Federal prosecutors announce HSS fraud charges for 8 providers

Transcript

THE STORY HAS BECOME ALL TOO FAMILIAR. PROSECUTORS ANOUNCING FEDERAL FRAUD CHARGES RELATED TO THE INVESTIGATION INTO MINNESOTA'S HOUSING STABILIZATION SERVICES. THERE ARE EIGHT DEFENDENTS ACUSED OF STEALING A TOTAL OF MORE THAN $8.4 MILLION DOLLARS IN MEDICARE FRAUD. FEDERAL AUTHORITIES SAY MORE CHARGES ARE ON THE WAY GOOD AFTERNOON, I'M LIAM FELLMAN. RENEE IS ON ASSIGNMENT MINNESOTA'S HOUSING STABILIZATION SERVICES WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2020 AS MEANS OF CONNECTING VULNERABLE ADULTS WITH HOUSING.

AT THE TIME, THE PROGRAM WAS ESTIMATED TO COST 2-POINT-6 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. BUT FIVE YEAR LATER PROVIDERS WERE BILLING THE PROGRAM UPWARDS OF 100 MILLION DOLLARS ACTING U-S ATTORNEY JOSEPH THOMPSON SAYS THAT MANY OF THESE COMPANIES OPERATED OUT OF DILAPITATED STORE FRONTS AND MOST WERE EXCLUSIVELY DEVOTED TO BILLING THE PROGRAM. 4:03 "dESPITE THE HUNDREDA OF MILLION S OF DOLLARS TO HSS COMPANIES, MANY, OR MOST OF THESE INDIVDUALS HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE HOSUING STABILIZATION THEY SO DESPRETELY NEED. 4:18 BACK IN JUNE THE FBI EXECUTED A SERIES OF SEARCH WARRANTS AS FEDERAL AUTHORITIES LOOKED INTO PROVIDERS WHO BILLED FOR SERVICES NEVER RECEIVED. SINCE, THEN THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES ANNOUNCED PLAN TO END THE PROGRAM ENTIRELY.

HSS PROVIDERS ACTING IN GOOD FAITH SAY THE FALLOUT COULD BE DEVASTATING TO THE COMMUNITI