15 Accused in Minnesota Fraud Schemes Totaling $90 Million: What to Know

Fraudsters targeted seven programs, including a record-high $46 million in autism-services fraud.

Federal and state officials load evidence into a vehicle as they execute a search warrant at The Original Childcare Center in south Minneapolis on April 28, 2026. Ben Hovland/Minnesota Public Radio via AP

Federal and state officials load evidence into a vehicle as they execute a search warrant at The Original Childcare Center in south Minneapolis on April 28, 2026. Ben Hovland/Minnesota Public Radio via AP

The Justice Department’s new fraud-fighting unit, formed in April, recently announced its first round of prosecutions in Minnesota: 15 defendants accused of $90 million in fake claims to government-benefit programs.

Commenting on the “Minnesota Health Care Fraud Takedown,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department’s new fraud division is working with the White House’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. Together, they will “dismantle illegal schemes from coast-to-coast, just as they did today in Minnesota,” Blanche said in a news release, adding: “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”