Somalia’s U.N. Envoy Abukar Dahir Osman Linked to Ohio Medicaid Fraud Case
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Staff Reporter GAROWE ONLINE
- Posted On 06-01-2026, 09:12AM
WASHINGTON — A senior U.S. federal health official said Somalia’s ambassador to the United Nations has ties to an Ohio health care agency that was convicted of Medicaid fraud, an allegation that comes amid heightened scrutiny of fraud investigations involving Somali Americans.
Jim O'Neil, deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, made the claim about Abukar Dahir Osman, Somalia’s permanent representative to the United Nations and a former president of the United Nations Security Council for the month of January.
Records show Osman has ties to Ohio and to a Cincinnati-based company, Progressive Health Care Services Inc., which later pleaded guilty to Medicaid fraud and was ordered to pay more than $90,000 in restitution. However, the extent of Osman’s involvement with the company remains unclear.
O’Neil’s comments followed attention by the administration of Donald Trump to a large social service fraud investigation in Minnesota that has resulted in criminal charges against dozens of people of Somali descent. Some residents say the scandal has fueled rhetoric targeting the broader Somali community.
During a Jan. 2 news conference at the United Nations, Osman addressed issues including the war in Gaza, criticizing Israel and accusing its government of attempting to “export” Palestinians. When asked about anti-Somali rhetoric in the United States, Osman said the claims did not reflect reality, citing successful Somali Americans elected to public office and describing the controversy as a distraction.
Pressed about Trump’s past remarks referring to Somalis as “garbage,” Osman declined to respond, adding that rhetoric from U.S. officials had not affected his relationship with the U.S. representative at the United Nations.
Three days later, O’Neil posted on the social media platform X that Osman was associated with the Cincinnati business convicted of Medicaid fraud. The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for additional comment before publication.
Osman was appointed Somalia’s permanent representative to the United Nations in 2017, according to a U.N. biography. Before that, he worked as a supervisor in the Adult Medicaid Unit at Franklin County’s Job and Family Services office in Columbus from 2007 to 2012. He later worked with the Somali government between 2010 and 2017.
State business filings show Osman was listed in 2016 as an “agent” for Progressive Health Care Services. Agents can be owners, founders, or representatives who may not be involved in day-to-day operations. A U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services database in October 2016 listed him as president and CEO of the company, though state documents indicate another agent replaced him by 2018.
In 2019, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office filed a criminal case alleging the company committed Medicaid fraud between October 2016 and February 2019. Prosecutors said the company knowingly made false or misleading statements to obtain Medicaid reimbursements. The indictment named another individual, not Osman, as the company’s statutory agent.
The case did not go to trial. In April 2021, the company entered a guilty plea signed by representatives, and it was ordered to pay $93,933.14 in restitution. State records show the business was barred from receiving Medicaid funds after charges were filed and formally excluded following the guilty plea.
As of December 2025, state records indicated Osman who is a close relative to current Somali president Hassan Sheikh remained prohibited from serving in certain roles with Medicaid providers in Ohio.
GAROWE ONLINE
