>> Cathy: THE LATEST FRAUD CASE IN MINNESOTA CENTERS ON A AN OWNER OF MORE THAN TWO DOZEN GROUP HOMES WHO COLLECTED TAXPAYER MONEY WHILE RUNNING THE HOMES FROM OVERSEAS.

AN INVESTIGATION BY MPR NEWS AND APM, A NATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE UNIT, UNCOVERED THE FRAUD.

JOINING US WITH MORE ON THIS EXTENSIVE STORY, ELLIE ROTH, PART OF THE REPORTING TEAM.

THIS IS QUITE A STORY.

NOW, THE PERSON THAT YOU FOCUSED ON IS LIBERIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL.

HOW THE HECK DOES A LIBERIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL AMASS A NUMBER OF GROUP HOMES IN MINNESOTA?

>> WELL, THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION AND THAT'S WHAT WE SPENT A YEAR TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.

SO HE GOT TO HIS START IN GROUP HOMES TWO DECADES AGO OR A DECADE OR SO AGO, AND JUST SLOWLY STARTED OPENING THEM UP WITH A BUSINESS PARTNER, AND YOU KNOW, ALL THESE GROUP HOMES WERE LICENSED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

AND SO HOW WE GOT STARTED LOOKING INTO THIS WAS I HAD A BROOKLYN PARK POLICE OFFICER PROVIDE ME WITH A LIST OF THE GROUP HOMES THAT HAD THE HIGHEST CALLS TO SERVICE IN BROOKLYN PARK WHICH HAS THE MOST GROUP HOMES OF ANY CITY IN MINNESOTA.

AND WE JUST WENT DOWN THE LIST AND STARTED IDENTIFYING WHO THE OWNERS OF THESE FACILITIES WERE, WHO'S AFFILIATED WITH THE OWNERS AND EVENTUALLY WE CAME ACROSS THIS INDIVIDUAL SAKU DUKELY.

>> AND THERE'S A LAUNDRY LIST OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST THESE GROUP HOMES.

I HAD OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO THE MAYOR OF NEW HOPE WHO WAS ON THE CITY COUNCIL AT THE TIME, THEY TRIED TO SHUT THIS DOWN AND TRY AND DO SOMETHING AND IT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL REALLY.

>> IT WAS REALLY UNSUCCESSFUL ACTUALLY.

SO THIS WHOLE DISPUTE IN NEW HOPE WHERE THE CITY TRIED TO SHUT DOWN GROUP HOMES AFFILIATED TO THIS INDIVIDUAL, SEKU DUKELY, REALLY BACKFIRED.

STATE LEGISLATORS HOW THIS AS AN EXAMPLE OF CITIES POTENTIALLY BARRING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FROM LIVING WITHIN A CITY LIMIT.

AND WHAT WE, WHAT THEY ENDED UP DOING WAS PASSING A LAW THAT STRIPPED CITIES OF HAVING ANY POWER TO REVOKE GROUP HOME LICENSES.

SO IT WAS PRETTY -- PRETTY BAD -- -- >> Cathy: O HE KEPT OPERATING.

>> YES, HE DID.

>> Eric: DID YOU GET A HO-HUM FROM THE DEPARTMENTS OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES?

>> YEAH, SO ORIGINALLY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TOLD US THERE'S NOTHING IN STATE LAW THAT REQUIRES SOMEONE TO BE LIVING IN MINNESOTA, LET ALONE LIVING IN THE COUNTRY.

BUT EVENTUALLY WHAT WE LEARNED YESTERDAY, THURSDAY -- I THINK IT'S FRIDAY -- WE LEARNED THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS SHUTTING DOWN THREE GROUP HOMES WHERE HE OWNED AND OPERATED AS THE LICENSED ASSISTED LIVING DIRECTOR.

AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES IS WITHHOLDING PAYMENTS WHILE THEY INVESTIGATE CREDIBLE ALLEGATIONS OF FRAUD.

>> Cathy: WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS?

>> WELL, WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING, HE JUST PUT OUT HIS FIRST STATEMENT ON HIS FACEBOOK PAGE 30 MINUTES BEFORE I SHOWED UP HERE.

HE BASICALLY SAID THE REPORT WAS WHOLLY INACCURATE.

BUT WHEN I TRIED TO CALL HIM HE WOULD NOT COMMENT, YOU KNOW, WE SENT HIM QUESTIONS AND HE DID NOT RESPOND.

>> Cathy: STATE OFFICIALS, POLITICIANS HAVE BEEN RESPONDING IN GREAT NUMBER.

LOT OF REPUBLICANS AND SOME DEMOCRATS, TALK ABOUT THAT.

>> YEAH.

UNDERSTANDABLY REPUBLICANS ARE REALLY USING THIS AS A TALKING POINT WHEN IT COMES TO FRAUD, THIS IS A PRETTY BIG DEAL.

BUT WHAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING WAS AMY KLOBUCHAR CAME ON AND TALKED WITH YOU, CATHY, AND TALKED ABOUT HOW ON MPR THEY WILLED TO REALLY LOOK AT HOW THE SYSTEM IS REGULATED.

SO REGARDLESS, BOTH CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR THINK THIS IS A REALLY BIG PROBLEM, SOMETHING THEY CAN AGREE ON.

>> Cathy: THERE'S BEEN SOME INTERESTING REACTION FROM THE LIBERIAN MEDIA TO THIS TORY.

>> YES, THAT'S CORRECT.

THAT'S CORRECT.

I WAS REALLY SURPRISED THIS WENT VIRAL IN LIBERIA.

SO THIS INDIVIDUAL SEKU DUKELY IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WHAT'S CALLED THE NATIONAL PORT AUTHORITY.

SO HE RUNS LIBERIA'S GOVERNMENT OWNED PORTS, AND SINCE HE BECAME APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT IN 2024, HE HAS REALLY AMASSED A LOT OF POWER.

AND AS ANYONE WHO AMASSES POWER DOES, ALSO HAS SOME POLITICAL OPPONENTS.

THIS WENT VIRAL ON LIBERIA, I WAS TOLD EVERYONE IN THE LIBERIAN DIASPORA IS TALKING ABOUT THIS STORY WHICH I WAS NOT EXPECTING.

AND, YEAH, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS BUT IT WAS PRETTY SURPRISING TO OPEN MY PHONE AND SEE A VIDEO OF SOMEONE REACTING TO OUR STORY.

>> Eric: EXTRADITION IS NOT A LIKELY OUTCOME HERE?

>> I'M NOT SURE.

WE'LL SEE.

I'LL LEAVE THAT TO THE GOVERNMENT.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> Cathy: WELL, GO HOME, GET SOME REST.

YOU DID A GREAT