The death of an anti-ICE agitator in Minneapolis this past weekend happened just steps away from an “autism clinic” at the center of an alleged multi-million-dollar Somali fraud operation, drawing new attention to what many see as Minnesota’s deeply troubled welfare system. The timing and location of the incident have only intensified scrutiny of how public funds have been handled in the state.
Leftist demonstrator and Department of Veterans Affairs nurse Alex Pretti, 37, was reportedly shot and killed by a federal agent on Saturday after appearing to interfere with federal immigration enforcement efforts. According to local officials and national reporting, the incident occurred on or near Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis.
That street may not mean much to outsiders, but locals recognize it as the registered address for Smart Therapy LLC, an autism care center whose Somali leadership was recently charged by federal prosecutors in a massive fraud case. In September, the Department of Justice charged Asha Farhan Hassan, 28, with wire fraud for her role in a $14 million autism fraud scheme. She was also charged in connection with the Feeding Our Future fraud case, in which she allegedly received $465,000. Hassan is of Somali descent, according to The New York Times.
Federal prosecutors say the fraud centered on Minnesota’s Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) program, which provides autism-related services to individuals under 21. To qualify, patients must be diagnosed with autism or a related condition, receive a comprehensive evaluation, and be enrolled in a qualifying health care program such as Medicaid.
According to the Justice Department, Hassan registered Smart Therapy LLC in November 2019 and listed herself as the sole owner, even though other individuals allegedly had ownership stakes. One of those owners had previously been excluded by the Minnesota Department of Human Services after running an adult daycare center. Shortly after forming the company, Hassan enrolled Smart Therapy in both the EIDBI program and the federal child nutrition program through Feeding Our Future.
Despite claiming to provide one-on-one Applied Behavior Analysis therapy to children with autism, prosecutors allege Smart Therapy hired unqualified “behavioral technicians,” often 18- or 19-year-old relatives with no formal education or autism-related training. To expand enrollment, Hassan and her partners allegedly recruited children from the Somali community and, when necessary, worked with a supervising professional to get children qualified for autism services regardless of medical need.
Federal authorities further allege the operation paid parents monthly cash kickbacks ranging from $300 to $1,500 per child to keep them enrolled. Competition among similar fraudulent clinics reportedly led to bidding wars, with parents threatening to switch providers for higher payments. These kickbacks were allegedly funded through fraudulent Medicaid billings totaling millions of dollars.
Prosecutors say Smart Therapy submitted claims for the maximum number of treatment hours allowed, even when little or no service was provided. Many claims allegedly used forged signatures or approvals from medical providers who either did not work for Smart Therapy, were out of the country, or had no involvement in the reported services. According to the Justice Department, Hassan and her partners split the $14 million they received, with hundreds of thousands of dollars allegedly sent overseas.
The proximity of Pretti’s death to the address of Smart Therapy has raised eyebrows as investigations continue into both the shooting and Minnesota’s broader fraud problems. With federal prosecutors already laying out the alleged scheme in detail, the case highlights the growing concern over how public programs have been exploited and how radical activism and corruption often intersect in unexpected ways.
The upside is clear: the fraud has been exposed, charges have been filed, and accountability is finally catching up. As law enforcement tightens oversight and taxpayers demand answers, the hope is that integrity, order, and the rule of law will once again take priority—and that’s a step in the right direction.
