MINNEAPOLIS – A heavy-duty cheat pleaded guilty to $11.2 million in fraudulent claims from a government program to feed the poor and the hungry and from another government program to assist the elderly with medical expenses. Anab Awad, 52, of exurban Plymouth, entered the plea in federal court. Her plea was the fourth from 48 defendants in the nutrition program fraud. Prosecutors say those claims from all the defendants, totaled $250 million – the largest in the nation in the CoVid emergency nutrition program.
Awad. Sentencing yet to be scheduled.
Nutrition fraud
Awad operated anon-profit entity, Multiple Community Services, which had food distribution sites in Faribault, Minneapolis and Osseo. Awad charged the government $3 million for phantom groceries. She also billed the government $3.7 million for meals that she were never delivered. Along with other false claims that she generated, the Federal Child Nutrition Program was charged $11.2 million. The proceeds were split with other people in on the scheme.
Medicare fraud
In a 14-month period ending in 2016, Awad worked as an interpreter for two companies that that billed the Minnesota Medicaid program for services that were never provided. The conspiracy involved \mental health practitioners at the company Minnesota Multicultural Counseling and Consultants to falsify bills for mental health and related interpretation services. These fraudulent claims caused a loss of $99,000 to the Minnesota Medicaid program as part of a broader $4 million scheme.