ST. CLOUD, Minn. (FOX 9) – Trump administration officials put Minnesota at the center of a fraud crackdown on Thursday, as Election Day approaches and Democrats accused them of selective enforcement.
Minnesota raids and fraud charges
What we know:
On Thursday, federal officials said 17 search warrants were served on four targets.
New federal charges allege $41 million in fraud at autism centers, with about half allegedly tied to Smart Therapy, the autism center whose owner was the first defendant charged with autism fraud.
Local perspective:
“Our nation’s war on fraud started right here in Minnesota. It’s not an issue to be proud about, it’s just a reality,” said Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. CMS has frozen about $550 million in federal Medicaid assistance to Minnesota based on suspected criminal activity.
Big picture view:
Date: February 16, 2026 Perpetrator: Natasja Slabbert (42) Case Description: In a case that hit home for the Eastern Cape business community, Natasja Slabbert, a payroll administrator at Isuzu Motors South Africa’s Struandale plant, was arrested for an alleged R10.5 million fraud. The scheme, which began surfacing in late 2024, exploited the very systems designed to manage employee compensation. Slabbert allegedly manipulated payroll records to create false entries that appeared as legitimate deductions and contributions on employee payslips. In reality, these “deductions” were being diverted into her personal bank account. The fraud was only uncovered after diligent employees noticed that their net “take-home” pay was significantly lower than expected, despite the gross amounts on their payslips remaining high. Following a thorough probe by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team and the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, it was discovered that in August 2024 alone, over R626,000 was unlawfully transferred. Slabbert was granted bail of R5,000 on February 17, 2026, and the case has been postponed to later in the month for further legal proceedings. This case highlights the critical need for “segregation of duties” in payroll departments, as a single point of failure allowed for the systematic siphoning of millions over nearly two years. Link to Original: PE Express – Isuzu Payroll FraudTHE ISUZU MOTORS PAYROLL FRAUD (GQEBERHA, SA)