Six charged as Minnesota Medicaid probes expand
Federal prosecutors charged six people — Hassan Ahmed Hussein, Ahmed Abdirashid Mohamed, Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, Kaamil Omar Sallah, Anthony Waddell Jefferson, and Lester Brown — in alleged fraud schemes tied to autism and housing stability programs, as investigations expand into Minnesota’s Medicaid system. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson called it 'industrial scale' fraud, noting about $350 million has been proven so far, 92 people have been charged across programs, and a significant portion of $18 billion spent on 14 high‑risk programs since 2018 could be fraudulent.
📌 Key Facts
- Defendants charged: Hassan Ahmed Hussein; Ahmed Abdirashid Mohamed; Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf; Kaamil Omar Sallah; Anthony Waddell Jefferson; Lester Brown
- Prosecutors say ~92 people have been charged to date across related Minnesota program-fraud cases
- About $350 million in fraud has been proven so far; state has identified 14 'high-risk' programs totaling $18B since 2018
📊 Relevant Data
The majority of those charged and convicted in the Feeding Our Future scheme are of Somali descent.
2 Philly men defrauded Minnesota aid programs after hearing state was 'easy target,' indictments say — CBS News
Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the United States with 64,354 Somalis, making up 1.12% of the state's total population.
Somali Population by State 2025 — World Population Review
The poverty rate among the Somali population in Minnesota is 36%, compared to the state's overall poverty rate of 9.3%.
73.9% of Somali Minnesotans have a high school degree or higher, compared to 94.3% for Minnesota overall.
Latest Data on Somali Minnesotans 2024 — Empowering Strategies
Somali children in Minnesota have a higher prevalence of autism spectrum disorder, with 1 in 21 diagnosed compared to 1 in 44 overall in the state.
New, positive terms for autism help Somalis build acceptance — Sahan Journal