In news that should surprise absolutely no one, a refugee once celebrated by the State of Minnesota turned out to be less than upstanding.
KMSP reported on Monday that Salman Ahmed Elmi, who was honored as an “outstanding refugee” by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, has been busted for defrauding Medicaid by over $1 million.
By that’s not all. Police say that Elmi’s alleged co-conspirators at Reva Health in Golden Valley have connections to a recent sex trafficking case.
Here’s the background on the case from KMSP:
Elmi is accused of billing Medicaid for more than $1 million in services that were not provided or not eligible. Reva Health provided autism services and adult rehabilitative mental health services.
Elmi and the other co-conspirators are accused of falsifying documents to get Medicaid reimbursements. Prosecutors say other co-conspirators directed staff to pay kickbacks to people to use their information for claims.
The charges state two people involved in the fraud enterprise, former Anoka County prosecutor Andrea Sampson and Frank Devone Reeves, were also involved in a sex trafficking ring that was busted in Hennepin County last week.
Individuals charged in the case face a slew of charges, and on Monday, authorities said there could be many more victims who suffered as a result of that case.
KMSP notes that in addition to being named an “outstanding refugee,” the State of Minnesota also honored Elmi with an Entrepreneurship Award in 2021.
Elmi is the founder and part-owner of the Minneapolis-based startup Tavolo, which received funding from Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary. Tavolo is an AI marketing app for restaurants.
Elmi then used the honor of being a part-owner of the Minneapolis-based startup Tavolo to secure the loan to start Reva Health.
The refugee once claimed that he started a business to “inspire other people.” At the same time, Elmi claimed his business allowed him to ‘provide for his family and work on his terms.’
Turns out, Elmi had an interesting and highly illegal idea of what inspiring others and providing for family meant.
Elmi has been charged with three counts of aiding and abetting by swindle and five counts of aiding and abetting by false representation.
He made his first court appearance on Monday.
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