Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the indictment of two Minnesota residents, Shamso Ahmed Hassan, 55, and Hanaan Mursal Yusuf, 25, on multiple counts of fraud related to an alleged $46.6 million scheme to defraud Minnesota's Medicaid Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) Program. The indictment is part of a broader enforcement action by the U.S. Department of Justice's National Fraud Enforcement Division, which has resulted in indictments against 15 individuals for schemes targeting over $90 million in taxpayer funds.
Hassan, a shareholder in two autism centers, allegedly failed to disclose her ownership to the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Yusuf, who worked at one of the centers, is accused of submitting fraudulent claims for Medicaid reimbursement. The defendants allegedly paid kickbacks to families to encourage them to send their children to their centers, billing Medicaid for services that were either not provided or not eligible for reimbursement. Of the $46.6 million claimed, $21.6 million was reportedly paid out. The DOJ is seeking restitution for the funds. Both defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and money laundering, with additional charges for Yusuf related to healthcare fraud.