A growing welfare fraud scandal tied to Somali-run networks may extend far beyond Minnesota, with a lawyer and whistleblower now warning that similar schemes are operating in Ohio, according to a report from Fox News.
Attorney Mehek Cooke told Fox News that Medicaid providers within Ohio’s Somali community have privately contacted her, claiming they were pressured to participate in fraudulent operations involving fabricated medical conditions and unnecessary care. Her allegations come as federal investigators continue unraveling more than $1 billion in stolen taxpayer funds in Minnesota, a case that has drawn national attention due to the overwhelming involvement of Somali-linked organizations.
According to Cooke, fraudsters are exploiting an Ohio Medicaid policy that allows individuals to receive thousands of dollars to provide in-home medical care to family members. In many cases, she said, doctors allegedly approve payments with little to no verification in exchange for financial kickbacks.
“They’re just rubber-stamping a lot of these,” Cooke said. “Then that same individual—who’s supposedly bedridden—is all over social media a week later, dancing at parties. The symptoms just don’t add up.”
Cooke explained that the system allows family members to register as home health providers, a policy originally intended to help elderly or disabled patients remain in their homes. However, she said the program has been aggressively manipulated.
“This is where the Somali community has been really clever,” Cooke told Fox News. “They’ve found loopholes in Ohio law to provide ‘care’ for family members who don’t actually need it.”
Her claims echo similar allegations raised in other states. After the Department of Justice charged multiple defendants in Minnesota’s sprawling fraud case, another whistleblower, Christopher Bernardini, alleged that a Somali-owned health services contractor in Maine falsified records to extract Medicaid funds.
Cooke warned that what the public has seen so far may be only the beginning.
“What we’re seeing in Minneapolis is just the tip of the spear,” she said. “It’s a snippet of what’s happening in Ohio.”
The allegations suggest that Medicaid fraud tied to loosely regulated home healthcare programs may be far more widespread than previously acknowledged, raising new questions about federal oversight, state enforcement, and whether politically sensitive concerns have delayed accountability.
As investigations continue to expand beyond Minnesota, pressure is mounting on state and federal authorities to determine how many more taxpayer-funded programs are being exploited—and how long the abuse has been allowed to continue.
