Nick Shirley, a 23-year-old investigative journalist, is back after his first video on daycare fraud in Minnesota garnered over 140 million views. “This is a whole other side of the fraud scheme,” he shared during a recent appearance on “The Liz Wheeler Show,” hosted by Liz Wheeler.
In his initial investigation, Shirley uncovered fraudulent Somali-operated daycare centers in Minnesota that pocketed millions in taxpayer funds through government programs, yet offered no genuine childcare. His footage showed him visiting empty properties, with locked doors and no sign of children or staff.
In part two of his investigation, Shirley focuses on non-emergency medical transportation companies in Minnesota, claiming they’ve defrauded the state and Medicaid out of millions for rides and services that never occurred. In a clip from this segment, he and his partner David Hock visit a business named “Safari Transportation,” only to discover it operates as a money transfer service.
Shirley explains that these non-emergency medical transportation firms form a crucial part of the state’s fraud landscape, involving various programs that claim to provide necessary services. For instance, a resident of an assisted living center often needs transportation to medical appointments, but many of the trucking businesses in Minnesota are essentially fictitious entities that submit fraudulent bills for nonexistent services.
When asked about the scale of the issue, Shirley estimates, “We’re likely around the national average of about $8 million a day.” This fraud doesn’t just impact Minnesota’s taxpayers; it involves both state and federal funding.
To catch the full interview, check out the episode linked above.
