Criminal Investigator Swarms Trigger New Fraud Takedowns In Minnesota, Officials Announce

Members of the White House Fraud Task Force assembled in St. Cloud, Minnesota on Friday to announce new takedowns in the state from ongoing fraud investigations across government agencies.

Key Trump administration officials from the FBI, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Treasury Department announced the fruits of their combined efforts investigating and prosecuting fraud across Minnesota at a press conference in the city.

“In many ways, the war on fraud, our nation’s war on fraud, started right here in Minnesota,” CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said during the press conference. “We have been doing a lot of work in Minnesota, as we have in many other states. The problems here are not unique to Minnesota, but they are particularly evident in Minnesota.”

Vice President JD Vance — the head of the White House Fraud Task Force — cancelled his appearance in St. Cloud hours before the event, a spokesperson from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota told the Minnesota Star Tribune. The Attorney’s Office did not provide a reason for the cancellation, per the outlet.

“This FBI followed the money,” Director Kash Patel said. “This FBI will put in prison anyone who commits fraud anywhere in the world against any American citizen.”

The FBI in Minneapolis executed 17 search warrants on Thursday to combine into a 26-count indictment, Patel announced. The Bureau and interagency partners arrested four of the alleged childcare center and healthcare center fraudsters: Feisal Elmi, of Aspen Associates, charged with 11 counts of healthcare fraud and $8 million in intended loss; Jama Mohamod, of American Home Health Care, charged with six counts of healthcare fraud and $3.27 million in intended loss; Faiza Ahmed, of Home Sweet Home, charged with eight counts of healthcare fraud and $10 million in intended fraud; and Habiba Mohamed, of Smart Therapy, charged with 1 count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, totaling nearly $20 million in intended fraud and loss