Teen wannabe ISIS terrorist plotted to slaughter dozens of non-Muslims at Mall of America, FBI says
An 18-year-old man allegedly paid $600 in exchange for an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammunition before getting arrested by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud allegedly plotted a terrorist attack on non-Muslims at the Mall of America for two years, according to U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen.
'This was a radicalized young man who needed to be watched.'
The suspect believed he was purchasing the items for his attack from a member of the ISIS terrorist group, but the person was in fact an undercover FBI agent.
Among the evidence gathered by the FBI were messages Mohamud allegedly exchanged with an FBI informant about his terrorist mission.
Mohamud was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly making the exchange, prosecutors revealed Wednesday.
"The FBI rendered the AK-47 rifle inert prior to the transaction," the DOJ said.
"During the sale of the firearm and ammunition, Mohamud reaffirmed his plan to use the firearm and ammunition to shoot people at the Mall of America," it added.
Mohamud allegedly indicated that he wanted to attack the Minneapolis mall on Oct. 24, the day of an arts celebration for the Hmong people, an ethnic group from China and Southeast Asia. He also allegedly claimed to have picked the site because it is owned by Jews, the DOJ press release said.
Rosen described Mohamud as an American citizen of Somali descent.
The messages obtained by the FBI allegedly showed that he wanted to go to Somalia to join ISIS but decided to attack the mall instead because he could not afford to travel. He intended to kill between 30 and 60 people at the mall, and he sought martyrdom, according to the FBI.
He has been charged with one count of knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition in order to commit a federal crime of terrorism.
"This was a radicalized young man who needed to be watched," Rosen said.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted a statement about the operation on social media.
"ARRESTED before he could hurt a single American," he wrote. "This FBI doesn't wait for terrorists to attack. We find them, disrupt them, and put them in handcuffs. Outstanding work by our Minneapolis team. We are staying on offense. America First. ALWAYS."
The FBI said it began tracking Mohamud in Dec. 2024 and had spoken to his parents about his radicalization.
"What I would say to parents all over Minnesota, and all over America: If you get any indication — especially if you hear from federal law enforcement — that your son or daughter is being radicalized, to the point where federal law enforcement wants to come and give you that warning, those are warnings that ought to be heeded," Rosen said.
Booking records indicated that Mohamud is 5'11" tall and weighs 120 pounds.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Rubio celebrates Western exceptionalism, warns that civilization is at an 'inflection point'
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that he has "no plans at this time" about a potential 2028 presidential run and doesn't know "what the future holds."
"He is still young, and smart in both policy and politics, and is keeping his options open for the future," one person familiar with the matter recently told NBC News. "If you asked him if he’s interested in 2032 or 2036, he would probably say sure."
'We must win together.'
While America's top diplomat — who recently polled third among potential candidates favored by Republicans for 2028 — is supposedly uncertain about what course he will personally chart in two years, he is confident about what direction America must take in the here and now.
In a speech Wednesday at the Acropolis in Athens, Rubio emphasized the imperative for America and other Western nations to unapologetically pursue national power; prioritize their own people; cease feeling guilty for being exceptional; and reclaim the "classical understanding" that "power requires not only having the means to defend yourself; it requires the credibility that you are willing to use it."
With the Parthenon as his backdrop, Rubio buttered up the Greeks by emphasizing the influence that their forebears had on America and, more broadly, on Western civilization.
"The history of America, the history of my country, is covered with the fingerprints of antiquity," said the secretary.
After first alluding to the architectural, linguistic, narrative, philosophical, and political influence that the ancient Greeks had on America and its people, Rubio noted, "The civilization of Athens and Rome transformed an infant seaboard republic into a continental empire."
RELATED: Keeping the West’s flame burning
"The greatest Americans of every generation have carried the unmistakable features of their forefathers," he continued, "born in Athens, formed by Rome, baptized in Christendom, hardened in the furnace of medieval Europe, endowed with the English genius for liberty, and then carried across the Atlantic to be reborn on the shores of a new world."
The secretary's speech was, however, about far more than tying former Greek excellence to continuing American excellence.
