A Somali native who previously received Minnesota's 'Outstanding Refugee Award for Entrepreneurship' has been charged in connection with an alleged $4.5 million Medicare fraud scheme. Salman Ahmed Elmi, 30, faces charges of aiding and abetting theft, accused of operating four fraudulent agencies in the state that submitted false claims to Medicaid.
Reva Health, a company founded by Elmi, claimed to provide adult rehabilitative mental health services to Medicaid recipients. Investigators allege that Elmi and three associates used fake documents to secure millions in Medicaid funds. The scheme also involved instructing employees to offer illegal kickbacks to recipients in exchange for their personal information, which was then used for fraudulent billing.
Elmi was charged last week with three counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle and five counts of aiding and abetting theft by false representation. He was released on Monday under the condition that he surrender his passport and remain in Minnesota. His next court hearing is scheduled for October 4.
In a separate but connected case, three of Elmi's alleged co-conspirators—Frank Reeves, Viktoriya Komonash, and Andrea Sampson—face 26 felony counts each. Prosecutors allege they used the scheme as a front for sex trafficking, attempting to lure vulnerable women into prostitution and using identities of clients to bill Medicaid. Investigators have been examining this alleged sex trafficking ring since 2019.
While Elmi has not been charged in connection with the sex trafficking allegations, investigators indicated that he and Reeves frequently discussed both the Medicare fraud and sex trafficking operations. Elmi reportedly leveraged his artificial intelligence business, Tavolo, which received an investment from Kevin O'Leary of 'Shark Tank,' to establish Reva Health.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services, which awarded Elmi in 2021, issued a statement condemning his alleged actions. The department emphasized that his conduct does not align with the award's purpose or represent the broader refugee community in Minnesota. The 'Outstanding Refugee Award' was discontinued in 2024.
This case occurs amidst broader concerns regarding fraud within Minnesota's state welfare programs, particularly those involving members of the Somali community. A separate investigation into the Feeding Our Future program has implicated at least 78 individuals in defrauding the federal government of up to $300 million through false meal reimbursement claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. US Attorney Joe Thompson announced in December that federal Medicaid funds totaling approximately $9 billion had been stolen from 14 Minnesota programs since 2018, with 82 of 92 defendants charged across various scam programs being of Somali descent.