Somali Scam in Minnesota - Your Tax Dollars At Work
Segment #677
Trump, Bondi, and Patel know that they have to pay attention to this Somali corruption or accept its spread to every Dem city in the country.
History of Somali Autism Clinics in Minnesota
Minnesota, particularly Minneapolis, is home to one of the largest Somali-American communities in the U.S., with estimates of 80,000–100,000 residents of Somali descent. This population's engagement with autism services began with genuine community health concerns in the late 2000s but evolved into a mix of expanded support programs and, more recently, widespread fraud allegations. The narrative spans public health research, culturally tailored clinics, and federal probes into Medicaid abuse.
Early Concerns and Research (2008–2013)
2008 Community Alerts: Somali parents and educators in Minneapolis noticed a disproportionate number of Somali children (up to 25% of students in special education autism programs, despite Somalis comprising only 6% of the student body) enrolled in the Minneapolis Public Schools' Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Citywide ASD Classroom Program. This sparked fears of a potential "autism cluster" in the community, where autism was unfamiliar—lacking even a native Somali word until "otismo" was coined locally.
2009 Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Study: Confirmed 2–7 times higher enrollment rates for Somali preschoolers in autism services compared to non-Somali peers. Limitations included reliance on service data rather than direct prevalence tracking, but it highlighted possible factors like better outreach, cultural stigma delaying diagnoses elsewhere, or true higher rates. No evidence of fraud; focus was on awareness and access.
2010–2013 University of Minnesota Prevalence Project: Funded by the CDC and Autism Speaks, this landmark study (released 2013) examined 7–9-year-olds in Minneapolis. Key findings:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) rate: 1 in 32 Somali children vs. 1 in 36 white children (both above national average); lower for Black (1 in 62) and Hispanic (1 in 80) children.
Somali children were more likely to have intellectual disabilities alongside ASD and faced diagnosis delays (average age 5, but often later due to cultural barriers).
Emphasized no genetic "cause" tied to Somali heritage; instead, factors like vitamin D deficiency (from traditional dress limiting sun exposure) or refugee trauma were hypothesized. The study urged better cultural competency in services.
Minnesota businessman and former legislator David Gaither gives a tour of Minneapolis’ ‘Little Mogadishu’ a town rampant with corruption and violent crime.
This era shifted focus to support, not suspicion, with Somali families advocating for culturally sensitive care amid stigma and denial.Expansion of Clinics and Support Networks (2011–2019)
2011: First Culturally Responsive Program: St. David's Center launched Minnesota's inaugural East African Autism Day Treatment program in partnership with Somali leaders. It provided therapy (e.g., speech, occupational) by East African staff fluent in Somali, emphasizing family empowerment.
2014: Somali Parents Autism Network (SPAN): Founded by Somali-American parents, SPAN aimed to educate families via outreach, reducing stigma and connecting to early interventions. It remains active, offering workshops and resources.
Broader Growth: By 2018–2019, autism claims to Medicaid's Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) program—covering ABA therapy and skills training for under-21s—rose from $3 million to $54–77 million annually. Providers surged from 41 to over 100, many Somali-owned for "culturally appropriate" care. Genuine need grew: Recent CDC-funded data (2024) shows 1 in 16 Somali 4-year-olds diagnosed (vs. 1 in 53 statewide), attributed to increased awareness, earlier referrals, and possible underdiagnosis in milder cases previously mislabeled as language barriers.
This period saw clinics like Smart Therapy (founded 2019) emerge to meet demand, but it also sowed seeds for oversight issues amid rapid expansion.Fraud Allegations and Investigations (2020–2025)Post-2020, EIDBI claims exploded to $183 million (2021), $279 million (2022), $399 million (2023), and ~$400 million (2024), totaling over $1.4 billion. Providers ballooned 700% to 328, with ~1 in 5 under state probe by 2024. Whistleblowers cited fake diagnoses, ghost therapies, and kickbacks, often tied to the Somali community. Clinics like Smart Therapy and Star Autism Center allegedly double-dipped into the $250 million Feeding Our Future (FOS) food fraud (2020–2022), billing for nonexistent child meals alongside therapies.
State-Level Scrutiny: Minnesota DHS opened 85 investigations by 2024; of 5 closed cases, all involved Somalis. Examples: Billing 21–23 hours/day per therapist; services "delivered" while staff were in Kenya/Turkey.
Federal Escalation: Linked to FOS probes, the FBI raided ~100 clinics in Dec. 2024. By 2025, fraud diverted billions across programs (food, housing, autism), harming legitimate needs.
FBI and DOJ Findings
The FBI and DOJ, via the U.S. Attorney's Office (District of Minnesota), have uncovered a "web" of interconnected frauds since 2022, estimating billions stolen statewide. Autism-specific probes, spun off from FOS, focus on EIDBI abuse. Key revelations (as of Nov. 2025):Core Autism Fraud Scheme
Sept. 2025 Indictment: First charge against Asha Farhan Hassan (28, Somali-American), owner of Smart Therapy, for $14 million wire fraud (2019–2024). Tactics:
Recruited Somali families with cash kickbacks ($300–$1,500/child/month) to enroll kids, even without ASD diagnoses.
Colluded with "Qualified Service Professionals" (QSPs) for sham evaluations/treatment plans.
Hired unqualified teens (e.g., 18-year-old relatives) for "therapy"; billed Medicaid/DHS/UCare despite no services.
Parents threatened to switch clinics for higher payouts, indicating industry-wide kickbacks.
Ongoing Probes: 77+ total indictments across schemes; more autism charges expected. FBI/HHS-OIG/IRS raids (Dec. 2024) hit Smart Therapy and Star Autism Center, uncovering "substantial evidence" of unprovided services. Whistleblowers (e.g., ex-employee reports ignored by state) aided leads.
Broader Patterns and Terrorism Ties
Interconnected Scams: Autism fraud overlaps with FOS ($250M, 77 charged) and Housing Stabilization Services (HSS, $18M+). Many defendants Somali; e.g., Sharmarke Issa (FOS guilty plea) linked to autism cases. Funds bought Kenya real estate or vanished overseas.
Terror Financing: A Nov. 2025 City Journal report (citing ex-FBI counterterrorism officials) traces millions via hawalas (informal Somali transfers) to Somalia. Al-Shabaab (al-Qaeda affiliate) allegedly skims 10–20% in controlled areas, regardless of intent. Quote from source: "The largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer." No specific dollar trails to terrorists in public DOJ docs, but probes continue; Rep. Mike Johnson highlighted in Congress.
Impact: Diverts resources from real ASD families (e.g., Somali kids face 3x state diagnosis rate). Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson: "Schemes stacked upon schemes... draining resources meant for those in need."
Aspect
Pre-2020 (Legitimate Growth)
2020–2025 (Fraud Era)
EIDBI Claims - $3M (2018) → $77M (2020) - $183M+ annually; $1.4B total
Providers - 41 (2018) - 328 (2023); 1/5 probed
Diagnosis Rate (Somali 4-Year-Olds) - 1 in 32 (2013 est.) - 1 in 16 (2024); triple state avg.
Key Cases
MDH/UMN studies
Hassan ($14M); 85 state probes
Funds Flow
Local services
Hawalas → Somalia; Al-Shabaab skim
Investigations persist; DOJ emphasizes this isn't community-wide but a "network" exploiting vulnerabilities.
For updates, check justice.gov/usao-mn. Somali leaders like SPAN stress most families seek genuine help amid stigma.