DOJ Fraud Surge in Minnesota: 13 Defendants in Medicaid, SNAP and Child-Meal Cases

What happened

Justice Department prosecutors, working with the District of Minnesota, rolled out a batch of cases on Friday targeting abuse of Medicaid and SNAP ^[1]. The department counts 13 defendants who, from Sept. 30 on, were charged, found guilty or given prison terms, with alleged or proven schemes it ties to nearly $83 million in intended losses ^[1]. Roughly $29.1 million of that total stems from the fresh charges ^[1].

Newly filed cases target claims sent to Minnesota's EIDBI autism therapy program, home-support programs and the Integrated Community Supports Program ^[1]. A complaint arising from Operation Cold SNAP accuses a Blaine store's manager and a clerk of swapping food benefits for cash ^[1]. The tally also includes a jury verdict, two pleas and prison terms, among them 360 months for Salim Ahmed Said over the $250 million Feeding Our Future scheme ^[1].

How it affects Americans

The release calls both programs taxpayer-funded, and the losses it tallies are to the federal government, so the bill reaches taxpayers well beyond Minnesota ^[1]. Investigators have sent out over 1,000 subpoenas and served over 40 premises warrants in the state this year, the department says ^[1]. Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter called it the "Trump administration's crackdown" and said it "is working" ^[1].

The Veil Press view

Programs meant for children, people with disabilities and the poor deserve strict oversight, and prosecutors describe an alarming concentration of fraud in Minnesota ^[1]. Still, most of the new cases are charges, not convictions ^[1]. Charging papers are only allegations, and each accused person keeps the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty ^[1].

What we know

Confirmed

• The surge covers 13 defendants from Sept. 30 onward ^[1].
• The department puts intended losses near $83 million, with about $29.1 million in new cases ^[1].
• Feisal Mohamed Elmi, 46, of New Brighton, is charged with eleven counts of health care fraud tied to an alleged $8.2 million EIDBI scheme ^[1].
• Muna Wais Fidhin, 45, of Savage, was found guilty on Oct. 21 after a three-week jury trial ^[1].
• SaidFarah, 44, of Minneapolis, was sentenced on Oct. 30 for bribery of a juror ^[1].

Still being reported

• How much of the alleged losses will be recovered has not been stated ^[1].
• Defense responses to the new charges were not included in the release ^[1].