The FBI served search warrants Thursday at two autism treatment providers, as part of a wide-ranging Medicaid fraud investigation first reported by the Reformer in June. The search warrants were served at Smart Therapy Center in Minneapolis and Star ...

The FBI raided autism treatment centers in Minneapolis and St. Cloud for alleged fraud, and tie them to the Feeding Our Future case.

Gov. Tim Walz called Thursday for Minnesota to increase criminal penalties for Medicaid fraud in response to the FBI’s investigation into autism service providers. The FBI searched at least two Minnesota autism centers Thursday as it investigated “substantial evidence” of fraudulent Medicaid claims made by many companies participating in the state program.

The FBI and state investigators raided the Smart Therapy Center's business office in Minneapolis and the Star Autism Center's office in St. Cloud on Thursday morning.

They took taxpayer dollars to care for vulnerable children, but investigators say they pocketed that cash instead. The FBI secured and seized boxes of evidence from two autism centers Thursday. We're learning these raids are connected to another massive fraud case.

Federal law enforcement suspects many autism centers are billing the state for services not actually provided to young Minnesotans with autism spectrum disorder.