The FBI is offering a hefty reward for information that leads them to a Minneapolis man accused of pocketing millions of dollars meant to feed hungry children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal authorities announced a reward of up to $150,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Said Abdullahi Ereg, who has been has been wanted for over two years.
According to the FBI, Ereg operated a grocery store and deli in South Minneapolis. During the pandemic, the business enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of the non-profit organization Feeding Our Future.
RELATED: Feeding Our Future ringleader sentenced to over 41 years in federal child nutrition scheme
Feds say the business was used as a front for massive fraud. Between April 2020 and April 2021, the deli allegedly claimed to have served more than 1.4 million meals to children in need….
PROCUREMENT & EXPENDITURE (STOPPING KICKBACKS)
Procurement fraud usually involves inflated invoices or “fictitious” vendors.
- The Three-Way Match: Never pay an invoice unless you have matched the Purchase Order (PO), the Delivery Note (signed), and the Supplier Invoice.
- Vendor Master File Review: Review your vendor list annually. Look for suppliers with the same bank details or physical addresses as your employees.
- Dual Authorization: Implement a “Two-to-Sign” rule for all EFT payments above a certain threshold (e.g., R5,000).
- No “Cashing” of Checks: If you still use physical checks, strictly prohibit “Cash” as a payee and store blank checks in a dual-lock safe.