MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Two Minnesota men have pleaded guilty to defrauding a state housing program out of more than $500,000 by submitting fraudulent claims for services they never provided.
Hassan Ahmed Hussein, 29, and Ahmed Abdirashid Mohamed, 28, both from the Twin Cities area, enrolled Pristine Health LLC as a Medicaid provider. They promised to help people with disabilities — including seniors and people suffering from mental illnesses and substance use disorders — find and maintain housing through the state’s now-defunct Housing Stabilization Services program.
Federal prosecutors say instead, Hussein and Mohamed submitted claims to Medicaid for services that were never provided and significantly inflated the claims for higher reimbursement. Pristine Health enrolled about 90 Medicaid beneficiaries for the program, including some who never agreed to receive the services. In total, Pristine Health billed Minnesota Medicaid more than $820,000…