Fraud in Minnesota: Personal care assistant accused of billing Mediciad $116K for services not provided
BLAINE, Minn. (FOX 9) - State investigators are accusing a man who worked as a personal care assistant of defrauding Medicaid out of $182,000 by billing for services that were never provided.
Authorities say Shawki Mohamed Hamed Elsaid, 41, of Blaine, billed Medicaid for services while either he or his patients were out of state or out of the country, and allegedly used other people's identities to submit those claims.
Minnesota personal care assistant accused of Medicaid fraud
By the numbers:
A criminal complaint filed in Anoka County states Elsaid personally received $116,601.91 after Medicaid overpaid $182,547.41.
Timeline:
Authorities reportedly found 1,655 fraudulent claims between June 2020 and June 2024, with the fraudulent activity spread across multiple six-month periods.
The investigation reportedly began when the Crystal Police Department received a tip from Elsaid’s ex-wife, who said her identity was used to bill for services she never performed.
What they're saying:
Investigators say Elsaid submitted false claims to two agencies—Anytime Home Care in Golden Valley and Pride ‘N’ Living in Fridley—using the names of three people: his ex-wife, a former acquaintance who moved to Texas, and another acquaintance. The complaint says Elsaid directed payments into his own bank accounts.
Another witness interviewed by investigators said he only provided a few hours of care but learned his information was used to bill for far more hours than he actually worked, with the payments directed to Elsaid's account.
The complaint states Elsaid also claimed to provide services while he was traveling outside the country, and even when recipients were abroad. The report lists several extended trips by Elsaid and the recipients during which services were still billed.
Law enforcement officials also note that Elsaid has both Egyptian and U.S. passports and made several international trips during the dates noted in the complaint.
The Source: This story uses information taken from a criminal complaint filed in Anoka County Court.