Minnesota Medicaid Fraud Suspect Skips Court, Forfeits $150,000 Bond in $11 Million Case
Minnesota prosecutors say Abdirashid Ismail Said, 50, accused of orchestrating an alleged $11 million Medicaid fraud scheme, failed to appear for a pre‑trial hearing in Hennepin County this week, triggering a warrant for his arrest and the forfeiture of his $150,000 unconditional bond. Said is charged with racketeering and multiple counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle for allegedly secretly running multiple Medicaid‑funded home‑health agencies between 2019 and 2023 despite being barred from such work after a 2022 Medicaid‑fraud conviction that included a $77,000 restitution order. According to the criminal complaint, investigators say the operation billed Medicaid for services that were never provided, were ineligible, or were backed by falsified or missing documentation, including nearly $1 million for clients who denied receiving care and more than $4.6 million to a single agency based on falsified records. Attorney General Keith Ellison said his Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is working with federal law enforcement to locate Said, calling the no‑show a "deeply frustrating setback" but vowing to hold him and other Medicaid fraudsters accountable amid broader scrutiny of Minnesota’s oversight following the separate $250 million "Feeding Our Future" scandal. Critics online are seizing on Said’s ability to post an unconditional bond and keep his passport as evidence that the state remains too lax with high‑dollar fraud defendants tied to taxpayer‑funded programs.
📌 Key Facts
- Abdirashid Ismail Said, 50, missed a scheduled pre‑trial hearing in Hennepin County, Minnesota, leading to an arrest warrant and forfeiture of his $150,000 unconditional bond.
- Said is charged with racketeering and multiple counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle in an alleged scheme that prosecutors say defrauded Minnesota’s Medicaid program of nearly $11 million from 2019 to 2023.
- The complaint alleges he secretly operated multiple Medicaid‑funded home‑health agencies despite a 2022 Medicaid‑fraud conviction that barred him from working with such programs and ordered about $77,000 in restitution.
- Investigators say the scheme included more than $4.6 million paid to one agency based on falsified documentation, nearly $1 million billed for clients who denied receiving services, over $300,000 in overbilling, and more than $5.8 million in undocumented or fraudulently documented claims.
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said his Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is working with federal authorities to locate Said and ensure he faces justice, while the case fuels political criticism of state oversight of Medicaid and other taxpayer‑funded programs.
📊 Relevant Data
Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the United States, with approximately 107,000 people identifying as Somali according to recent census data, representing about 1.9% of the state's total population of 5.7 million.
By the numbers: Minnesota's Somali population, according to census data — KTTC
Somali immigrants began arriving in Minnesota in large numbers in the 1990s primarily as refugees fleeing the Somali Civil War, facilitated by U.S. refugee resettlement programs that directed them to the state due to available jobs, affordable housing, and existing community networks.
How Minnesota became a hub for Somali immigrants in the U.S. — NPR
In Minnesota, federal prosecutors have charged nearly 100 individuals, the majority being Somali immigrants, in connection with fraud schemes involving over $9 billion in Medicaid and other social services, indicating an overrepresentation relative to the Somali population's 1.9% share of the state.
U.S. Attorney: Fraud likely exceeds $9 billion in Minnesota-run Medicaid services — Minnesota Reformer
In Minnesota, Black residents, who make up about 7% of the population, represent 15% of the Medicaid population, while White residents, 80% of the population, represent 57% of Medicaid enrollees, showing disparities in enrollment rates.
Distribution of the Medicaid Population by Race/Ethnicity — KFF
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