Minnesota has been a hotbed of criminal fraud for a long time now. There are estimates that taxpayers have lost billions of dollars to social services schemes including some where people simply created on paper a daycare center and billed for thousands of meals served, when there were no children, no meals, in fact, no center.
Dozens of criminal prosecutions and convictions have occurred already, even as there have been allegations that state officials had to have known about the criminal behavior.
Now it’s gone to a new level.
A man honored by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, through which many of those apparently fraudulent payments were processed, has been accused of aiding and abetting by swindle and aiding and abetting by false representation.
It’s part of an alleged scam to bill Medicaid more than $1 million in fraudulent services, a report at Fox News reveals.
It is Salman Ahmed Elmi, who several years ago was honored by the state agency with the title “outstanding refugee,” accompanied by an entrepreneurship award, who now is in legal jeopardy.
Social media erupted with condemnation:
“Fraud is so rampant in this demographic that it’s rewarded instead of punished,” ACT for America Founder Brigitte Gabriel posted on X. “When the system celebrates the looters, you have a culture problem.”
“Deport,” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X.
“This is the Minnesota Democrat officials created,” Republican National Committee member AK Kamara posted on X. “Endless depravity and taxpayer-funded fraud.”
Salman Elmi was awarded “Outstanding Refugee” by Minnesota.
He was just charged for a $1 million Medicaid fraud scheme. pic.twitter.com/cx4NkaxPOl
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 18, 2026
♦️YOU JUST CANNOT MAKE THIS UP♦️
JUST IN: OH THE IRONY! The Outstanding
Refugee Award in Minnesota went to Salman
Elmi by Agency that distributes Medicaid
payoutsBUT WAIT!
He was just CHARGED with allegations of
DEFRAUDING MEDICAID and a Million Dollar
SEX TRAFFICKING RING pic.twitter.com/ZryHLyqugl— ♦️GAYE GALLOPS♦️ (@gaye_gallops) August 18, 2026
A Minnesota immigrant once honored as an “outstanding refugee” by the state’s Department of Human Services has been charged with Medicaid fraud for allegedly billing over $1 million in fraudulent services.
Salman Ahmed Elmi faces three counts of aiding and abetting by swindle… pic.twitter.com/EpCaFkWB9t
— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) August 18, 2026
It gets worse.
The new case also alleges “two members involved in the fraud scheme were tied to a sex-trafficking ring involving brothels,” the report said.
Commentator Eric Daugherty said, “You literally cannot make this up. Get these people out of my country.”
“The same agency that awarded Elmi is the SAME agency that gives out Medicaid payments,” conservative commentator Benny Johnson posted on X.
Fox confirmed, “The Minnesota state government, led by Gov. Tim Walz since 2019, has been under the microscope over the past year as systemic fraud, largely involving the local Somali community, that prosecutors say could total more than $9 billion has been exposed throughout various departments and programs in the state.”
Fraud is so rampant in this demographic that it’s rewarded instead of punished.
When the system celebrates the looters, you have a culture problem. https://t.co/8JiTlXOWbI
— Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) August 18, 2026
