A Somali-run day care center in Minneapolis is claiming it was the victim of a break-in in which “important documents” were stolen—but police say the story doesn’t add up.
The alleged burglary comes as Minnesota faces intense national scrutiny over a sprawling, multibillion-dollar fraud scandal involving state human services programs, with a particular focus on day care facilities run by Somali immigrants. Dozens of individuals from the community have already been charged in cases tied to the theft of taxpayer funds.
Nasrulah Mohamed, manager of Nakomis Day Care Center, told reporters that an intruder entered the building through a rear kitchen area on Tuesday, damaging a wall and breaking into the office.
According to Mohamed, the suspect made off with “important documentation,” including children’s enrollment records, employee paperwork, and checkbooks.
Minneapolis police, however, tell a very different story.
“No loss was reported to officers,” the Minneapolis Police Department said in a preliminary incident report.
Police acknowledged that the center later contacted them with additional information, but an updated report was not immediately available.
Video released by Nakomis Day Care allegedly showing the break-in depicts a hole in a wall inside what appears to be a utility closet, with neatly stacked cinder blocks visible behind the drywall—raising eyebrows about the nature and timing of the damage.
Mohamed blamed last week’s viral video by YouTuber Nick Shirley for the incident. Shirley’s investigation, which has racked up more than 110 million views, documented numerous Minnesota day care facilities allegedly operating without children while collecting large sums of state money.
“This is devastating news, and we don’t know why this is targeting our Somali community as one video made by a specific individual made this all happen,” Mohamed said, claiming the facility has received “hateful” and “threatening” messages.
“This is frightening and exhausting,” he added, calling Shirley’s reporting “false.”
Notably, Nakomis Day Care Center was not among the facilities featured in Shirley’s video.
The alleged break-in unfolds against the backdrop of what authorities say is at least $1 billion in fraud already uncovered in Minneapolis, involving food assistance, housing programs, and child care payments. Federal prosecutors have warned the true number could reach $9 billion.
So far, 92 people have been arrested, 80 of whom are Somali immigrants, according to law enforcement.
On Tuesday night, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it was freezing all child care payments to Minnesota—totaling $185 million in 2025 alone—unless the state can provide proof that the payments are legitimate.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, now under mounting criticism for allowing fraud to explode under his administration, responded by blaming President Trump.
“This is Trump’s long game,” Walz wrote on X. “We’ve spent years cracking down on fraudsters. It’s a serious issue—but this has been his plan all along. He’s politicizing the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans.”
Meanwhile, reporters who visited several of the day care centers spotlighted in Shirley’s video observed yet another strange development. One facility—Quality “Learing” Center—appeared suddenly busy with children, despite the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families stating the center had been shut down the week prior.
As investigations continue and contradictions pile up, questions are only growing louder: who knew what, when—and how much taxpayer money vanished before anyone in charge decided to act.
