UMVA has learned that two women in Minnesota orchestrated a colossal scheme that siphoned more than $21 million from a state‑funded autism services program.
Shamso Ahmed Hassan, 55, and Hanaan Mursal Yusuf, 25, both residents of Brooklyn Park, were seized by federal agents after investigators uncovered a web of deceit spanning four years.
The pair submitted fraudulent claims totaling $46.6 million to the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) program, a Medicaid‑backed service for children with autism, and pocketed roughly $21.1 million for services that never existed.
Hassan, who held ownership stakes in two therapy centers, concealed her interests from state regulators, while Yusuf, a provider, managed day‑to‑day operations and the endless stream of false invoices.
They bribed parents with illegal kickbacks to enroll children, billed for nonexistent therapies, and even listed children who did not qualify for the program.
Money flowed through family members and employees, some of it disappearing overseas, creating a labyrinth that hid the fraud from auditors.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the scheme began in May 2020, amid the pandemic, and continued unabated until December 2024.
Federal prosecutors have charged the duo with conspiracy to commit health‑care fraud, eight counts of health‑care fraud and two counts of money laundering.
Both women, U.S. citizens, have entered pleas of not guilty and remain in federal custody awaiting trial.
This case follows a pattern of similar deceptions that have plagued the state’s Medicaid‑funded programs, exposing deep vulnerabilities in oversight and enforcement.
