WASHINGTON — FBI Director Kash Patel and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Minnesota on Friday to announce 17 local anti-fraud raids — as Bessent chastised Gov. Tim Walz as “woefully negligent” in protecting public funds.
Four alleged fraudsters were arrested for allegedly stealing $41 million from federal health programs.
“We’re taking action and we’re kicking butt,” Patel said at a press conference in St. Cloud.
“We’re here today to announce that just yesterday, FBI Minneapolis and our partners executed 17 search warrants in a single day to combine into a 26-count indictment,” he said.
“Three of those search warrants were at a child care center, two of those search warrants were at the residences of the owners of those centers, and two more of those search warrants were on the early intensive development and behavioral intervention unit here in Minnesota.”
Those busted in the roundup include Feisal Elmi of Aspen Associates, an autism services provider, who now faces 11 counts of healthcare fraud for an alleged $8 million ripoff.
Jama Mohamod of American Home Healthcare faces six counts of healthcare fraud totaling $3.27 million; Faiza Ahmed of Home Sweet Home, which billed for elderly and disabled care, faces eight for $10 million in alleged healthcare fraud; and Habiba Mohammed of Smart Therapy faces a count of conspiracy to defraud the US government of $20 million.
“The subjects intended to defraud thousands of victims of over $41 million, money that was supposed to go to those in need,” Patel said.
“They thought they could get away with their crimes. They did not succeed because of this team and the president and vice president’s anti-fraud task force.”
Vice President JD Vance, who was expected to attend the announcement, ultimately stayed in Washington due to an unspecified scheduling change.
Bessent tore into Walz, who is not seeking re-election after accepting blame for rampant fraud in the state.
“The Walz administration has been woefully negligent and turned a blind eye,” the treasury secretary said.
“The industrial scale fraud that Tim Walz shamefully and perhaps knowingly allowed to fester is the defining legacy of his administration.”
