It’s true, Minnesota might just be a cesspool of corruption. The latest to come out of Tim Walz’s state spotlights a Somalian refugee by the name Salman Ahmed Elmi, slapped with a total of eight counts of aiding and abetting theft last week.

Elmi, a native of Somalia, was charged last week with three counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle and five counts of aiding and abetting theft by false representation.

Prosecutors allege Elmi and three associates — Frank Reeves, Viktoriya Komonash and Andrea Sampson — ran four agencies that they used to bill more than $4.5 million to Medicaid since 2023. Those agencies were called Reva Health, Reva Autism, Helpful Housing and Homefelt Assisted Living.”-The National Review

Mr. Elmi was also named “Outstanding Refugee” by Minnesota’s Department of Human Services in 2021 for his, uh, “entrepreneurship”.

You know what is also entrepreneurial? Turning a profit from homeless and drug-addicted young women into prostitutes and stealing the identities of men who solicit these women and pay for sex, billing Medicaid in their names. Out-freaking-standing. The prostitution ring was running since pre-COVID days of 2019.

A couple of million dollars in fraud is just a drop in the bucket. There are many more “outstanding” Somalis in Minnesota who are even bigger hustlers. Ilhan Omar, where are you at?

Salman Emi was a “success story”. A rags-to-riches man, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services. From the page that now throws a 404 error:

The biggest thing I hear all the time is that refugees are mooching off of the economy or being a non-productive member of society when, in reality, immigrants contribute to a big part of the U.S. economy, especially here in Minnesota. We contribute by starting businesses and having that grit and hustle. We’ve always had a chip on our shoulders that inspires us to seek excellence in whatever we want to do.”-Salman Ahmed Elmi

Thank God for screen shots. It certainly does take grit and hustle to GRIFT and, truthfully, Mr. Elmi, if you are fraudulently billing Medicaid, to the tune of millions of dollars, you ARE mooching off the economy. The chip on the shoulder? I would like to dive deeper into that remark. The chip comes from hating us. Hating our ways. The chip comes from the ultimate desire to change our landscape. The chip comes from pure resentment of America, our values and our system. There is a reason Somalia is one of the most corrupt countries.

Somalia has for years ranked at or near the bottom of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), reflecting ongoing concerns over transparency in public financial management, limited oversight institutions and fragile governance structures.

A low CPI score can affect foreign investment, donor confidence and public trust in state institutions, analysts say.

The findings shed renewed light on Somalia’s position as one of the world’s most corrupt countries, reinforcing concerns about systemic graft within state institutions. The ranking comes amid continued scrutiny over allegations of widespread misuse of public resources, lack of transparency in government spending, and weak enforcement of accountability mechanisms, highlighting persistent structural challenges in combating corruption.”-Hanah Olson, AllAfrica

Corruption is all they know. It is ingrained in everyday practice and culture. This is their version of “entrepreneurial spirit”.

What I would like to know is why investigators waited SEVEN years to arrest him? Following the story, the prostitution ring was happening since 2019. Elmo won the award for being an “Outstanding Refugee” in 2021. Five years later, he gets busted?

Elmi was also instrumental in the restaurant marketing platform, Tavolo. His, “journey” from teenager, to trailblazer to fraudster.

The same agency handing out "Outstanding Refugee" awards is the one cutting the Medicaid checks he allegedly looted for $4.5 million. That's not a coincidence, that's a business model.

— M.A. Rothman (@MichaelARothman) August 18, 2026

One worth the hustle and the chip on the shoulder, apparently.

Feature Photo Credit: Fraud magnifying glass via iStock, cropped and modified