Man accused of stealing $11 million from Minnesota Medicaid has fled

Abdirashid Ismail Said, the main suspect in what Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison called the "largest-ever Medicaid fraud prosecution," has disappeared, according to officials. 

In a statement released Friday, Ellison said Said's disappearance "a deeply frustrating setback," after Said failed to appear for a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday. 

A warrant has been issued for Said's arrest and a judge ordered his $150,000 bond be forfeited.  

The Attorney General's Office charged Said, along with two others, in December 2023, in connection to a scheme to defraud Minnesota's Medicaid program out of almost $11 million. 

Said is charged with 10 felony counts, including theft by swindle and racketeering. The Attorney General's office stated that Said defrauded the Medicaid program by: billing for services ineligible for payment because Said was barred from operating any Medicaid-funded agency following a separate conviction and billing for waivered services that were not documented or that were based on fraudulent documents. 

Said was previously convicted of Medicaid fraud in 2022. At the time, he was ordered to pay the state $77,000.   

Court documents filed in December 2023 say the state sought a warrant for the arrest of Said due to the "substantial likelihood that Said will fail to respond to a summons." The court documents go on to say that Said has significant family ties outside of the United States and that Said's wife lives in Nairobi. 

Ellison said in a statement, "I remain committed to doing everything I can to hold Said and other Medicaid fraudsters accountable." 

Ellison's office declined to comment on where they believe Said might be.