Minnesota judge under fire for tossing $7.2M taxpayer-fraud conviction tied to alleged ‘lavish lifestyle’

A justice successful Minnesota is facing vigor aft she overturned a blameworthy verdict for 2 radical convicted successful a $7.2 cardinal fraud strategy that progressive payer money.

Abdifatah Yusuf and his woman Lul Ahmed were charged successful June 2024 aft they were accused of stealing $7.2 cardinal from the state's Medicaid programme portion moving a location healthcare concern that lacked an bureau gathering and operated for "years retired of a mailbox," according to the Minnesota Attorney General's Office.

Prosecutors said Yusuf received Medicaid wealth for services that weren't provided and overbilled for services that didn't person documentation. Yusuf allegedly utilized the wealth to money a "lavish lifestyle" that included buying sprees astatine "luxury covering stores including Coach, Canada Goose, Michael Kors, Third Degree Heat, Nike, and Nordstrom."

Yusuf directed implicit $1 cardinal from the concern relationship to his idiosyncratic relationship and besides withdrew implicit $387,000 successful cash, the lawyer general's bureau said.

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Judge Sarah West overturned Abdifatah Yusuf's verdict. (Minnesota Courts and Google Maps)

While Yusuf was recovered blameworthy of six counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle (over $35,000) successful August by a jury, the determination was overturned by Judge Sarah West successful November, according to KARE.

West wrote successful her determination that the lawsuit "relied heavy connected circumstantial evidence," adding that the authorities didn't regularisation retired different imaginable "reasonable inferences."

The justice added she was, however, "troubled by the mode successful which fraud was capable to beryllium perpetuated astatine Promise Health."

Minnesota State Rep. Kristin Robbins said she was shocked upon proceeding the blameworthy verdict was overturned.

"I was stunned. We privation to fortify authorities instrumentality truthful that we tin get prosecutions retired of these cases. Because intelligibly a assemblage thought helium was guilty," Robbins said.

The assemblage foreperson successful Yusuf's case, Ben Walfoort, said the determination to convict wasn't analyzable and was confused by West's decision.

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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison testifies during the House Financial Services Subcommittee connected Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy proceeding titled Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Ripe for Reform, successful the Rayburn Building connected Thursday, March 9, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

"It was not a hard determination whatsoever. The deliberation took astir apt 4 hours astatine most. Based disconnected of the state's grounds that was presented, it was beyond a tenable doubt," Walfoort said. "I americium shocked. I'm shocked based disconnected of each of the grounds that was presented to america and the evident guilt that we saw based disconnected of the said evidence."

Another assemblage subordinate told the outlet that "we each came to an statement beauteous easily" regarding the verdict.

Yusuf's attorney, Ian Birrell, praised West for the determination and said his lawsuit was wrongly accused, according to KARE.

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Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison astatine a property league connected June 3, 2020. ( REUTERS/Eric Miller)

"Judge West's ruling affirms what we person maintained from the beginning: our lawsuit Mr. Yusuf was wrongfully accused and did not perpetrate fraud oregon racketeering. The Court's determination to participate judgments of acquittal connected each charges reflects the cardinal rule that justness requires some fairness and proof. We admit the Court's cautious attraction to the grounds and the law."

The Minnesota Attorney General's Office, led by Democrat Keith Ellison, has filed an entreaty of West's determination to overturn Yusuf's verdict.

Minnesota has grappled with fraud problems, including the Feeding Our Future scheme, which progressive hundreds of millions of dollars successful embezzled COVID-19 funds. The alleged fraud stems from Minnesota’s Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services program, Feeding Our Future and different organizations.

President Donald Trump connected Nov. 21 terminated deportation protections for Somalis successful Minnesota, claiming that "Somali gangs are terrorizing the radical of that large State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing."

His determination came aft a study from the Manhattan Institute, a blimpish deliberation tank, alleged that millions of dollars were being funneled to Al-Shabaab, a Somali panic group, related to the Feeding Our Future scam.

Fox News Digital reached retired to a typical for West and Yusuf's lawyer for comment.

Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson contributed to this report.