Rubio underscored that America and the "whole of our civilization" are at an "inflection point" — that "national interests did not vanish in the face of international institutions"; that peace is not inevitable; that there is renewed competition between great powers and a "whole universe of new threats" that must be addressed; and that it is critical now, more than ever, to rebuild institutions and alliances.
The secretary has been discussing various bilateral and multilateral alliances including NATO on a European tour that landed him in Athens on Wednesday.
During a joint press conference with Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis held just prior to his speech at the Acropolis, Rubio said that "the nations of Europe need to take on a greater share of the burden in defending their continent" and that Greece is on track to satisfy its minimum NATO obligation.
He noted further that the U.S. and Greece have signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a joint security program to bolster binational counterterrorism information-sharing and that Greece is joining the National Guard's Bureau of State Partnership Program.
Rubio noted in his speech — which was reminiscent of his Feb.14 "civilizational erasure" speech in Munich — that the purpose of such alliances "is not to abolish the sovereignty of the nations that constitute them. It is to defend them. And nations need not abandon their distinct identities in order to recognize their common interests."
"We want to win together," said Rubio. "We must win together."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
'Total destruction': Republican CRUSHES Democrat at Iowa gubernatorial debate
The gubernatorial debate in Davenport, Iowa, turned a corner when Republican Zach Lahn unleashed a torrent against State Auditor Rob Sand, his Democratic competitor.
The Republican went on the attack Tuesday night against criticism from Sand about whether Lahn meets the residency requirements to qualify for the race.
'I will spend whatever effort necessary to defend my children from people who'd like to exploit them like you. And my promise to the voters of Iowa is this: I will also defend your children from people who'd like to exploit them.'
Lahn excoriated Sand for making the residency issue the "central lie" of his gubernatorial campaign.
"He's been spreading this lie using money that his family has given him to do that all over the airwaves. People see it all the time," said Lahn.
"But here's the deal. Rob, you're now encountering somebody who's not going to intimidated by how much money your family has. It just won't happen. I can't be intimidated like that. The truth is I'm a sixth-generation Iowan. I live in Iowa today. I have lived in Iowa. Rob has been lying about this, and the issue is I have a blended family, and my kids split time. That's the issue," he added.
"But Rob has chose to make this issue the primary focus of his campaign," said Lahn.
"And I'll tell you, yes, I travel. I travel for business, I travel for family. You know who else travels? Rob. Rob traveled to Aspen, Colorado, to their $77 million mansion there. Rob travels to their multimillion-dollar home in northwest Iowa," he added.
"Rob travels around the state in a Ford F-150 — when he gets home, he gets in the $200,000 Mercedes G-Wagon. Rob is not telling the truth about who he is," said Lahn.
"And he's definitely not telling the truth about who I am. But I'm going to tell you this right now. This issue is about one thing. It's about my children. That's it. I have a blended family, and they split time. And I'm going to tell you right now, I am not going to be intimidated on this," he added.
"I will spend whatever effort necessary to defend my children from people who'd like to exploit them like you," Lahn concluded. "And my promise to the voters of Iowa is this: I will also defend your children from people who'd like to exploit them, like Rob Sand."
RELATED: Iowa Democratic Party corrects 'minor' mistake on partial vote tally — Bernie Sanders blames racism
Lahn's campaign posted the video of the beatdown during the debate, and he received great praise online.
"My phone was blowing up with excitement last night from conservatives all over Iowa ecstatic to see [Zach Lahn] humiliate Rob Sand in the Iowa Governor's debate. This might be the most decisive feedback I’ve ever received in an Iowa debate," BlazeTV host Steve Deace wrote on Facebook.
"I will run through a wall for @ZachLahn right freaking now," he added on the X platform.
"A total destruction of the lies coming from leftist Rob Sand. We can not allow Iowa to be turned over to these leftwing frauds!!!" responded Donald Trump Jr. on social media.
Sand also shared clips of the debate online Tuesday night. In one post, he wrote: "This race is between a change candidate, and a change of address candidate. 10 years of one-party control has given us a cancer crisis, a water quality crisis, and has left Iowa families strapped to afford gas & groceries. It's time to rotate the crops here in Iowa."
The election will decide whether Democrats can pick up the governor's office in Iowa after Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds retires.
