Anoka County couple charged in $800K public benefits fraud probe
MN couple received $861k in fraudulent SNAP benefits
A Minnesota couple has been charged after they allegedly received $861k in fraudulent SNAP benefits. FOX 9's Soyoung Kim has the story.
ANOKA COUNTY, Minn. (FOX 9) - An Anoka County couple is being accused of defrauding more than $860,000 from publicly-funded programs.
Investigators say bank records show large amounts were spent on luxury items and international travel.
Fraudulent filings
The backstory:
Charges filed against an Anoka County husband and wife on Thursday accuse the duo of public-assistance fraud.
Both 52-year-old Mohamed Metwalli Elshazli and 63-year-old Magda Mahmoud Elsagher are facing one count of wrongfully obtaining assistance and one count of perjury in any writing under oath.
According to the criminal complaint, investigators say between August 2018 and November 2025, the couple and their four adult children received public benefits from Anoka County's Department of Human Services in the form of Medical Assistance (MA). They also received SNAP benefits for portions of 2020, 2021, and 2022.
What they're saying:
According to the court document, due to false reporting and fraudulent filings, an estimated $861,304 of Medical Assistance overpayments were made during the time period in question.
Investigators say despite claiming in a personal statement provided in 2020 that their only assets were a checking account with $200 and a single vehicle, authorities uncovered 17 cars and a business account "with an average cash balance of $30,626."
Plus, investigators cite credit card statements including more than $54,375 spent at a jewelry store and $7,000 spent on travel.
Combating fraud
The other side:
The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) sent FOX 9 a statement on the matter.
"DCYF is committed to program integrity and responsible stewardship of public funds. We have a culture of compliance and continuous improvement where we’re always looking out for fraud, waste, and abuse. Fraud, waste and abuse continue to be rare in SNAP. Out of respect to the legal process, DCYF does not comment on pending litigation."
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) oversees the Medical Assistance program. According to the Anoka County website, they administer state and federally funded medical programs. We have reached out to Minnesota DHS and Anoka County for additional details and comment.