# Minnesota appeals court restores six guilty verdicts in $7.2 million Medicaid fraud case The court reversed a judge's post-verdict acquittal of Abdifatah Yusuf and sent the case back to reinstate the jury findings. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. By The Signal Edition | News / Courts Published: 2026-10-27T05:30:55Z Updated: 2026-10-27T05:30:55Z Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/minnesota-appeals-court-restores-yusuf-medicaid-fraud-verdict-1wj6w9a Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/ac22c1bfc43eeaa156c24ace664bd833.webp (The Minnesota Judicial Center in St. Paul, home to the state Court of Appeals.; credit: Source: Fox News) ## Summary - The Minnesota Court of Appeals reversed a post-verdict acquittal and ordered reinstatement of six guilty verdicts against Abdifatah Abdulkadir Yusuf. - The case concerns more than $7.2 million in fraudulent Medicaid reimbursements submitted by Promise Health Service LLC. - The appellate court found the circumstantial evidence sufficient to support the jury's finding that Yusuf knew of and intentionally aided the fraud. ## Appeals court restores the verdicts Minnesota's Court of Appeals on Monday, October 26, reversed the post-verdict acquittal of Abdifatah Abdulkadir Yusuf in a Medicaid fraud case and ordered a district court to reinstate six jury verdicts finding him guilty of aiding and abetting theft by swindle. The three-judge panel concluded that the circumstantial evidence supported the jury's finding that Yusuf knowingly helped a fraud involving more than $7.2 million in reimbursements through Promise Health Service LLC. The ruling sends the case back to Hennepin County District Court; it is not a new trial verdict or a sentence. [1](https://mncourts.gov/_media/migration/appellate/court-of-appeals/standard-opinions/26oct26/OPa252003-102626.pdf) [2](https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-court-of-appeals-reinstates-guilty-verdict-in-72-million-fraud-case/601905449) [3](https://www.fox9.com/news/medicaid-fraud-conviction-reversed-again-reinstate-guilty-verdicts-oct-26-2026) The jury reached its verdicts after an August 2025 trial and also found aggravating sentencing factors. Before sentencing, the trial judge granted Yusuf's motion for acquittal, finding the evidence did not rule out that his brother Mohamed had conducted the fraud without Yusuf's knowledge or help. The state appealed. The appellate panel said that explanation was not reasonable when the evidence was considered as a whole and directed reinstatement of the six verdicts. The racketeering charge had been dismissed before the jury considered the case. [1](https://mncourts.gov/_media/migration/appellate/court-of-appeals/standard-opinions/26oct26/OPa252003-102626.pdf) [2](https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-court-of-appeals-reinstates-guilty-verdict-in-72-million-fraud-case/601905449) ## What the judges examined Promise billed Minnesota's Medical Assistance program for home and community services intended to help eligible recipients remain at home. According to the appellate opinion, trial evidence showed claims for services that were not delivered, exceeded authorized hours or lacked required records. Investigators testified that Promise submitted more than 40,000 fraudulent reimbursement claims for more than $7.2 million across the charged periods from October 2019 to August 2022. The court described those figures as evidence presented at trial, rather than a new audit conducted on appeal. [1](https://mncourts.gov/_media/migration/appellate/court-of-appeals/standard-opinions/26oct26/OPa252003-102626.pdf) [3](https://www.fox9.com/news/medicaid-fraud-conviction-reversed-again-reinstate-guilty-verdicts-oct-26-2026) The opinion said Yusuf identified himself to state agencies as Promise's owner, manager and contact person, helped establish its payroll and signed company checks. Investigators found the company's registered Minneapolis location was a mailbox, with confidential records kept among files from other provider agencies. A financial investigator testified that Yusuf personally received more than $1 million from Promise accounts, while his brother received about $359,000. The panel said those circumstances, taken together, supported knowledge and intentional assistance; it did not treat ownership alone as proof of guilt. [1](https://mncourts.gov/_media/migration/appellate/court-of-appeals/standard-opinions/26oct26/OPa252003-102626.pdf) [4](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/10/26_Medicaid-Fraud.asp) ## What happens next Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office, which prosecuted the case through its Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, welcomed the reversal. Its account says the unit charged Yusuf in June 2024 and that the underlying claims involved services not provided, falsely documented or overbilled. Yusuf had argued that he did not know about the fraudulent billing. The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that his lawyers had persuaded the district judge that Mohamed concealed the scheme, a view the appellate court rejected on its review of the trial record. [1](https://mncourts.gov/_media/migration/appellate/court-of-appeals/standard-opinions/26oct26/OPa252003-102626.pdf) [2](https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-court-of-appeals-reinstates-guilty-verdict-in-72-million-fraud-case/601905449) [4](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/10/26_Medicaid-Fraud.asp) The decision is designated nonprecedential, and the remand calls for the jury's guilty findings to be reinstated in district court. A sentencing date and any sentence were not available in the court opinion or the reports reviewed Tuesday. Further proceedings will determine the penalty; the six guilty counts and the jury's aggravating-factor findings do not by themselves specify one. [1](https://mncourts.gov/_media/migration/appellate/court-of-appeals/standard-opinions/26oct26/OPa252003-102626.pdf) [2](https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-court-of-appeals-reinstates-guilty-verdict-in-72-million-fraud-case/601905449) [4](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/10/26_Medicaid-Fraud.asp) ## Reporting sources 1. [Minnesota Court of Appeals: State of Minnesota v. Abdifatah Abdulkadir Yusuf, A25-2003](https://mncourts.gov/_media/migration/appellate/court-of-appeals/standard-opinions/26oct26/OPa252003-102626.pdf) (2026-10-26) 2. [The Minnesota Star Tribune: Minnesota appeals court reinstates guilty verdict in $7.2 million fraud case](https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-court-of-appeals-reinstates-guilty-verdict-in-72-million-fraud-case/601905449) (2026-10-26) 3. [FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul: Medicaid fraud conviction reversed again to reinstate guilty verdicts](https://www.fox9.com/news/medicaid-fraud-conviction-reversed-again-reinstate-guilty-verdicts-oct-26-2026) (2026-10-26) 4. [Minnesota Attorney General's Office: Attorney General Ellison wins as Court of Appeals reinstates jury's guilty verdict in $7.2 million Medicaid fraud case](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/10/26_Medicaid-Fraud.asp) (2026-10-26)