First Assistant US Atty Joe Thompson said “What we see in Minnesota is not
a handful of bad actors committing crimes. It’s staggering, industrial-scale fraud.
<><>“Every day, we look under a rock and find a new $50 million fraud scheme.”
<><>dozens from Minnesota’s Somali community colluded and conspired
<><>the thieving Somalis set up phony businesses and non-profits
<><>they falsified claims to provide faked-up housing, food or healthcare assistance
<><>they billed tax-funded state programs for non-existent services.
The fraud was so enormous it went beyond the usual over-billing fraud tactics; the thieves set up entire operations — sometimes coming from out of state — to get in on the gold-rush of fraud.