A Minnesota man facing Medicaid fraud charges is likely to avoid jail time due to a plea deal that requires him to assist authorities in apprehending his co-defendant, who has been granted bail despite concerns he might flee the country. Awil Ibrahim, who entered a guilty plea on May 1, has reached an agreement with the office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. As part of this deal, he will spend five years on supervised probation and serve 150 days without imprisonment in a case that Ellison’s office has identified as the largest Medicaid fraud prosecution in the state’s history. Additionally, Ibrahim must help track down the alleged mastermind behind the scheme, Abdirashid Ismail Saeed.
The state’s fraud scandal escalated in late 2025 when federal and state authorities intensified their investigation into a pandemic-related scheme, primarily involving individuals from the Somali community in Minnesota.
In a hearing in 2023, it was indicated that cultural misunderstandings could have played a role in this fraud, as local investigators struggled to grasp the money transfer methods common in Minneapolis’ Somali community, which often lack documentation.
Saeed failed to appear in court in early April after being granted $150,000 bail by Hennepin County District Court Judge Juan Hoyos. Notably, he was allowed to retain his passport, even as law enforcement expressed concerns about his potential flight risk.
Investigators had highlighted familial ties that could facilitate his escape, citing that Saeed has family living in Kenya, where he is presumed to have fled. The police detectives noted their fears he might evade law enforcement.
Ibrahim’s involvement in the fraudulent activity included bilking Minnesota taxpayers out of $2.2 million through false claims and pocketing over $500,000 himself. Under the plea conditions, he confessed to his wrongdoing and will repay the state through a repayment plan that will be set during the sentencing hearing. His prison sentence may be suspended if he adheres to the probation and payment plan.
Evidence gathered by investigators included messages exchanged between Saeed and Ibrahim in 2022, which prosecutors pointed to as proof of fraudulent behavior. In one particularly telling exchange, Saeed referenced an upcoming party, while Ibrahim responded with remarks about future billing manipulations.
Prosecutors also contend that Ibrahim inflated the time his care center staff spent attending to patients to extract more funds from the state than permissible. As part of his plea deal, additional charges against him were dropped.
Saeed had a previous fraud conviction in Minnesota back in 2021, which also resulted in probation and community service rather than imprisonment. The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office did not provide a comment when reached for insights regarding this case.
