St. Cloud Autism Center Owner Charged with Wire Fraud in $6M Scandal
TL/DR –
The owner of Star Autism Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, has been charged with one count of wire fraud. Yussuf is alleged to have devised a scheme to defraud the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention benefit, a publicly-funded Minnesota Health Care Program providing services to individuals under 21 with autism spectrum disorder, obtaining over $6 million in reimbursement funds. The alleged fraud took place between late 2020 and December 2024, with the business accused of employing unqualified individuals and paying kickbacks to parents who enrolled their children, among other tactics.
Minnesota’s Autism Fraud Scandal
St. Cloud is at the core of Minnesota’s recent fraud scandal. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota announced on Dec. 18 that Star Autism Center in St. Cloud’s owner, Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, was charged with one count of wire fraud.
Allegations Against Star Autism Center
Yussuf allegedly defrauded the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) benefit – a public Minnesota Health Care Program benefitting individuals under 21 with autism – according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota, Daniel N. Rosen. The St. Cloud-based Star Autism Center allegedly submitted fraudulent Medicaid claims totaling millions of dollars.
Claims and Repercussions
Yussuf supposedly used fraudulently obtained EIDBI funds exceeding $6 million to purchase a freightliner semi-truck and transfer over $200,000 to Kenya. This autism fraud scheme allegedly unfolded from late 2020 through December 2024. Additionally, Asha Farhan Hassan pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud connected to a $14 million autism fraud scheme and awaits sentencing.
Investigation Updates
These cases result from investigations by several federal agencies, including the FBI and IRS. In addition, Minnesota is auditing approximately $18 billion in state-run Medicaid programs. U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson suggested on Dec. 18 that “half or more” of that sum might be fraudulent. “The fraud is not small. It isn’t isolated. It’s a staggering, industrial-scale fraud swamping Minnesota”, Thompson stated.
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