran a grocery story and deli in Minneapolis that was sponsored by the nonprofit Feeding Our Future. The organization, founded in Minnesota in 2016, has recently been at the center of a federal investigation into what federal officials have called “the single largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in...