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Minnesota parents faked autism in children to earn kickbacks in $46M scheme

Nypost · · 924 words · By Josh Christenson; Priscilla DeGregory
Healthcare Fraud criminal justice Taxpayer Loss
open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/22/us-news/minnesota-parents-faked-autism-in-children…

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Name Calling / Labeling 70% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

22 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 12
check_circle Corroborated 7
info Single Source 2
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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“Parents in Minnesota were paid up to $1,500 per child if they enrolled kids for bogus treatments at two autism centers in the largest-of-its-kind fraud and money laundering scheme, the feds have alleged.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including the Department of Justice case summaries and news reports, confirm that defendants paid kickbacks to families to incentivize them to send children to Smart Therapy, with specific amounts mentioned in the context of the fraud scheme.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A series of fraud scandals and allegations concerning federal funds to Minnesota state-administered social services programs occurred during the 2020s. The largest and earliest case is the Feeding Our…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020s_Minnesota_fraud_scandals
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In the early morning of June 14, 2025, Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman was assassinated at her home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, United States. Hortman, the leader of the state House De…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_shootings_of_Minnesota_le…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Minnesota ICE protests were large-scale protests held on January 23, 2026 across the state of Minnesota in opposition to expanded federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_23,_2026_Minnesota_pro…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Four accused fraudsters paid parents from the local Somali community kickbacks ranging from $300 to $1,500 a month for each child they enrolled for unrequired treatments at autism clinics Smart Therapy Center and Star Autism Center, a new indictment alleges.”
CORROBORATED
The Department of Justice and news reports (KSTP, etc.) confirm that kickbacks were paid to families to enroll children in Smart Therapy and Star Autism centers as part of a fraud scheme.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The dog (Canis familiaris or Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated descendant of wolves. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. Dogs…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This article encompasses the domestic policy of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States. Prospective policies for Trump's second presidency were proposed in Agenda 47, a collection of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_policy_of_the_second_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (born October 4, 1982) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district since 2019. The district includes all of Minneapoli…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilhan_Omar
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“it was enough during a five-year period to amass $46 million in fraudulent healthcare claims, the feds allege.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including the Justice Department and news reports, explicitly mention the $46 million figure (or $46.6 million) in fraudulent Medicaid claims associated with this specific scheme.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Federal Reserve System (often shortened to the Federal Reserve, or simply the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States. The United States federal government is composed of three dist…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_government_of_the_Unit…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“the defendants also helped pilfer other taxpayer-funded programs to receive payments for hundreds of thousands of meals for kids at Smart Therapy — that were never fully provided, according to federal prosecutors.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the autism fraud is well-documented in the provided evidence, the specific claim regarding 'hundreds of thousands of meals' at Smart Therapy is not explicitly detailed in the provided search snippets, although the general context of Minnesota fraud scandals (like Feeding Our Future) is mentioned in Wikipedia.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nootropics ( noh-ə-TROHP-iks or noh-ə-TROP-iks; colloquially brain supplements, smart drugs, cognitive enhancers, memory enhancers, or brain boosters) are chemical substances which purportedly improv…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Psychedelic therapy (or psychedelic-assisted therapy) refers to the proposed use of psychedelic drugs in mental health treatment practices. The drugs proposed to treat mental disorders and improve wel…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_therapy
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behav…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychotherapy
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“The fraudsters were part of a sprawling scheme to use the stolen money to benefit themselves and their families, including buying property in Kenya and a truck, between 2019 and 2024.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence confirms the fraud and the individuals involved, but the specific detail about buying property in Kenya and a truck between 2019 and 2024 is not explicitly present in the provided search snippets.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Kenya national football team (Swahili: Timu ya Taifa ya Kandanda ya Kenya), colloquially known as the Harambee Stars, represents Kenya in association football. It is controlled by the Football Ken…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya_national_football_team
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Demographics of Kenya is monitored by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Kenya is a multi-ethnic state in East Africa. Its total population was at 47,558,296 as of the 2019 census. A nationa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Kenya
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 53.3 million as of mid-2025, it is the 27th-most populous country in the world a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Shamso Ahmed Hassan, 55, a co-owner of both Smart Therapy and Star Autism, and employee Hanaan Mursal Yusuf, 25, were charged Thursday for bilking Medicaid and state funding earmarked for autism treatment to the tune of $46.6 million”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web sources (KSTP and others) explicitly name Shamso Ahmed Hassan and Hanaan Mursal Yusuf and state they were charged for defrauding Medicaid of approximately $46.6 million.
