An immigrant living in Minnesota who received an “outstanding refugee” award from the state has been charged with Medicaid fraud in a case linked to a sex trafficking case.
The man, Salman Ahmed Elmi, has been charged with three counts of aiding and abetting by swindling and five counts of aiding and abetting by false representation, FOX 9 reports.
Elmi has been accused of billing Medicaid for more than $1 million in services that were not provided or were ineligible.
In a webpage that has since been removed from DHS, Elmi wrote, “I started a business to help inspire other people. No one owns businesses in my family; my entire family came here with the idea that the American dream was just getting a job and making it work, so shifting that mindset was difficult but important. Navigating those treacherous waters allowed me to provide for my family and work on my terms.”
“Salman Elmi’s alleged actions are disturbing and do not reflect the goal of the Outstanding Refugee Awards,” a Minnesota DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “They also do not represent Minnesota’s refugee community. We are surrounded by neighbors, coworkers, employees and friends with powerful stories of resilience in the face of difficult circumstances, who are showing leadership in small as well as large ways to improve their communities. The Outstanding Refugee Awards were a way to recognize some of the individuals who make Minnesota better for all of us.”
“The value came from the opportunity to recognize the courage, resilience and entrepreneurship of refugees and their children, and to recognize their contributions to the state,” the spokesperson said. “Refugees and immigrants offer skills to a needed workforce, provide entrepreneurial innovation and expand worldwide networks – all of which benefit Minnesota.”
