Extending past Smart Therapy and Star Autism, Minnesota companies billed the state for roughly $400 million in both 2023 and 2024 for Minnesota Medical Assistance and related public health plans, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit to apply for the search warrants. That was up from $1.7 million in 2017.

Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, listed as Star Autism Center’s organizer in the LLC’s original state business filing, denied the fraudulent billing allegations.

“No. There was nothing like that, but I have nothing to say at the moment,” Yussuf said.

Asha Hassan, who is listed as Smart Therapy Center’s manager in state business filings, could not be reached for comment Thursday or Friday.

Although there was a federal probe, no charges have been filed. Thursday’s raids were carried out in an attempt to gather evidence that may support an indictment, but it could be months before there’s a decision on whether to charge. In the Feeding Our Future case, FBI agents raided businesses in January 2022; criminal charges followed eight months later.

“Pairing state-of-the-art amenities with timeless design, the Wells Fargo Center is well-positioned to attract tenants seeking a premier building in a dynamic urban environment,” the release said.

The overall office vacancy rate for downtown Minneapolis at the end of the third quarter was 23.4%, up a percentage point from the same quarter a year ago, according to brokerage firm Colliers.

Current vacancies, which are far higher than before the pandemic, are forcing some building owners to sell at significantly discounted prices. In September, a pair of office towers known as the Forum sold for $6.5 million, representing a discount of more than 90% discount from 2019 when the towers sold for nearly $74 million.