PITSTOP‑66 defendant admits role in 'phantom' Medicaid rides to Twin Cities
A PITSTOP‑66 defendant has pleaded guilty after admitting involvement in a scheme that billed Medicaid for "phantom" medical rides to the Twin Cities. Federal prosecutors are seeking to seize alleged proceeds of the fraud, including cash, a luxury car and designer jewelry.
📌 Key Facts
- Nasro Takhal pleaded guilty Friday to two felony counts of aiding and abetting theft of Medicaid funds in Hennepin County.
- From 2019–2021, the PITSTOP‑66 scheme recruited Somali Americans in Faribault to take unnecessary trips to Twin Cities providers so conspirators could bill UCare for non‑emergency medical transportation and interpretation they didn’t legitimately provide.
- Prosecutors say the group also used 'invalid and fabricated' names on thousands of Medicaid claims; Takhal will be sentenced in October and ordered to pay over $300,000 in restitution.
- Non‑emergency medical transportation and interpreter services in this case are among the 14 Medicaid services Minnesota has flagged as high‑risk and recently frozen payments to amid a broader fraud crackdown.
📊 Relevant Data
All but eight of the 86 people charged in the meals, housing and autism therapy fraud cases in Minnesota, including the Feeding Our Future scheme, are of Somali ancestry.
How Fraud Swamped Minnesota's Social Services System — The New York Times
Somalis constitute approximately 1.12% of Minnesota's population but make up about 91% of the individuals charged in recent major fraud cases involving social services in the state.
Somali Population by State 2026 — World Population Review
36% of the Somali population in Minnesota lives below the poverty level.
Many Somali immigrants in Minnesota arrived as refugees fleeing civil war, with high poverty rates contributing to greater eligibility for welfare programs.
Somali Immigrants in Minnesota — Center for Immigration Studies
📰 Source Timeline (2)
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