U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced the indictments of 15 individuals following the takedown of a $90 million Medicaid fraud network in Minnesota.
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Just the News reports that Kennedy explained that the busts were part of a crackdown on the misuse of public funds intended for autism aid, describing the it as “the largest autism fraud bust in American history.”
According to Fox News, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted 55-year-old Shamso Ahmed Hassan and 25-year-old Hanaan Mursal Yusuf on numerous counts of fraud and related charges for their alleged $46.6 million scheme to defraud Minnesota Medicaid’s Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) Program.
The arrests were part of a wider enforcement action taken by the DOJ’s National Fraud Enforcement Division that swept up 15 alleged fraudsters in indictments for schemes that targeted over $90 million in taxpayer funds.
Kennedy said the original cost of the EIDBI program was a mere $38.1 million in 2020, but that it had ballooned to $442 million in 2026, with much of that increase stemming from fraud.
🚨 IT’S OFFICIAL: Health Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces the LARGEST autism fraud bust in US HISTORY in Minnesota
Initial cost: $38M
Cost this year: $442 MILLION.“This was organized theft that EXPLOITED the most vulnerable children in America!”
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Lay the hammer on these… pic.twitter.com/KQD8EF5FRC
— War Correspondent (@warDaniel47) June 1, 2026
At a press conference on Monday, Kennedy said, “Today’s arrests represent the largest autism fraud bust in American history. This was an organized theft that exploited the most vulnerable, deceived families, stole taxpayer dollars meant to help children with autism access legitimate care and support.”
Kennedy added, “Investigators uncovered brazen schemes that billed taxpayers for nonexistent services, fraudulent diagnoses, and fake care while criminals enriched themselves at public expense.”
The defendants allegedly paid kickbacks to parents to obtain fraudulent autism diagnoses for children regardless of medical necessity, subsequently billing Medicaid for high-level care that was never actually provided.
The stolen public funds were reportedly spent on personal luxuries, including luxury vehicles, real estate empires, and high-end jewelry.
Officials emphasized that the schemes exploited vulnerable children, inflated public healthcare costs, and depleted resources meant to help families access legitimate developmental therapies.
The bust came as part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to crack down on public fraud across the nation.
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