A 27-year-old Minnesota man who founded and led a purported autism treatment center serving the state’s Somali community pleaded guilty Monday to orchestrating a multimillion-dollar Medicaid fraud scheme, according to federal prosecutors.
The U.S. Department of Justice charged Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf in December 2025 with submitting fraudulent claims under Minnesota’s Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) program. Prosecutors alleged that Yussuf and associates obtained more than $6 million through false billing and kickback arrangements. He entered a guilty plea this week and is expected to face roughly five years in prison at sentencing.
Yussuf was the president and CEO of Star Autism Center LLC, which he founded in 2020 at age 22. The center claimed to provide one-on-one therapy services for children with autism. According to reporting from KARE and details from the United States Department of Justice, Yussuf admitted during his plea hearing that he did not personally know individuals with autism.
Federal investigators alleged that Star Autism hired unqualified teenagers to work as “behavioral technicians” and recruited Minnesota parents of Somali descent to enroll their children in EIDBI services — even if the children were not autistic. Prosecutors said the center paid monthly cash kickbacks to parents based on the level of services authorized by the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
Authorities further alleged that Yussuf and his associates submitted millions of dollars in Medicaid reimbursement claims that were inflated, billed without providers’ knowledge, or for services never rendered. The DOJ said Yussuf shared in the proceeds of the scheme and used funds for personal expenses, including purchasing a freightliner semi-truck for more than $100,000 and transferring over $200,000 to Kenya.
The case is part of a broader federal crackdown on health care fraud in Minnesota. In February, Vice President JD Vance and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz announced new enforcement measures to combat Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Those steps included deferring $259.5 million in quarterly Medicaid funding to Minnesota and imposing a nationwide moratorium on Medicare enrollment for certain suppliers.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump announced the creation of a new Department of Justice Division for National Fraud Enforcement, citing concerns about large-scale public benefits fraud. Federal authorities have brought multiple cases in Minnesota in recent years involving alleged misuse of public funds.
Yussuf’s sentencing date has not yet been announced. Federal officials say the investigation remains ongoing as they continue to pursue other individuals connected to the scheme.
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Five years for scamming $6+ MILLION?
When he gets out, will he be able to access some or all of that money?
The VERY minimum this crook should get is 20 years. MINIMUM!