Somali 'Autism' Center Chief Pleads Guilty To $6 Million Fraud Scheme
By Jack Cowhick
Published on March 3, 2026.
Abinajib Hassan Yussuf, the CEO of Star Autism Center LLC, has pleaded guilty to a fraud scheme involving over $6 million. The Department of Justice (DOJ) charged him in December 2025 with making fraudulent Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) claims to the Minnesota government. Yssuf and his team raked in over $600 million through the fraudulent claims. The center allegedly provided "necessary one-on-one therapy to children with autism" and recruited Somali parents of Somali descent to enroll their children for autism services, even if they were not autistic. The DOJ also revealed that Yussouf shared the proceeds of the scheme with others involved in Star Autism.
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