Iowa Governor polls 2026: Sand vs. Lahn
Every public poll of the 2026 Iowa governor race, Rob Sand (D) vs. Zach Lahn (R), and the Blaze polling average. From Blaze News.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
'The panic is palpable': El-Sayed facing opposition from key Michigan Democrat groups weeks before election
While polling suggests Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is leading the Senate race in Michigan, members of key Democrat-leaning demographics say he hasn't earned their votes, even as absentee ballots have already begun to trickle in.
Like others in the Rust Belt, Michigan is a purple state. Michigan voted for President Donald Trump in 2016 and 2024, but went for President Joe Biden in 2020. It also currently has a Democrat executive branch and state Senate but a Republican House.
'The exodus of Jewish and black Democrats from Conman Abdul El-Sayed's camp exposes his crumbling coalition.'
While Trump won Michigan in 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris carried Wayne County, which includes Detroit, and Oakland County, which has a high Jewish population. That same year, Democrat Elissa Slotkin barely squeaked by Republican Mike Rogers in the U.S. Senate race by just 0.34%.
So it's no wonder that in 2026, El-Sayed and Rogers are in a tough battle for the open seat soon to be vacated by Democrat Sen. Gary Peters.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Blaze News Poll Watch has El-Sayed with an edge of 2.6%, and, according to CNN, El-Sayed has already predicted he will win by seven points.
Yet frank admissions by high-profile Michigan Democrats as well as black and Jewish voters suggest he may actually have some ground to make up in his own party.
RELATED: ‘Not someone who can be trusted’: Anti-Trump Detroit newspaper rips El-Sayed in Rogers endorsement
Democrat Rep. Hillary Scholten, who represents a district in Western Michigan, was caught on a video dated September 26 admitting that the El-Sayed campaign still has a lot of work to do "to connect with the black community."
In an MS NOW clip that went viral this week, one black female said, "We don't know him," while another said: "He's taking advantage that we, as black people, are Democratic, and he think we're gonna vote for him anyway, and I'm like, 'No, sir.'"
An MS NOW panel of pro-Israel Democrats similarly expressed skepticism of El-Sayed — with good reason.
A former staffer for his campaign is under federal indictment in connection with anti-Semitic attacks, his family members have been linked to Islamic terrorist groups, and he infamously responded to the Hezbollah-inspired attack on Temple Israel in March by saying, "Hurt people hurt people."
"I can't vote for Abdul El-Sayed because, once again, he's going against something that's innately me," said one Jewish mother.
"I might go to Mike Rogers," said another.
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, who is Jewish, indicated that the El-Sayed team has not made overtures for his support and that he may ultimately not vote for him. "If he doesn’t need me, he doesn’t need me," Schor stated, according to CNN.
Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is also Jewish, initially distanced herself from El-Sayed but ultimately endorsed him.
In the last week, Blaze News has received multiple text messages from Nonnegotiable Michigan, a group of Democrat-voting Jews in Michigan who launched a month ago in part to "call on El-Sayed and Democratic candidates to affirm baseline commitments to Jewish safety and identity."
"We've always shown up overwhelmingly for Democrats — but our support requires us to feel safe and valued in the party that has been our political home," read a message delivered Sunday.
Scholten and the El-Sayed campaign did not respond to requests for comment from Blaze News.
RELATED: Obama rushes to rescue Abdul El-Sayed in Detroit — GOP issues scathing response
Greg Manz, senior communications director for the Michigan GOP, characterized El-Sayed as a "conman" who "has repeatedly brushed off concerns from black voters" even as he is being "bankrolled by elements tied to the Muslim Brotherhood."
"The exodus of Jewish and black Democrats from Conman Abdul El-Sayed's camp exposes his crumbling coalition," Manz said in a statement to Blaze News.
"The panic is palpable."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Trans radical who massacred kids in Canadian school allegedly had American support
An American may have helped facilitate a mass murder at a school in Canada earlier this year committed by a teenage adult man pretending to be a woman.
On Feb. 10, Jesse Van Rootselaar, an 18-year-old trans-identifying man, murdered his mother and half-brother, then traveled to a secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, where he proceeded to injure 25 people and murder a 39-year-old female teacher, three 12-year-old girls, and two boys, ages 12 and 13, before taking his own life.
