Turkish national added to FBI’s most-wanted fraudsters list, with $150,000 reward offered

The FBI has placed Turkish national Onur Şimşek on its newly created “Most Wanted Fugitives” list and is offering a $150,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest and conviction.

Şimşek is accused of participating in a defense procurement fraud scheme targeting the U.S. Department of Defense. The FBI alleges that, between April 2019 and February 2022, Şimşek and other individuals used a Florida company as a front to secure contracts for critical military components.

The FBI said the company claimed to be an approved and qualified U.S. manufacturer, while the components were actually produced in Turkey. The parts were then shipped to the United States and repackaged to make them appear compliant with U.S. manufacturing requirements and product specifications.

A federal arrest warrant was issued for Şimşek by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on October 25, 2023. The charges listed by the FBI include conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, wire fraud, money laundering, export-control violations, and violations of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 and the Arms Export Control Act.

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The company claimed to be an approved and qualified U.S. manufacturer, but the components at issue were actually manufactured in Turkey. The parts were then shipped to the United States and repackaged to appear compliant with U.S. manufacturing requirements and product specifications.