WASHINGTON, June 13 – The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Somali national Said Abdullahi Ereg, who is wanted in connection with a major COVID-19-era child nutrition fraud scheme.
According to the FBI, Ereg is accused of participating in a large-scale conspiracy that defrauded a federally funded child feeding program overseen by the nonprofit organization Feeding Our Future in Minnesota.
Prosecutors allege that between April 2020 and early 2021, Ereg used his grocery and deli business in Minneapolis to falsely claim that it had served meals to more than 1.4 million children. Authorities say the operation received more than $4.2 million in reimbursements for meals that were never provided.
The FBI alleges that Ereg used a significant portion of the funds to finance a lavish lifestyle for himself and his family and transferred money to foreign bank accounts controlled by overseas entities.
A federal court in Minnesota issued an arrest warrant for Ereg on January 24, 2024. He faces charges including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
The FBI has urged anyone with information regarding Ereg’s whereabouts to contact law enforcement authorities, saying individuals whose tips lead to his arrest and conviction may be eligible for the reward.
The case forms part of the wider Feeding Our Future investigation, one of the largest pandemic-related fraud probes in U.S. history, which has resulted in charges against dozens of individuals accused of misappropriating funds intended to feed vulnerable children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
