ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Federal investigators carried out extensive searches across Minnesota this week, seizing documents and evidence as part of a continuing probe into fraudulent activities within publicly funded children’s programs.
The Tuesday operations involved 22 search warrants executed by federal agents, with armed officers visible at multiple childcare facilities throughout the state. The searches represent the most recent chapter in Minnesota’s ongoing battle against widespread fraud within social service programs.
Minnesota has faced numerous interconnected fraud investigations spanning multiple years, with federal prosecutors estimating that potentially billions of dollars in government funding may have been misappropriated.
The state’s fraud problems gained national attention through the Feeding Our Future scandal, a pandemic-era school meal program that federal authorities say resulted in $300 million in fraudulent losses. Since initial charges were filed in 2022, nearly 80 individuals have faced prosecution, with at least 65 convictions secured. Defendants allegedly falsely claimed to have provided millions of meals to children.
Federal prosecutors noted that most defendants in the Feeding Our Future case were of Somali heritage and held U.S. citizenship, though the alleged mastermind, Aimee Bock, is white. Bock received convictions on multiple charges including conspiracy, wire fraud, and bribery, with sentencing scheduled for May 21.
This wasn’t Minnesota’s first encounter with social service fraud. State legislative auditors reported in 2019 that suspected fraud in a single childcare program was costing $100 million or more each year.
President Donald Trump has cited these scandals as grounds for implementing extensive immigration enforcement in Minnesota, initially targeting the state’s substantial Somali population. However, the majority of over 4,000 arrests involved Hispanic individuals, most without criminal histories, despite administration claims of targeting “the worst of the worst.”
Trump characterized Minnesota as “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” under Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate, writing on social media around Thanksgiving: “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from. It’s OVER!”
The administration launched Operation Metro Surge in early December, deploying approximately 3,000 federal officers in what officials called the largest immigration enforcement operation in history. The crackdown triggered widespread protests, with residents attempting to shield immigrants from arrest. Demonstrations intensified following fatal shootings of two individuals by federal officers.
In December, federal prosecutors unveiled a new wave of Medicaid fraud charges involving child nutrition services, housing assistance, and autism support programs. Autism rates are notably elevated within the Somali community for unexplained reasons. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, who spearheaded the Feeding Our Future prosecutions, estimated that half or more of approximately $18 billion in federal funding distributed through 14 Minnesota programs since 2018 may have been stolen.
“The magnitude cannot be overstated,” Thompson stated before later resigning amid an exodus of career officials protesting Trump administration policies. “What we see in Minnesota is not a handful of bad actors committing crimes. It’s staggering, industrial-scale fraud.”
While frequently referenced, Thompson’s dollar figure represents an estimate, with actual losses alleged in filed cases totaling significantly less.
Conservative influencer Nick Shirley posted an extensive video the day after Christmas alleging that Minneapolis Somali community members operated fraudulent childcare centers to collect federal subsidies. The video gained attention from Trump administration officials and conservative activists, though state inspectors dismissed the claims.
Tuesday’s federal searches involved multiple state and federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security. Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension officers removed boxes from several locations. Democratic state Attorney General Keith Ellison confirmed his office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit participated in searches at five sites alongside federal law enforcement. The state’s child welfare agency provided supporting information.
The timeline for potential criminal charges remains unclear, as fraud investigations typically require extensive time to complete due to their complexity.
