ST. CLOUD — Star Autism Center LLC, based in St. Cloud, has had its license suspended after its owner, Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, was federally charged with wire fraud.

The Jan. 23 order from the Minnesota Department of Human Services comes as Yussuf, 27, is accused of a $6 million scheme to defraud a publicly funded health care program. Authorities have alleged that the center employed individuals, typically teenagers, without training beyond high school or certifications.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Yussuf carried out the scheme to defraud the Early Intensive Development and Behavioral Intervention program. Charges against Yussuf were announced in December.

Authorities say Yussuf, along with partners, approached parents in the Somali community to recruit children to the center. If a child didn’t have a diagnosis, they worked to get the child qualified for autism services, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Star Autism and Yussuf are also accused of submitting inflated Medicaid reimbursement claims.

Yussuf is accused of sharing the $6 million with other owners and investors of Star Autism, and purchasing a semi truck for $100,000 and sending $200,000 to Kenya.

The suspension was enforced on Jan. 23.

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