Estimates are that the social services fraud industry in Minnesota over the last few years has cost taxpayers billions. The corruption appears to have been centered on a Somali immigrant-dominated district represented by Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat who was born in Somalia.
Sometimes the schemes were as simple as registering a “care” facility with the state and then sending in bills for hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars even though no services were provided.
Other analysts have found that virtually every child in the Somali-majority community in which the fraud thrived were “autistic,” which qualified them for additional benefits.
Some have suggested state officials knew about all the hanky-panky going on, and might even have benefited. It’s reach the point the state House has scheduled impeachment hearings for Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison.
But now the situation has taken a darker turn, with a man accused of orchestrating an $11 million Medicaid fraud skipping his scheduled court appearance, and apparently, the country.
A report posted at Fox News said an arrest warrant was issued for Abdirashid Ismail Said, 50, after he refused to appear for a hearing in Hennepin County.
The failure meant he forfeited the $150,000 bond he had posted, which was in lieu of a $50,000 bond that would have required he give up his passport.
Ellison claimed his office is working with other authorities to chase the suspect.
“This is a deeply frustrating setback, however, I remain committed to doing everything I can to hold Said and other Medicaid fraudsters accountable,” he said.
Investigators already have noted that Said has family ties overseas, suggesting his flight direction.
The criminal complaint against Said suggests from 2019 to 2023 he secretly ran many Medicaid-fuinded home health care agencies, which he was allowed to do even though he was barred from such programs because of an earlier fraud conviction.
🚨 BREAKING: Somali immigrant, suspected in an $11 MILLION FRAUD CASE in Minnesota and with a prior fraud conviction, FLED the country days before his trial.
Abdirashid Ismail Said, 48, was charged in December 2023 with leading an $11 million Medicaid fraud scheme in Minnesota,… pic.twitter.com/qr5gUT6h4V
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) April 10, 2026
BREAKING: Minnesota impeachment hearings for Gov. Tim Walz start next week. pic.twitter.com/aj4qbGYeCf
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) April 10, 2026
Keith Ellison (@AGEllison) finally prosecutes a major fraud case and lets the guy keep his passport so he can flee the country.
Abdirashid Said, a suspect in a massive $10.9M Medicaid fraud scheme in Minnesota, has fled the country just days before his hearing.
Hennepin County… pic.twitter.com/4DIaTA6Ky4
— C-Reason🇺🇸 (@CreasonJana) April 11, 2026
Bills were submitted to Medicaid programs for services never provided, weren’t recorded and were backed by fake paperwork.
The report said Said had been convicted of Medicaid fraud in 2022 and ordered to pay $77,000. The newest charges involve $4.6 million based on falsified documentation. Investigators also found there were clients who denied receiving services, $300,000 in overbilling and more than $5.8 million in claims that were not documented or were fraudulently documented.
Fox’s report pointed out, “The case has raised new concerns about oversight of taxpayer-funded programs, as state leaders, including Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, have faced mounting criticism over their handling of fraud in Minnesota. The development comes amid broader concerns over fraud in Minnesota, including the sprawling ‘Feeding Our Future’ case, in which prosecutors allege defendants created fake meal programs and fraudulently claimed more than $250 million in federal funds.”
Former federal officials have estimated the loss in the immigrant community at $9 billion.
