The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has suspended Medicaid payments to Leo Human Services, a housing assistance company accused of fraudulently billing Medicaid for services that several clients say they never received.
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Leo Human Services, led by Asad Adow, reportedly billed Medicaid for $1.2 million in 2024 for Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) — a taxpayer-funded program designed to help vulnerable Minnesotans, including unhoused individuals and those with disabilities, find and keep housing. But according to a KARE 11 investigation, several people say they never got the help the company claimed to have provided.
Steven Smith, for example, says he was stunned to find Medicaid had been billed for services he never received. When he requested records, the company sent a document bearing a signature he insists he never provided. Metadata showed the electronic signature was created a day after the document was allegedly signed — and by someone else. “I’ve never got an hour of help,” Smith told KARE 11.
Now, that investigation has revealed an entire web of related companies — and new clients are coming forward with similar stories.
New investigations
Julie Quiroz was homeless in the winter of 2024 when she saw a flyer for housing assistance in a gas station bathroom. She called the provider, Liberty Plus, and the man on the phone promised help. She gave them her Medicaid insurance information but no one followed through. Quiroz and her dog spent that winter in her car.
“To be just filled with hope … and you’re sitting there in the cold thinking, ‘Any day now, any day now.’ And that ‘any day’ never comes,” she told KARE 11.
Only after she was quoted in a news article about her frustration with HSS services, Liberty Plus reached out to her.
KARE 11 has a Liberty Plus document with her signature on it, but Quiroz says she never signed anything.
“They didn’t do s—,” she told KARE 11. “Sorry for swearing.”
Quiroz requested her records. Instead, she received a voicemail from Liberty Plus informing her, “It would be best to part ways.” She never got documentation for the services they claimed to have delivered.
According to KARE 11, HSS providers — Leo Human Services, North Home Health Care, South Home Health Care, and Liberty Plus — are tied to Adow and his "partner" Muhammad Omar. State records also list a separate company, Motto Express, run by Omar and registered to the Adow’s Blaine home.
North Home Health Care, operated by Omar, billed the state more than $1.6 million in 2024, per DHS data. Omar is also listed as running South Home Health Care, which billed nearly $393,000. Liberty Plus, registered to Anwar Adow, billed more than $772,000 — yet its website features stock images and placeholder text like “Caregiver Name” on its “Meet Our Team” page.
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Leo Human Services, North Home Health Care, South Home Health Care, and Liberty Plus are now under active investigation by DHS. The agency told KARE 11 that when one provider is suspended, they also investigate associated individuals and entities: “We take swift action to suspend payments to any provider or individual that is associated with credible allegations of fraud.”
A federal investigation into HSS fraud in Minnesota is also underway, and state lawmakers are now pushing for reforms, according to the report.
What to do if you’ve been targeted by a fraudulent housing assistance company
Medicaid fraud is mostly committed by providers, not beneficiaries, according to KFF.
If you suspect a provider has billed Medicaid or any health plan fraudulently in your name, you can take these steps:
- Request your records: Ask the provider in writing for a copy of your service records and any signed documents.
- Check your insurance explanation of benefits (EOB): Look for services billed that you don’t recognize.
- Contact the DHS Office of Inspector General: Call the fraud hotline at 1-800-323-8603 or submit a complaint online. You can also contact the state DHS on a fraud hotline.
- File a police report: If you believe your identity or signature was used without your permission, notify law enforcement.
- Avoid unverified providers: When seeking services, check that the provider is licensed through DHS or another state authority. Be cautious of providers advertising in non-traditional spaces, like gas station bathrooms or social media, without clear credentials.
These programs are meant to offer stability to vulnerable Minnesotans. But as stories like Quiroz’s show, a lack of oversight can allow bad actors to take advantage of the situation. As investigations continue, clients, advocates, and lawmakers are demanding that public dollars serve the people they’re meant to help.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
