A man accused of orchestrating an $11 million Medicaid fraud scheme in Minnesota skipped a scheduled court appearance this week, prompting a warrant for his arrest, authorities said.
Abdirashid Ismail Said, 50, failed to appear for a pretrial hearing in Hennepin County, forfeiting his bond, according to FOX 9, citing the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement that his office is working with federal authorities to locate Said.
“A warrant has been issued for Said’s arrest after he failed to appear for a pretrial hearing,” Ellison told 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 frustrating setback. However, I remain committed to doing everything I can to hold Said and other Medicaid fraudsters accountable.”
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.
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 complaint. --->READ MORE HERE
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. --->READ MORE HERE
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