'I know I can like, save lives I guess but idk.'
Now it seems Van Rootselaar plotted the massacre with the help of a radical from Washington state. James Cody Bryant, a 30-year-old Bellingham resident, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country.
"The Tumbler Ridge Secondary School shooting was a horrific tragedy for that small community and for all of Canada. Indeed, here in the Pacific Northwest we felt the pain of those families devastated by this violence," acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said in a statement. "It is even more profoundly disturbing to learn that a resident of Western Washington had a role in the attack and took steps — providing counsel, technical advice, and money to the shooter planning such a tragedy."
The FBI noted that the duo first met online on the chat service Omegle before it was shut down in 2023.
The criminal complaint alleges that Bryant began conspiring to murder innocents with the Canadian-based trans radical in August 2025; "agreed to record J.V.R.’s livestream of the planned murders and post it over the internet for the public to view"; ensured that the livestream "look[ed] solid"; and even provided the shooter with tactical advice on how best to execute the massacre.
The FBI obtained Discord messages that allegedly show Bryant and Van Rootselaar discussing optimal ways of maximizing carnage.
RELATED: 'Our results shocked us': HHS report confirms your darkest suspicions about trans ideology
In early August 2025, the shooter allegedly discussed previous Canadian mass shootings, noting, "Getting 14 kills is a lot easier than getting 22, though if I got more than 22 it'd be simply the deadliest shooting in Canadian history period."
After Van Rootselaar articulated his desire to best previous school shooting kill counts, Bryant allegedly responded, "Hallways also mean a lot of ways people can escape. Corners to turn. Wide open spaces mean numbers."
In addition to discussing places where the shooter could play "hide and seek" with the greatest number of potential victims, Bryant advised the trans radical on which weapons to use, prosecutors alleged in the complaint.
Bryant allegedly told the shooter in an Aug. 26 message, "[You] should have a handgun if you can manage a print tbh," then allegedly added, "You've got solid plans."
A modified handgun and a long gun were recovered at the scene of the massacre, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
In December, Bryant allegedly told Van Rootselaar that he "definitely would" have fans after committing the murders and suggested further that people would "probably" be mad if the shooter were romanticized after the planned massacre.
Prosecutors further alleged that Bryant provided Van Rootselaar with financial support "to purchase items for use during the attack, including the shoes Van Rootselaar intended to wear, a lighter Van Rootselaar would use to ignite an explosive device, and stickers to decorate the firearms Van Rootselaar would use to commit the murders, and discussed possibly sending the shooter a 3D-printed firearm kit and related gear.
The shooter shared an image on Discord in August 2025 showing a sticker depicting the trans flag superimposed on the planet Saturn that he had apparently put on the receiver of a shotgun. Bryant allegedly said of the picture, "Love the stickers. [] stickers would be so funny to be seen in photos of the incident."
Bryant and Van Rootselaar also allegedly discussed whether the livestream of the attack should contain an audio feed.
After the shooter expressed concern about about how his voice might sound while slaughtering innocents, Bryant allegedly suggested silence, stating, "No lasting evidence of your voice, just a pretty girl gunning ppl down."
When the topic of alerting the relevant authorities to the murder plot came up, Bryant allegedly emphasized on multiple occasions that he would not "snitch," allegedly stating in one instance, "I could. I don’t want to honestly. I know I can like, save lives I guess but idk."
Despite allegedly egging on Van Rootselaar for months and failing to alert authorities, Bryant apparently had a change of heart just weeks ahead of the shooting.
On Jan. 4, the American allegedly told the shooter, "I truly hope you reconsider today. I wish there were any other path for you, you shouldn’t have to do something like this. I wish I knew what I could say or do to change your mind."
Despite this alleged attempt to dissuade the shooter from acting on his bloodlust, Bryant allegedly made clear that he was ready to lend his support on the day of the massacre.
According to prosecutors, Van Rootselaar allegedly sent Bryant photos of himself prepared for the attack. In one photo, the shooter is dressed in women's clothing and the boots that Bryant allegedly bought for him and armed with a rifle that appears to be equipped with a suppressor painted in the colors of the trans-radical flag.
