Minnesota AG Ellison Charges 9 in $3M Medicaid Fraud Case
- On Tuesday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced criminal charges against nine Medicaid providers accused of defrauding the state of $3 million in total.
- High-Profile fraud cases involving hundreds of millions in federal dollars have drawn national attention to Minnesota over the last year, prompting a new bipartisan law that expanded Ellison's fraud investigation authority.
- The largest case involves Peter Jason Meilahn, a Duluth-based therapist accused of submitting 27,400 false claims worth more than $2.2 million; investigators also charged Awo Mohamed of Roseville with $675,000 in fraudulent personal care billing and Michelle Tyrese Lucas Reed with stealing $42,000 by claiming up to 20 hours daily.
- Ellison expressed hope the state can recover stolen funds, though Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Director Nick Wanka cautioned defendants likely spent much of the money; the office secured around $90 million in court-ordered restitution since 2019 but recovered only about $3 million as of July.
- The fraud prosecutions have become central to Ellison's reelection campaign, with his Republican opponent trial lawyer Ron Schutz arguing the attorney general hasn't done enough, while former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson estimated potential Medicaid losses at $9 billion since 2018—a figure Governor Tim Walz and state officials have disputed.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Duluth psychotherapy provider among nine charged with defrauding the state's Medicaid Program
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announcing that nine health care providers have been charged with defrauding the state's Medicaid program out of more than $3 million. “It outrages me that some people steal taxpayer money that we as a society have decided should support low-income folks," Ellison says.
The Derrick
Lancaster FarmingMinnesota AG Keith Ellison charges 9 in $3 million Medicaid fraud case
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Tuesday announced criminal charges against nine Medicaid providers who allegedly defrauded the state of $3 million. The single largest instance of alleged fraud centers around a Duluth-based provider of psychotherapy…
Keith Ellison charges 9 in $3M Medicaid fraud case
The single largest instance of alleged fraud centers around a Duluth-based provider of psychotherapy services that the attorney general accuses of claiming more than $2.2 million through 27,400 false claim reports.
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