Top federal officials on Thursday announced prosecutions against 15 defendants accused of defrauding government services.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald, the head of the Department of Justice’s Fraud Enforcement Division, said the charges brought this week targeted schemes that reaped $90 million in taxpayer funds.
McDonald said alleged fraudsters exploited programs meant to help vulnerable populations — including the now-defunct Housing Stabilization Services program, which was designed to connect homeless Minnesotans with housing, and the Early Intensive Behavioral Development Intervention (EIDBI) program for children with autism.
The announcement coincided with the sentencing of Aimee Bock, the ringleader in the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.
On Wednesday, federal prosecutors filed charges against at least 10 defendants accused of fraud across programs covering childcare, autism centers, housing support and in-home healthcare. Some other cases remain under seal.