Van Rootselaar began masquerading as a woman roughly six years ago, and Wikipedia, the liberal media, and the Justice Department continue to falsely refer to him as a female.
During the shooting, Bryant allegedly confirmed that he was watching the feed — which U.S. Attorney Floyd indicated had been terminated by Twitch after approximately 20 seconds — and even allegedly counseled Van Rootselaar on how to start the vehicle that Van Rootselaar drove to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
If convicted, Bryant could be thrown in prison for the rest of his life.
When asked on Tuesday whether Bryant might be sent to Canada to face prosecution, Floyd noted that the alleged crimes were committed in the U.S. and that the "penalties may be higher" in America.
"On behalf of the FBI, I want to express heartfelt sympathy for the victims of this tragedy and their loved ones," said W. Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "No investigation can undo the fear and suffering caused by the horrific events of this February or bring these individuals back to their families, school, or community. We mourn with you."
Elija Rain, acting commanding officer of the British Columbua RCMP, said in a statement, "Today’s arrest and charge announcement by the FBI reflects the months of investigative effort, cooperation, and coordination between our two agencies"
The RCMP apparently contacted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after receiving information from one of the online platforms used by the shooter.
"I would like to thank the FBI Seattle and the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington for their partnership, professionalism, and commitment throughout this complex investigation," continued Rain. "Their cooperation and expertise have been invaluable in advancing the work across jurisdictions and ensuring that all available evidence could be thoroughly examined."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Ex-CIA spook captured with gold treasure admits creating secret programs to steal nearly $200 million
When the FBI raided the Virginia home of ex-CIA official David Rush in May, agents found nearly 300 gold bars, each weighing a kilogram; 35 luxury watches; €104,795; and roughly $2 million in U.S. currency.
This apparently stolen treasure was only the tip of the iceberg.
'His self-serving actions threatened to erode public confidence in the intelligence services.'
Rush pleaded guilty on Tuesday to using his senior executive-level position within the CIA to create fake classified programs so that he could divert and fraudulently obtain roughly $193,590,400 in taxpayer funds.
"By his own admission, David Rush defrauded the government of hundreds of millions of dollars, and then misused those funds for extravagant purchases," stated FBI Director Kash Patel. "Rush betrayed his oath, his co-workers, and the American people, and he will now face justice for his actions."
According to a statement of facts dated Tuesday and signed by Rush, Rush secured a senior role at a federal agency on the basis of false claims about his military background and education.
Sources previously told the New York Times that Rush worked for the CIA, and Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed on Tuesday that it was the spy agency that had referred the matter to the FBI following an internal investigation identifying potential crimes.
Contrary to what he told CIA colleagues and contractors, Rush never served as a pilot in the U.S. military, and he held neither a bachelor's degree from a large public research university based in South Carolina nor a doctoral degree from a private research university in New York, the DOJ said.
RELATED: DOJ report details Biden admin's apparent conspiracy against parents who dared to defend their kids
The federal position that Rush occupied on account of such misrepresentations provided him with the authority to approve multimillion-dollar expenditures for various programs.
Rush admitted to creating a "highly classified program to justify the acquisition of luxury real estate, which he then intended to resell for personal profit," according to the statement of facts. Since access to his fake program was restricted to "specifically authorized individuals with the appropriate security clearance and need to know," Rush was for a time able to operate in the shadows.
He also created "separate purported sensitive government activity" to justify the acquisition of hundreds of gold bars.
The affidavit originally filed in support of a criminal complaint and arrest warrant for Rush stated that FBI agents seized "approximately 303 gold bars" from his residence. That number has been adjusted to 298 gold bars.
Neither the Department of Justice nor the CIA immediately responded to Blaze News' requests for comment.
"Although the real estate and gold acquisitions involved different transactions and intermediaries, they were executions of the same overarching scheme — RUSH created false classified authorities, directed and approved the associated expenditures, caused contractors and subcontractors to carry out the transactions, and thereafter exercised possession or control over the acquired assets," said the document.
Rush didn't just acquire gold bars and the luxury residential properties in Palm Beach and Hobe Sound, Florida, at America's expense. Prosecutors noted in court documents that over $38.65 million was seized from the bank account linked to the holding company that Rush created as part of his scheme, and over $2.1 million in American cash was seized from his house.
