Minnesota Fraud Surge 2026: $29.1M in New Charges, VA OIG Helps Investigate $10M Health Care Fraud Case
By VA Headlines staff · Published Nov 2, 2026 · Sources dated October 30, 2026 (Justice Department) and November 2, 2026 (VA OIG)
A Minnesota fraud crackdown by the Justice Department has produced about $29.1 million in newly charged fraud cases, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) helped investigate one of them: an alleged $10 million health care fraud scheme, according to official releases.
Charges are allegations. An indictment, information or complaint is merely an allegation. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Minnesota fraud surge, by the numbers
The Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division) and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota announced the enforcement actions on October 30, 2026. According to the Justice Department:
- 13 defendants were charged, convicted or sentenced between September 30 and October 30, 2026.
- Their alleged or proven schemes caused nearly $83 million in intended losses to the federal government.
- That includes approximately $29.1 million in fraud uncovered in the newly charged cases.
- This year, the Justice Department has issued over 1,000 subpoenas and executed over 40 premises warrants to uncover fraud in Minnesota.
The cases target fraud involving taxpayer-funded programs, including Medicaid, SNAP and the Federal Child Nutrition Program.
The VA OIG case: a Richfield woman charged with 6 counts of health care fraud
VA OIG highlighted one case in a Criminal Investigative Update published November 2, 2026. Faiza Osman Ahmed, of Richfield, Minnesota, was charged by indictment on October 28, 2026, with six counts of health care fraud in connection with an approximately $10 million scheme, according to the Justice Department.
As alleged in the indictment, she submitted fraudulent claims to Minnesota Medicaid programs: Individualized Home Supports, Personal Care Assistance and Night Supervision. The Justice Department says the alleged billing included services that were not rendered, services billed as provided to recipients in their homes while they were traveling or while providers were working other jobs, and services for recipients who never got them.
The case is jointly prosecuted by the Fraud Division's Health Care Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota. It was investigated by the Veterans Affairs OIG, the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services OIG (HHS-OIG), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the State of Minnesota Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Neither release says how much of the alleged loss, if any, involved VA programs. The charges are allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Why VA OIG is involved in Minnesota fraud cases
The Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General investigates fraud that can touch VA health care and benefits, and it often works alongside the FBI, HHS-OIG and other agencies. The Justice Department lists VA OIG among the law enforcement partners in the Minnesota fraud surge.
How to report VA fraud
Suspected fraud, waste or abuse in Veterans Affairs programs can be reported to the VA OIG Hotline online or at 1-800-488-8244.
Related: VA fraud cases 2026: charges, guilty pleas and sentences. More: all VA Headlines reports. How we report: Methodology & Corrections.
Criminal Investigative Update: Minnesota Fraud Enforcement Surge Uncovers Nearly $30 Million in Benefits Fraud · November 2, 2026
Read the VA OIG update
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs
DOJ's Fraud Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota Uncover Nearly $30M in Benefits Fraud in Enforcement Surge · October 30, 2026
Read the Justice Department release
Charges are allegations; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. VA Headlines reports only what official records say. Spot an error? See our corrections policy.