The young CEO of a Minnesota-based autism center serving the Somali community, Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, pleaded guilty Monday to orchestrating a $6 million fraud scheme targeting state-funded autism programs.

Yussuf founded Star Autism Center LLC in 2020 at age 22 and ran the company for approximately four years. The Department of Justice charged him in December 2025 with submitting fraudulent Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) claims to the Minnesota government. Prosecutors say Yussuf and his team collected millions in Medicaid reimbursements for services that were never provided, billed without the knowledge of providers, and involved unqualified teenagers posing as “behavioral technicians.”

According to DOJ documents, Star Autism recruited Somali families for enrollment in EIDBI programs, even if children were not autistic, and offered cash kickbacks tied to state-authorized services. Yussuf reportedly spent portions of the illicit proceeds on personal expenses, including over $100,000 for a semi-truck and more than $200,000 sent to Kenya.

At the plea hearing, Yussuf admitted he personally did not know anyone with autism. He is expected to face roughly five years in prison.

The case is part of a broader crackdown on health care fraud under the Trump administration. In February 2026, Vice President JD Vance and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz announced measures including deferring $259.5 million in Minnesota Medicaid funding and imposing a nationwide moratorium on Medicare enrollment for certain suppliers.

President Donald J. Trump also established the Department of Justice Division for National Fraud Enforcement in January 2026 following widespread reporting on alleged fraud in Minnesota’s Somali community, with recent prosecutions disproportionately involving Somali defendants.

This case highlights ongoing concerns about fraudulent claims in state and federal autism and Medicaid programs, particularly when unscrupulous operators exploit vulnerable communities.