Per the terms of his plea agreement, Rush has agreed to forfeit the gold bars, the cash found at his home, the luxury residential properties he fraudulently obtained in Palm Beach and Hobe Sound, two 2026 BMW Alpina vehicles — at least one of which is valued at around $172,000 — and at least 30 luxury watches, including a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller 4000.
"Our Intelligence Community must have the trust of the American people to operate effectively in a Nation committed to transparency and the rule of law," stated Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg. "Rush repeatedly betrayed that trust. He defrauded the United States out of approximately $194 million in real estate, jewelry, and other valuable property, including 298 gold bars. Worse, his self-serving actions threatened to erode public confidence in the intelligence services that must strive in secret to keep America safe."
Rush, who pleaded guilty to a single count of wire fraud, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 28, 2027. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
While Rush has pleaded guilty, the DOJ noted that its investigation is continuing and that Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton has asked for the intelligence community's inspector general to launch a separate investigation.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Fraud, fraud, and more fraud: How Maine became a Somalian scammer's paradise
PORTLAND, MAINE — If you didn’t know any better, you would think Maine was the sickest state in the union.
Home health care LLCs, some with Minnesota area codes, fill entire office buildings throughout the city centers, suburbs, and exurbs of that once-sleepy New England state. They’re supposedly open from 9:00 to 5:00 every day, but no one is ever working.
‘The legislature needs to conduct a serious investigation of MaineCare’s provider system.’
What follows is the story of how Maine got robbed.
Somali refugees began flooding into Maine in 2001. Previously resettled elsewhere, the Somalis later gathered in Portland, then Lewiston, drawn by cheap housing. Catholic Charities Maine relocated the waves that followed, bringing as many as it could to Vacationland.
Catholic Charities was Maine’s primary federal refugee resettlement agency for nearly 50 years. It paid bus fare for hundreds of Angolan and Congolese migrants sent from San Antonio to Portland in 2023, the Maine Wire previously reported.
Maine, which boasts a robust General Assistance program offering rent, heating, food, utilities, and prescriptions to asylum-seekers for up to 24 months, has been a heavenly destination for the tired, poor, and huddled masses.
Soon enough, those masses would be rested, rich, and sprawled over numerous state-backed housing units.
Some New Mainers, as the state refers to them, never got off the government dole. In fact, they have built an entire way of life around spending other people’s money.
RELATED: Retiree radicalism: Behind the scenes with Maine's anti-ICE activists
Blaze News visited office buildings in Portland, Westbrook, and Lewiston, Maine, in September. We found dozens of home health care agencies, all of which spent the work day empty despite posted hours of operation. All companies were linked to Gmail addresses rather than any corporate email, and some even listed Minnesota mailing addresses and phone numbers.
Many of these numbers were out of service or went straight to voicemail. Only one, New Horizon Residential Care, picked up the phone. A thickly accented voice on the other end informed Blaze News that the company had shuttered operations and fled to New Hampshire after MaineCare fraud began to be exposed.
The full list of suspicious home health care LLCs could fill volumes, thanks to Jon Fetherston and Steve Robinson of the Maine Wire.
Some examples that Blaze News encountered in Maine are more glaring than others. Legit Home Health Care (now Legit Home Care LLC, according to state filings) registered with the federal government on March 19, 2018. Its provider record lists one official, a "director" named Adulahi Aden, and one address: 991 Forest Avenue, Suite 2A, Portland.
From 2019 to 2024, MaineCare paid Legit $7,116,267, according to state payment records previously obtained by the Maine Wire. That money is meant for aides who bathe, feed, and care for elderly and disabled Mainers in their own homes.
Legit billed $6.95 million across 8,652 claims from 2018 through 2024 for in-home personal care, according to federal Medicaid data. The claims were billed in 15-minute increments.
When Blaze News visited the office, no one was around to answer. The sign is still proudly and prominently displayed at the location.
Maine officials did once suspect something was off. In October 2022, MaineCare's Office of Program Integrity ordered Legit to repay $39,804.06. The home health care company had "failed to provide proper documentation for some of its services," according to state records reviewed by the Maine Wire.
