Story perspectives

DOJ Indicts 15 in $90M Minnesota Autism Medicaid Fraud

5/22/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The U.S. Department of Justice indicted 15 people for an alleged $90 million fraud across seven Minnesota Medicaid programs in Minneapolis.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald called the cases unprecedented and the largest autism-related fraud ever charged.
Suspect Muhammad Omar evaded Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) detention by leaping from a fourth-floor balcony during the attempted arrest.
Federal officials suspended hundreds of millions of Medicaid payments to Minnesota pending corrective actions.

History

Historical Context

After the DOJ earmarked $100 million in 1997 and launched the inter-agency Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action Team in 2009, federal agents recovered billions from Medicaid and Medicare scams and tightened oversight. The recent Minnesota indictment of 15 providers, alleging a $90 million autism-service fraud, follows that same federal pattern of large-scale health-care fraud prosecutions.

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Story summary

The U.S. Department of Justice indicted 15 people for an alleged $90 million fraud across seven Minnesota Medicaid programs in Minneapolis.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald called the cases unprecedented and the largest autism-related fraud ever charged.
Suspect Muhammad Omar evaded Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) detention by leaping from a fourth-floor balcony during the attempted arrest.
Federal officials suspended hundreds of millions of Medicaid payments to Minnesota pending corrective actions.

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