Seven Minnesota providers are part of the historic “National Health Care Fraud Takedown” announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Justice and Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Altogether, the DOJ says 455 people are charged in alleged health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes as part of the “takedown” across 45 states and territories. Collectively, those charged are accused of falsely claiming over $6.5 billion. Watch that full press conference below.

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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office confirmed that Minnesota’s MFCU charged seven people accused of fraudulently billing more than $700,000 in total. Those charged locally are:

Tremayne Lemar Jackson,Christine Marie Pryor,Fernando Navarro,Shawki Elsaid,Ahmed Agwa,Edward Sherrod, andJessica Wavra.

Despite the DOJ announcing the nationwide totals, Ellison’s office is prosecuting the local cases. Each faces counts of theft-false representation, the charge generally used in local fraud cases.

READ MORE: KSTP/SurveyUSA poll: Most Minnesotans critical of fraud, efforts to stop it; most important issues

Details

Jackson is charged in Ramsey County with claiming to provide over 6,000 hours of personal care assistant services that he billed for $125,000. The MFCU says Jackson couldn’t have provided those services over the two-year period he claimed because he was working as a college basketball coach in Kansas.

Pryor, charged in Clay County, claimed over $150,000 for providing psychotherapy and counseling services despite having no license or credentials to do so, MFCU says. Instead, she used the identities of three people licensed for those services.

Navarro claimed to have provided services totaling $70,000 in reimbursements to a child for more than two years after the child had moved to California, MFCU says. He’s charged in Hennepin County.

Acting Attorney General @DAGToddBlanche announces the results of the 2026 National Health Care Fraud TAKEDOWN: 455 defendants charged in connection with $6.5+ BILLION in alleged fraud

“This announcement marks the greatest combined federal and state effort in combating health… pic.twitter.com/piVY4uGk2F

— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) June 23, 2026

Elsaid is accused of submitting more 1,655 fraudulent claims, totaling more than $182,000, for services he allegedly rendered while either he or the supposed recipient was out of the country, MFCU says.

Agwa, like Elsaid, is charged in Anoka County for billing services while he or the recipient was out of the country. MFCU says he claimed more than $94,000 in services, including nearly 100 hours after the recipient died.

Sherrod is charged in Ramsey County with billing over $60,000 in services while working at another job at the same time, MFCU says.

Wavra billed $29,000 in services that she didn’t provide, MFCU says. She’s charged in Polk County.

“I have no patience for anyone who would steal our tax dollars, especially when those tax dollars are meant to provide health care for low-income Minnesotans who couldn’t afford it otherwise,” Ellison said. “My Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is one of the best in the nation, and today’s charges demonstrate that we are working hard day in and day out to hold Medicaid fraudsters accountable and recover the tax dollars they stole from hardworking Minnesotans.”

Breakdown

Of the seven Minnesota cases, Ellison’s office says the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) flagged two of them, health insurer UCare referred two, Crystal police forwarded two, and a private citizen contacted MFCU about one.

Since 2019, Ellison’s office says the MFCU has gotten 340 convictions for Medicaid fraud and won $90 million in judgments and recoveries.

RELATED: Minnesota Attorney General’s fraud unit expects funding boost — but what’s its track record?

Minnesota lawmakers approved an extra $1.2 million in funding this year for the MFCU, money that will be used to hire 18 more staff members, per Ellison’s office. More money is earmarked for the office in the next budget cycle.

RELATED: DHS: Only 2,000 of 5,600 high-risk Medicaid providers revalidated upon review

DHS Response

The Minnesota Department of Human Services says five of the seven cases announced Tuesday were terminated from the state’s Medicaid program and the other two weren’t enrolled with DHS and were acted on by managed care organizations.

DHS added that since Jan. 1, 2025, it has stopped payment to 695 providers based on credible allegations of fraud and made more than 655 referrals to law enforcement.

Statement from DHS Inspector General James Clark:

“We applaud today’s charges from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. The Minnesota Department of Human Services has been working with our partners in law enforcement, sharing credible evidence of fraud when we find it and by supporting the prosecutors who build cases to charge criminals.

“DHS referred two of the cases announced today to the Attorney General’s Office in 2024 and cut off payments to many of these providers two years ago or more.

“My office continues to use its administrative power to shut off money to fraudulent Medicaid providers as soon as we uncover credible allegations of fraud. We’ll continue to provide law enforcement with billing and ownership information, investigative files and other relevant documentation. And as I’ve said before, I fully expect we’ll see more charges in the future.”

Watch the DOJ’s full press conference below.

For Related Stories: Attorney General Keith Ellison  Criminal Charges  DOJ  Fraud  Medicaid  What The Fraud