Aden disputed the finding and sent in more paperwork. The state canceled the demand. Inspectors returned in July 2025 for a licensing review and found no deficiencies, the Maine Wire reported.
Normal nursing homes don't receive that kind of leniency. Federal rules require those facilities to undergo unannounced inspections and other taxing verifications. Home-care agencies like Legit aren't covered by those rules.
RELATED: Trump administration revokes visas for HISTORIC number of noncitizens
Legit Home Health Care had an important political connection. Halimo Mohamed, the wife of Democrat state Rep. Yusuf Yusuf, worked there.
Yusuf found the time to run his own agency as well. Care for Everyone, which received $1,212,852 from MaineCare between 2020 and 2024, operates out of the same address as Affinity Home Care. Neither Yusuf nor his agency has been accused of wrongdoing.
The overlaps can be confusing.
Yusuf's ethics filing places Care for Everyone at 49 Dartmouth Street, the same address as Affinity Home Care, from which the state is trying to recoup $445,262. Affinity is currently listed as administratively dissolved for a missed annual report.
The state's corporate registry puts Care for Everyone at 203 Anderson Street, which also houses a branch of Dahabshiil, a Somali money-transfer company. Its federal record lists a third address, on Bishop Street, with Yusuf as CEO. You almost need a flowchart to keep track of where your taxpayer money is going.
Yusuf did not respond to a request for comment.
RELATED: Social justice activist groups shut down after leader admits her years-long race hoax
Though Legit’s flashy name and vanishing audit make it a prime example of Maine’s seemingly endless fraud troubles, it is only one of many home health care companies gorging on state funds.
Holding Hands Home Health Care's bill was cut from $357,583 to $121,131. Adam Healthcare Services' (now Quality Care LLC) was cut from $647,834 to $25,849. Luna Home Care never paid its $262,120 recoupment and has billed MaineCare another $1.69 million since the notice was issued.
Community Home Health Care of South Portland received $47,986,855 from MaineCare between 2019 and 2025. The state suspended its payments months after the Maine Wire visited its office.
Bright Future Healthier You in Lewiston took in $15.6 million and is under federal investigation, according to the Maine Wire.
No public finding says how much of the money paid to Community or Bright Future was improper. Ocean Home Health Care on Bishop Street took $11.5 million. A 2020 state audit found $24,437 in overbilling, which it repaid.
Like Legit, Golden Home Care was also seemingly able to evade a clawback. Golden Home was ordered to repay $1,676,126 following a 2024 audit. That order was later canceled.
The list goes on and on and on.
Mostafa Alahmedi ran 5 Stars Home Health Care until auditors found $390,672 in overbilling. He repaid $13,961 and closed the business. He also worked at Ocean Home Health Care and claims he later worked at Golden Home Care and Community Home Health Care. Those four agencies billed MaineCare $66,487,379 from 2019 to 2025, though Alahmedi worked at each for only part of that time.
Gateway Community Services' office is registered next door to Legit, at 999 Forest Avenue. Gateway took $28.8 million from MaineCare from 2019 through 2024. Three state audits found about $1.7 million in overpayments. The state cut off its payments in December 2025.
There are two distinct, but related, Gateways. Gateway Community Services LLC is the for-profit enterprise, whereas Gateway Community Services Maine is a nonprofit organization.
The Maine DHHS affirmed "credible allegations of fraud" in May, according to the Maine Wire. Gateway appealed the payment suspension but missed its deadline to appeal the fraud finding itself.
Gateway founder Abdullahi Ali may now lose his Falmouth home, which he bought for $875,000 in 2022. Bangor Savings Bank sued to foreclose in July, months after the state placed a $44,082 lien on his property for unpaid income taxes. Gateway has denied the allegations.
Gateway's former attorney Pawel Binczyk said he no longer represents the company when reached for comment.
Catholic Charities Maine, the same church-backed charity that resettled migrants to the state, gave the not-for-profit Gateway Community Services Maine $77,672 in 2024 for “refugee health promotion and youth mentoring.” Catholic Charities is a MaineCare biller as well. The ostensibly Christian organization accepted $19.7 million from 2019 to 2024 and failed two state audits, which ordered it to repay thousands.
