The FBI unveiled a new Most Wanted Fraudsters list Thursday as federal prosecutors charged four Ohio defendants with orchestrating a $30 million Medicaid fraud scheme that billed taxpayers for children’s mental health services while the money allegedly funded luxury cars worth $800,000.
Luxury Fleet Funded by Children’s Health Programs
The four Ohio defendants operated behavioral health organizations that submitted Medicaid claims for therapeutic services allegedly provided to children and young adults at summer camps, church groups and recreational programs. Federal authorities say the services were either medically unnecessary or never provided as claimed. When one company lost state credentialing, prosecutors allege the defendants simply continued submitting fraudulent claims through another entity.
Investigators seized three bank accounts containing approximately $469,000 and confiscated 14 luxury vehicles including six Mercedes-Benz automobiles, a Bentley, a BMW, a Jaguar, a Maserati, two Land Rovers, a GMC and a McLaren. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the cases announced Thursday “should shock your conscience,” adding that criminals have become “so bold, so audacious as to defraud the government of tens of millions of dollars.”
Vice President’s Initiative Targets Billion-Dollar Fraudsters
FBI Director Kash Patel credited Vice President JD Vance with the Most Wanted Fraudsters concept. “He said, ‘Hey, you guys have a top ten most wanted list for all gangbangers, terrorists, narco traffickers, murderers and rapists around the world. How about we have a top ten list for most wanted fraudsters?'” The list now appears on the FBI website featuring individuals accused of stealing tens of millions to billions of dollars.
Among those featured is Said Abdullahi Ereg, 47, a former south Minneapolis grocery owner wanted in connection with the Feeding Our Future case. Investigators say Ereg defrauded the Federal Child Nutrition Program of $4.2 million during the COVID-19 pandemic, using stolen funds to support a lavish lifestyle and transferring money to foreign accounts. Federal authorities offer up to $150,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
Nationwide Crackdown Targets $57 Million in Fraud
The Ohio case anchored a broader Justice Department announcement involving more than $57 million in alleged losses across healthcare fraud, government program fraud and consumer scams. The department unveiled new federal-state partnerships, expanded data-sharing efforts and additional prosecutions including charges against four defendants accused of fraudulently obtaining over $1.4 million in COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program loans through false information submissions.