$11M Medicaid fraud suspect flees US after judge lets him post bail, keep passport
A Minnesota fraud suspect has fled the country after a judge freed him with an unconditional bond and let him keep his passport.
The suspect, 50-year-old Abdirashid Ismail Said, allegedly stole $11 million from Minnesota’s Medicaid program while managing “three companies offering personal care assistant services,” according to station KSTP.
Said now faces 10 felony counts as per what Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office has called the largest Medicaid fraud it’s ever prosecuted. The problem is that he’s since disappeared.
“Court documents show a judge set bond at $50,000 with conditions, including surrendering a passport, and at $150,00 with no conditions,” KSTP notes. “Said posted the unconditional bond on Dec. 8, 2023.”
The unconditional bond included a stipulation allowing him to keep his passport.
In fairness to the judge, Minnesota law strangely requires judges to set both a conditional and unconditional bond in most cases.
On the other hand, the detective handling his case had warned that he was a flight risk because his wife and child live in Kenya.
“Given the nature and severity of the charges, and SAID’s familial ties outside the jurisdiction of Minnesota, I believe there is a potential SAID may flee, hide, or otherwise prevent the execution of the warrant,” the detective wrote in a complaint, according to station KMSP.
After being freed, Said continued to show up to his hearings until April 7, when he skipped a pretrial hearing, prompting the bond to be forfeited and an active warrant to be issued for his immediate arrest.
The problem is that he’s since fled the country.
“[A]ccording to multiple sources, he has instead successfully fled the country,” station KARE reported on Friday.
Ellison has claimed he’s doing everything in his power to find Said.
“A warrant has been issued for Mr. Said’s arrest after he failed to appear for a pre-trial hearing,” he said in a statement. “My Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is working with federal law enforcement to locate Said and ensure he faces justice for the fraud he committed.”
“This is a deeply frustrating setback, however I remain committed to doing everything I can to hold Said and other Medicaid fraudsters accountable,” he added.
In Said’s case, he’s reportedly a habitual abuser. Before this whole affair, he was previously convicted of Medicaid fraud and barred from ever working with a Medicaid-funded agency again.
The suspect, 50-year-old Abdirashid Ismail Said, allegedly stole $11 million from Minnesota’s Medicaid program while managing “three companies offering personal care assistant services,” according to station KSTP.
Said now faces 10 felony counts as per what Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office has called the largest Medicaid fraud it’s ever prosecuted. The problem is that he’s since disappeared.
“Court documents show a judge set bond at $50,000 with conditions, including surrendering a passport, and at $150,00 with no conditions,” KSTP notes. “Said posted the unconditional bond on Dec. 8, 2023.”
The unconditional bond included a stipulation allowing him to keep his passport.
In fairness to the judge, Minnesota law strangely requires judges to set both a conditional and unconditional bond in most cases.
On the other hand, the detective handling his case had warned that he was a flight risk because his wife and child live in Kenya.
“Given the nature and severity of the charges, and SAID’s familial ties outside the jurisdiction of Minnesota, I believe there is a potential SAID may flee, hide, or otherwise prevent the execution of the warrant,” the detective wrote in a complaint, according to station KMSP.
After being freed, Said continued to show up to his hearings until April 7, when he skipped a pretrial hearing, prompting the bond to be forfeited and an active warrant to be issued for his immediate arrest.
The problem is that he’s since fled the country.
“[A]ccording to multiple sources, he has instead successfully fled the country,” station KARE reported on Friday.
Ellison has claimed he’s doing everything in his power to find Said.
“A warrant has been issued for Mr. Said’s arrest after he failed to appear for a pre-trial hearing,” he said in a statement. “My Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is working with federal law enforcement to locate Said and ensure he faces justice for the fraud he committed.”
“This is a deeply frustrating setback, however I remain committed to doing everything I can to hold Said and other Medicaid fraudsters accountable,” he added.
In Said’s case, he’s reportedly a habitual abuser. Before this whole affair, he was previously convicted of Medicaid fraud and barred from ever working with a Medicaid-funded agency again.
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