Seven Minnesotans charged in sprawling, nationwide Department of Justice Medicaid fraud crackdown

That is Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, who on Tuesday announced the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown resulting in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes.

The Department of Justice says the charges involve over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death.

Those charges include seven from Minnesota. Attorney General Keith Ellison announced his Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) participated in National Health Care Fraud Takedown Day with the Department of Justice and over 40 State Medicaid Fraud Control Units. The sprawling investigation involved 45 states across 56 federal districts.

The Department of Justice said the cooperation from states was the most in Department history. Ellison's office will prosecute all seven cases in Minnesota, which included claims submitted for patients who had already died.

"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,” said Attorney General Ellison. “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.”

Minnesota’s MFCU said the seven individual providers were charged with over $700,000 in Medicaid fraud.

“This year’s National Health Care Fraud Takedown represents the greatest whole-of-government effort to combat health care fraud in our Nation’s history,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Under the decisive leadership of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, and our law enforcement partners, this administration has ushered in a new era of enforcement that will safeguard taxpayer dollars.”

The DOJ also noted the takedown included several international fraudsters, including returning the suspects to the U.S.

The seven charged:

• Tremayne Lamar Jackson, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was charged by complaint in Ramsey County District Court with seven felony theft offenses in connection with defrauding the Minnesota medical assistance program of over $125,000. As alleged in the complaint, Jackson claimed to provide over 6,000 hours of personal care assistant services, companion care services, and homemaker services in Minnesota when he could not have provided them, including during a nearly two year period of time where he served as a college basketball coach in Haviland, Kansas. Jackson was referred to the Minnesota MFCU by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS).
• Christine Marie Pryor, of Fargo, North Dakota, was charged by complaint in Clay County District Court with six theft offense and six identity theft offenses in connection with defrauding the Minnesota medical assistance program out of over $150,000. As alleged in the complaint, Pryor claimed to provide psychotherapy and alcohol and drug counseling services to Medicaid recipients despite having no license or credentials to do so. Pryor, instead, unlawfully used the credentials and identities of three licensed professionals, who had no knowledge of Pryor’s actions, while claiming to provide Medicaid-funded services to over 160 Medicaid clients. UCare referred Pryor to the Minnesota MFCU.
• Fernando Navarro, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was charged by complaint in Hennepin County District Court with four felony theft offenses for bilking the Minnesota medical assistance program out of nearly $70,000. As alleged in the complaint, Navarro claimed to provide personal care assistant services in Minnesota to a child for nearly 25 months after the child moved to California. A private citizen referred Navarro to MFCU.
• Shawki Elsaid, of Blaine, Minnesota, was charged by complaint in Anoka County District Court with eight theft crimes and two identity theft crimes for defrauding the Minnesota medical assistance program out of over $182,000.00. As alleged in the complaint, Elsaid had over 1,655 separate submissions of fraudulent claims for PCA services he did not render. Elsaid claimed to render services while he was out of the country, or the recipient he was claiming to provide services to was out of the country. He also obtained and used the identity of others to document PCA services that were not provided, while Elsaid pocketed the funds used to pay for the services not rendered. The Crystal Police Department referred Elsaid to MFCU.
• Ahmed Agwa, of Blaine, Minnesota, was charged by complaint in Anoka County District Court with six felony theft offenses for swindling the Minnesota medical assistance program out of over $94,000.00. As alleged in the complaint, Agwa billed for over 588 hours of PCA services while he was out of the country, over 3,420 hours of services while the recipient was out of the country, and over 98 hours of services after the recipient died. The Crystal Police Department referred Elsaid to MFCU.
• Edward Sherrod, of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, was charged by complaint in Ramsey County District Court with six felony theft offenses. As alleged in the complaint, Sherrod bilked the Minnesota medical assistance program out of over $60,000 by billing for over 3,500 hours of personal care assistant services that did not occur as alleged because Sherrod was working at another job or was providing services to a different recipient in a different location at the same time. The Minnesota Department of Human Services referred Sherrod to MFCU.
• Jessica Wavra, of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, was charged by complaint in Polk County District Court with five theft offenses. As alleged in the complaint, Wavra defrauded the Minnesota medical assistance program out of over $29,000 by billing for adult rehabilitative mental health services (ARMHS) and targeted case management services that she did not provide. UCare referred Wavra to MFCU.