A nearly $11 million Medicaid fraud case in Hennepin County hit a wall this week when the man prosecutors call its mastermind skipped a key pretrial hearing. A judge promptly ordered his $150,000 bond forfeited, issued a nationwide arrest warrant and canceled the trial that had been set to start Monday.
Court records identify the defendant as 50-year-old Abdirashid Ismail Said of Fridley, who failed to appear for the hearing on Tuesday, according to KSTP. The station reports the judge signed the bond forfeiture order after Said did not show and that a nationwide arrest warrant is now in effect.
Charges And Allegations
The Minnesota Attorney General's Office says Said, described as the ringleader, coordinated billing through three home-health companies and faces charges including racketeering, aiding and abetting theft by swindle and perjury, according to the Minnesota Attorney General's Office. The AG has called it the office's largest Medicaid-fraud prosecution, saying the three agencies received more than $10.9 million while Said allegedly controlled them behind the scenes.
How The Scheme Worked
According to prosecutors, the complaint breaks down the alleged losses this way: about $997,000 billed for recipients who denied receiving services, roughly $300,000 in overbilled claims, more than $5.8 million for services that were not documented or were fraudulently documented, and about $4.6 million tied to false records, per the AG's release. “Minnesotans who receive Medical Assistance have a right to expect that they’ll receive all the care, dignity, and respect they’re entitled to,” Attorney General Keith Ellison said in the office’s statement.
State And Federal Scrutiny
The case is playing out against a backdrop of heightened federal scrutiny of Minnesota’s Medicaid program. Earlier this year, federal officials paused some Medicaid payments to the state over concerns about potentially fraudulent claims, a move that has sharpened attention on large billing schemes, according to AP News. That review and related actions have increased pressure on state investigators to pursue major fraud cases.
Next Steps And Legal Consequences
With his bond forfeited, prosecutors say Said is now the subject of a nationwide arrest warrant and the trial that had been set for Monday was canceled, according to court records reviewed by KSTP. Two co-defendants, Ali Abdirizak Ahmed and Said Awil Ibrahim, remain charged in Hennepin County. Authorities say the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is still probing the network and could bring additional charges.
Prosecutors who initially charged the case in December 2023 say more indictments could follow as the investigation continues, according to Bring Me The News. For now, prosecutors and their federal partners say the probe remains active while investigators work to locate Said.
