Two Minnesota residents were arrested on charges of health care fraud after allegedly stealing more than $21 million in taxpayer funds. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested Shamso Ahmed Hassan and Hanaan Mursal Yusuf. They face eight counts of health care fraud and two counts of money laundering. 

Both women are U.S. citizens, with Hassan having been naturalized. 

Authorities say that through two companies that Hassan owned, Smart Therapy Center LLC and Star Autism Center LLC, the defendants carried out a scheme to defraud a health care benefit program of approximately $21.1 million by submitting false claims to Medicaid. They carried out the alleged activities over a four-year timespan. 

"Their Medicaid fraud scheme started during the COVID pandemic and lasted for four years. ICE continues to zero in on the rampant fraud in Minnesota. Under [Department of Homeland] Secretary [Markwayne] Mullin, we will end the defrauding of the American people," Acting Assistant Sec. Lauren Bis said in a statement. 

The suspects are being held in federal custody pending judicial proceedings.