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A person accused of orchestrating an $11 million Medicaid fraud scheme in Minnesota skipped a scheduled court look this week, prompting a warrant for his arrest, authorities mentioned.
Abdirashid Ismail Said, 50, failed to seem for a pretrial listening to in Hennepin County, forfeiting his bond, in accordance FOX 9, citing the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison mentioned in a press release that his workplace is working with federal authorities to find Said.
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“A warrant has been issued for Said’s arrest after he failed to appear for a pretrial hearing,” Ellison advised the outlet. “My Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is working with federal law enforcement to locate Said and ensure he faces justice for the fraud he committed.
“This is a deeply irritating setback. However, I stay dedicated to doing every part I can to carry Said and different Medicaid fraudsters accountable.”
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. (Tom Brenner/AP Photo)
Said posted a $150,000 unconditional bond to avoid stricter conditions, including surrendering his passport, while a $50,000 conditional bond would have required it, according to FOX 9. Investigators also raised concerns about Said’s potential to flee, citing family ties abroad, according to FOX 9.
Prosecutors charged Said with racketeering and multiple counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle in an alleged scheme that defrauded Minnesota’s Medicaid program of nearly $11 million, according to a criminal grievance.
The grievance alleges Said carried out the scheme from 2019 by way of 2023 by secretly working a number of Medicaid-funded home health care agencies regardless of being barred from working with such packages after a previous fraud conviction.
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz fields questions during a news conference about federal detention of children at the Capitol Feb. 3, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Authorities said Said and his co-conspirators billed Medicaid for services that were never provided, weren’t properly recorded or were backed by fake paperwork. Investigators also allege the group billed for services that weren’t eligible for payment and charged more than they should have.
According to court documents, the scheme involved millions of dollars in fraudulent billing, including more than $4.6 million paid to one agency based on falsified documentation. Investigators also found nearly $1 million was billed for clients who denied receiving services, along with more than $300,000 in overbilling and more than $5.8 million in claims that were not documented or were fraudulently documented.
Court records show Said was convicted of Medicaid fraud in 2022, ordered to pay $77,000 and barred from working with any Medicaid-funded agency, a restriction prosecutors allege he later violated.
Joe Thompson was the lead prosecutor who helped uncover the massive $250 million Feeding Our Future food fraud case tied to the state’s Somali community. (AP Newsroom)
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 acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson has suggested fraud across some programs could total billions of dollars, potentially reaching $9 billion.
State officials have faced ongoing questions about oversight of taxpayer-funded programs, with critics pointing to additional fraud cases involving Medicaid and welfare spending.
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Ellison, whose office has prosecuted multiple fraud cases, appeared before Congress earlier this year to address concerns about enforcement and oversight.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota for additional comment.