The companies tend to cluster together in specific locations.
At 203 Anderson Street in Portland, five home-care companies drew $13,774,554 from 2019 to 2024, sharing the building with a Dahabshiil branch. Maine Connect Care, one of those companies, later had its payments suspended. At 640 Brighton Avenue, Al-Shawk, Luna, and Hope Home Care received over $11.6 million.
In Lewiston, there are five home-care companies listed at a single warehouse grocery store on Park Street.
At 265 Lisbon Street, Lewiston's main street, five more share an address with the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine, which also runs offices at 124 Canal Street and 1220 Lisbon Street. Rajo Home Care, Ibsa Home Care, Ayda Home Care, Mayson Senior Care, and Mandi Home Care all registered with the federal government between June and September 2023. Rajo and Ibsa list the same phone number.
There are Minnesota connections as well. Mandi's phone number includes a Minneapolis area code, and Mayson's mailing address is in Saint Paul.
No one there reported ever seeing office workers or health care staff, and Blaze News found no offices.
When Blaze News and the Maine Wire entered the building on Canal Street in September, a notice from Lewiston District Court was taped to the front door. The company owed $63,013.87 in rent, utilities, and taxes as of June, according to landlord Veridis LLC's attorney. Veridis is suing to evict.
When reached for comment, the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine's Fatuma Hussein flatly stated that they had the money and requested that no further reporting be published on the matter.
That building also housed Gateway Community Services, which stopped receiving funding after a Maine Wire investigation. In August, the same landlord won a court order evicting Gateway from the building. It's quite the coincidence.
The Maine State Housing Authority also won a $110,000 default judgment against the center this year.
Independent audits of the center's federal grants for 2022 and 2023 each found "material weakness" in its internal controls and "material noncompliance."
RELATED: Are America's jails being run by foreigners?
The fraud being foisted on the Maine taxpayer hasn’t exactly been a secret. State officials have simply refused to take the large-scale actions necessary to root it out.
Democrat Gov. Janet Mills’ Department of Health and Human Services licenses these agencies, delivers the funds to them, and audits them.
Democrat Attorney General Aaron Frey’s Healthcare Crimes Unit is supposed to prosecute the cases the DHHS sends over. The unit declined four DHHS referrals in 2021 and secured one guilty plea out of 18 referrals from 2022 to 2025, the Maine Wire reported.
The DHHS typically sends three to five fraud referrals a year, the Portland Press Herald reported. The office is seeking a new chief as fraud allegations continue to pile up.
Frey’s office declined to comment on its referral record or on whether it has received referrals involving Gateway, Community Home Health Care, or Legit.
Republican lawmakers in Augusta say they have been stonewalled by Mills and her appointees.
“Lawmakers have called for comments from the Mills administration, and we have been met with silence,” Assistant Senate Republican Leader Matt Harrington told Blaze News. “Democrats are largely silent. Fraud should not be a partisan issue.”
“The legislature needs to conduct a serious investigation of MaineCare’s provider system,” Harrington said. “There are clearly problems in how providers are screened, monitored, and audited."
Harrington wants lawmakers to examine “whether providers are being appropriately vetted and whether DHHS has the resources and policies necessary to intervene quickly when red flags appear,” and he called for a review of the Healthcare Crimes Unit’s record.
“In fact, federal regulators have already raised concerns that make such a review absolutely critical,” Harrington said. “We should examine how many credible fraud allegations DHHS identifies, what happens to those fraud referrals, how long cases remain pending, and whether staffing or other deficiencies have prevented fraud from being adequately investigated.”
“Taxpayers deserve answers about how their money is being spent,” Harrington said.
The DHHS and Mills’ office did not respond to Blaze News' requests for comment.
“Many of my constituents are struggling to pay their electricity bills and buy medication, while fraudsters are getting rich,” Harrington said. “This is wrong.”
Community Home Health Care, Ocean Home Care, Bright Future Healthier You, Veridis LLC, and the Maine State Housing Authority did not respond to Blaze News' requests for comment.
This story was reported in collaboration with the Maine Wire’s Jon Fetherston.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
www.theblaze.com
thefederalist.com
www.theblaze.com