Minnesota 'outstanding refugee' honoree accused in fraud scheme tied to sex trafficking: 'Can't make this up'
An immigrant in Minnesota who once received an "outstanding refugee" award from the state government has been charged with Medicaid fraud, prompting strong backlash on social media.
Salman Ahmed Elmi is facing three counts of aiding and abetting by swindle and five counts of aiding and abetting by false representation as part of an alleged scam to bill Medicaid for over $1 million in fraudulent services, Fox 9 Minneapolis reported. The charges also allege that two members involved in the fraud scheme were tied to a sex-trafficking ring involving brothels.
In 2021, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, an agency deeply involved in the massive fraud scheme that has unfolded across the state in recent years, honored Elmi with the title "outstanding refugee" along with an Entrepreneurship Award.
News of the charges quickly spread on social media via conservative influencer accounts like LibsofTikTok and End Wokeness.
"Fraud is so rampant in this demographic that it’s rewarded instead of punished," ACT for America Founder Brigitte Gabriel posted on X. "When the system celebrates the looters, you have a culture problem."
"Deport," Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X.
"This is the Minnesota Democrat officials created," Republican National Committee member AK Kamara posted on X. "Endless depravity and taxpayer-funded fraud."
"You literally cannot make this up," conservative pundit Eric Daugherty posted on X. "Get these people out of my country."
"The same agency that awarded Elmi is the SAME agency that gives out Medicaid payments," conservative commentator Benny Johnson posted on X. "You can’t make this up."
Fox 9 Minneapolis also reported that Elmi was part of a startup that received financial backing from Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary.
"I started a business to help inspire other people," Elmi said in an archived post on the Minnesota DHS website. "No one owns businesses in my family; my entire family came here with the idea that the American dream was just getting a job and making it work, so shifting that mindset was difficult but important. Navigating those treacherous waters allowed me to provide for my family and work on my terms."
The Minnesota state government, led by Gov. Tim Walz since 2019, has been under the microscope over the past year as systemic fraud, largely involving the local Somali community, that prosecutors say could total more than $9 billion has been exposed throughout various departments and programs in the state.
Critics have argued that the fraud, which was an open secret for years, was aided by the fear of publicly calling it out over fears of being labeled as "racist," Fox News Digital reported last year.
Walz was ultimately forced to drop his bid for re-election amid the fallout.
Fox News Digital reached out to Walz's office for comment.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Minnesota DHS spokesperson said the Outstanding Refugee Awards ended in 2024.
"Salman Elmi’s alleged actions are disturbing and do not reflect the goal of the Outstanding Refugee Awards," the spokesperson said. "They also do not represent Minnesota’s refugee community. We are surrounded by neighbors, coworkers, employees and friends with powerful stories of resilience in the face of difficult circumstances, who are showing leadership in small as well as large ways to improve their communities. The Outstanding Refugee Awards were a way to recognize some of the individuals who make Minnesota better for all of us."
The spokesperson added that recipients received a certificate and a plaque but no monetary award.
"The value came from the opportunity to recognize the courage, resilience and entrepreneurship of refugees and their children, and to recognize their contributions to the state," the spokesperson said. "Refugees and immigrants offer skills to a needed workforce, provide entrepreneurial innovation and expand worldwide networks – all of which benefit Minnesota."