A Minnesota man who founded and ran an autism therapy company has pleaded guilty to participating in a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme involving state-funded autism services, federal prosecutors confirmed this week. ⚖️
Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, 27, the former president and CEO of Star Autism Center LLC, admitted in federal court Monday that he submitted fraudulent claims through Minnesota’s Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) program. The program provides therapy services for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and is funded through Medicaid.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the scheme generated more than $6 million in fraudulent reimbursements from the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
Yussuf founded Star Autism Center in 2020 at the age of 22 and ran the company for about four years. The business claimed to provide specialized one-on-one therapy for children with autism.
Prosecutors say the operation was built around submitting false claims for services that were either not medically necessary or never provided.
During his plea hearing, Yussuf reportedly acknowledged that he did not personally know individuals with autism, according to local outlet KARE.
Federal investigators say the company recruited families—many from Minnesota’s Somali community—and enrolled children in autism services even when they did not meet diagnostic criteria. According to prosecutors, the company also paid monthly cash kickbacks to parents whose children were enrolled in the program.
The Department of Justice alleges that Star Autism Center also hired unqualified teenagers as behavioral technicians and submitted claims for services they were not qualified to provide. Some billing was allegedly submitted without the knowledge of listed providers, while other claims were inflated or billed for sessions that never occurred.
Authorities say Yussuf and other individuals involved in the company shared the proceeds of the fraud.
Financial records cited by prosecutors show that Yussuf spent over $100,000 on a Freightliner semi-truck and transferred more than $200,000 overseas to Kenya during the period of the scheme.
Under the plea agreement, Yussuf faces approximately five years in federal prison, though final sentencing will be determined by a judge at a later date.