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago ... ... were indicted on Wednesday for defrauding Medicaid programs out of millions of dollars. Shamso Ahmed Hassan and Hanaan Mursal Yusuf are ...
https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/2-indicted-in-connection…
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago ... ... Medicaid claims for about $46.6 million, for which they were reimbursed $21.1 million. ... First Defendant Charged in Autism Fraud Scheme ...
https://www.facebook.com/KSTPTV/posts/shamso-ahmed-hassan-an…
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web search NEUTRAL — 21 hours ago ... The Justice Department announced charges on Thursday against 15 people for attempting to defraud Minnesota Medicaid and other social service ...
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/21/us/politics/medicaid-frau…
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“$21.2 million in autism funding was paid out to just those two defendants through the fraudulent benefits claimed through Star Autism and Smart Therapy, the court papers allege, both of which lost their Minnesota state licenses earlier this year.”
CORROBORATED
Justice Department case summaries and news reports confirm that approximately $21.2 million was paid out to the defendants through the fraudulent claims.
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web search NEUTRAL — 14 hours ago ... About $21.2 million was paid out, according to Justice Department case summaries. Federal prosecutors allege Hassan had ownership interests in ...
https://www.facebook.com/100043367242229/photos/feds-charge-…
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web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago ... Defendants Shamso Ahmed Hassan and Hanaan Mursal Yusuf paid kickbacks to families to incentivize them to send their children to Smart Therapy ...
https://krocnews.com/rochester-childcare-federal-fraud-indic…
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago ... Defendants Shamso Ahmed Hassan and Hanaan Mursal Yusuf paid kickbacks to families to incentivize them to send their children to Smart Therapy ...
https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-care-…
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“Asha Farhan Hassan, 28, and Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, 27, both previously took plea deals tied to their involvement in the scams at Star Autism and Smart Therapy.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results explicitly mention that Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf was charged/pleaded and Asha Hassan confessed to defrauding Minnesota's Autism Services.
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web search NEUTRAL — Dec 18, 2025 ... Rosen. The EIDBI Autism Fraud Scheme. In the Autism fraud scheme, Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, age 27, has been charged by federal information with ...
https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/six-additional-defendants…
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web search NEUTRAL — Dec 24, 2025 ... Asha Hassan, originally from Somalia, has confessed defrauding Minnesota's Autism Services over $14 million in taxpayer's money.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/575203259203119/posts/258508…
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web search NEUTRAL — Dec 18, 2025 ... From 2021 to 2025, Smart Therapy Center submitted claims totaling $31.8 million across all Minnesota Department of Human Services programs, ...
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/autism-center-billing…
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“the four schemers allegedly defrauded the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) benefits program, which is meant for services for people with autism who are under 21.”
CORROBORATED
The evidence from the Justice Department and news reports explicitly names the 'EIDBI Autism Fraud Scheme' and describes the defrauding of Medicaid programs for autism services.
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“From 2018 to 2025, spending in Minnesota’s EIDBI program, which funds autism centers, rose from more than $600,000 to more $400 million, Department of Justice officials said.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results that specifies the exact spending increase of the EIDBI program from $600,000 in 2018 to $400 million by 2025.
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“Hassan and Yusuf — the lead biller at Smart Therapy — enrolled with the health department as Level II providers of autism services through the EIDBI, with Yusuf eventually upgrading to become a Level I provider on Jan. 1, 2024, the court papers claimed.”
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“Yussuf bought a Freightliner semi-truck using $100,000 of the fraudulent money, and he wired $200,000 to Kenya, a prior indictment alleged.”
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“Asha Hassan sent hundreds of thousands of dollars abroad and bought real estate in Kenya, the feds claimed at the time of her arrest and charging last September.”
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“Hassan — a co-owner of Smart Therapy — was also accused of scamming both adult and child food benefits programs by claiming, starting in December 2020, that the facility was serving 300 children both breakfast and lunch seven days a week, the feds alleged in her case.”
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“By April 2021, Smart Therapy was claiming to serve 1,200 meals a day, seven days a week — which Hassan knew was “grossly inflated,” prosecutors alleged.”
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“Between 2020 and 2021, she claimed the center served almost 200,000 meals to kids, for which she claimed $465,000, her indictment alleged.”
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“Star Autism, located in St. Cloud, had its license revoked on Jan. 23, while Smart Therapy, located in Minneapolis, had its license taken away on Jan. 7, according to state records.”
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“Shamso Hassan previously running a child care center that lost its license for abusing kids, according to court records and past reports.”
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“Shamso Hassan helped run Kingdom Kare Learning Center in Minneapolis, which had its license revoked after surveillance video revealed that one employee used a long, thick stick to hit 14 kids a total of 19 times in April 2017, CBS News reported at the time.”
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“State court records show Hassan was named in a case involving more than $40,000 in debts owed by Kingdom Kare Learning Center, LLC, in 2017.”
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“Yusuf was previously convicted for presenting a fake ID to a cop in 2019, court records show, and paid a $138 fine.”
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“The recent indictments were among 15 unveiled by the Justice Department Thursday in connection with more than $90 million of stolen taxpayer funding for fraudulent services in Minnesota”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.