Minnesota fraud suspect skips court, forfeits bond, throwing $11M Medicaid case into doubt

A antheral accused of orchestrating an $11 cardinal Medicaid fraud strategy successful Minnesota skipped a scheduled tribunal quality this week, prompting a warrant for his arrest, authorities said.

Abdirashid Ismail Said, 50, failed to look for a pre-trial proceeding successful Hennepin County, forfeiting his bond, according FOX 9, citing the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said successful a connection that his bureau is moving with national authorities to find Said.

"A warrant has been issued for Said's apprehension aft helium failed to look for a pre-trial hearing," Ellison told the outlet. "My Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is moving with national instrumentality enforcement to find Said and guarantee helium faces justness for the fraud helium committed. This is simply a profoundly frustrating setback, however, I stay committed to doing everything I tin to clasp Said and different Medicaid fraudsters accountable."

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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks during a Senate Homeland Security Committee proceeding connected Capitol Hill. (Tom Brenner/AP Photo)

Said posted a $150,000 unconditional enslaved to debar stricter conditions, including surrendering his passport, portion a $50,000 conditional enslaved would person required it, according to FOX 9. Investigators besides raised concerns astir Said’s imaginable to flee, citing household ties abroad, according to FOX 9.

Prosecutors charged Said with racketeering and aggregate counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle successful transportation with an alleged strategy that defrauded Minnesota’s Medicaid programme of astir $11 million, according to the transgression complaint.

The ailment alleges Said carried retired the strategy — from 2019 done 2023 — by secretly operating aggregate Medicaid-funded location wellness attraction agencies contempt being barred from moving with specified programs pursuing a anterior fraud conviction.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz fields questions during a property league astir national detention of children astatine the State Capitol gathering connected Feb. 3, 2026, successful St. Paul, Minnesota.  (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Authorities said Said and his co-conspirators billed Medicaid for services that were ne'er provided, weren’t decently recorded oregon were backed by fake paperwork. Investigators besides allege the radical billed for services that weren’t eligible for outgo and charged much than they should have.

According to tribunal documents, the strategy progressive millions of dollars successful fraudulent billing, including much than $4.6 cardinal paid to 1 bureau based connected falsified documentation. Investigators besides recovered astir $1 cardinal was billed for clients who denied receiving services, on with much than $300,000 successful overbilling and much than $5.8 cardinal successful claims that were not documented oregon were fraudulently documented.

Court records amusement Said was convicted of Medicaid fraud successful 2022, ordered to wage $77,000 and barred from moving with immoderate Medicaid-funded bureau — a regularisation prosecutors allege helium aboriginal violated.

Joe Thompson was the pb authoritative that helped uncover the monolithic $250 cardinal Feeding Our Future nutrient fraud lawsuit tied to the state's Somali community. (AP Newsroom)

The lawsuit has raised caller concerns astir oversight of taxpayer-funded programs, arsenic authorities leaders, including Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, person faced mounting disapproval implicit their handling of fraud successful Minnesota.

The improvement comes amid broader concerns implicit fraud successful Minnesota, including the sprawling "Feeding Our Future" case, successful which prosecutors allege defendants created fake repast programs and fraudulently claimed much than $250 cardinal successful national funds.

Former Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson has suggested fraud crossed immoderate programs could full billions of dollars, perchance reaching $9 billion.

State officials person faced ongoing questions astir oversight of taxpayer-funded programs, with critics pointing to further fraud cases involving Medicaid and payment spending.

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Ellison, whose bureau has brought aggregate fraud cases, appeared earlier Congress earlier this twelvemonth to code concerns astir enforcement and oversight.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota for further comment.