In Minneapolis, a 28-year-old woman faces serious legal repercussions for her involvement in a fraudulent scheme that misappropriated $14 million intended for autism support.
Asha Farhan Hassan, who managed Smart Therapy LLC, has been indicted on wire fraud charges. Authorities claim she deceitfully billed Minnesotas Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention program (EIDBI), which is designed to aid children with autism under 21, while allegedly diverting the funds for personal gain.
According to The Post Millennial, the indictment reveals that Hassan employed unqualified individuals, including teenage relatives with only high school education, and offered parents kickbacks exceeding $1,000 per child to maintain their enrollment.
It is reported that parents exerted pressure on Smart Therapy for increased payouts, threatening to switch to other centers if their demands were unmet. Furthermore, prosecutors assert that Hassan targeted children, particularly from the Somali community, regardless of their autism status, and subsequently billed Medicaid for substantial reimbursements.
US Acting Attorney Joe Thompson recently announced charges against eight individuals accused of defrauding a Minnesota Housing program, highlighting a broader pattern of exploitation across various systems. Hassan is also implicated in Minnesotas largest COVID-era fraud case, the Feeding Our Future scandal, where she allegedly received $465,000.
Todays charges mark the first in the ongoing investigation into fraud in the EIDBI Autism Program, Thompson stated in a press release.
To be clear, this is not an isolated scheme. From Feeding Our Future to Housing Stabilization Services and now Autism Services, these massive fraud schemes form a web that has stolen billions of dollars in taxpayer money. Each case we bring exposes another strand of this network. The challenge is immense, but our work continues.
This situation underscores the critical need for vigilant oversight of taxpayer-funded programs to prevent exploitation and ensure resources reach those truly in need.
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