Two Minnesota Somali women are accused of defrauding Medicaid of over $21 million through false claims submitted over four years and have been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Two Minnesota Somali women, Shamso Ahmed Hassan and Hanaan Mursal Yusuf, were arrested on charges of health care fraud and money laundering after allegedly stealing over $21 million in taxpayer funds through Medicaid fraud. 📺 DETAIL: Prosecutors allege the pair used Hassan-owned companies, Smart Therapy Center LLC and Star Autism Center LLC, to submit false Medicaid claims over a four-year period that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities said the scheme defrauded taxpayers of approximately $21.1 million. Hassan is a naturalized U.S. citizen, Yusuf is also a U.S. citizen. Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is intensifying efforts to combat fraud in Minnesota and vowed to stop the misuse of taxpayer funds. Both suspects remain in federal custody pending judicial proceedings. Some estimate that the total cost of fraud in Minnesota, much of it linked to the Somali community, could total billions of dollars. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “Their Medicaid fraud scheme started during the COVID pandemic and lasted for four years. ICE continues to zero in on the rampant fraud in Minnesota. Under [Homeland Security] Secretary [Markwayne] Mullin, we will end the defrauding of the American people,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. 🎯 IMPACT: The arrests highlight an ongoing effort by federal authorities to address widespread Medicaid fraud, particularly in Minnesota, with significant taxpayer funds at stake. |
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.
show less