From August 1, 2018 to November 30, 2025, MAGDA MAHMOUD ELSAGHER ([DOB redacted]), "Co- Defendant" herein, her husband MOHAMED METWALLI ELSHAZLI, ([DOB redacted]), "Defendant" herein, and their four adult children received public benefits from Anoka County's Department of Human Services (DHS) in the form of Medical Assistance (MA) as well as SNAP benefits from March 23, 2020, through February 28, 2021, and again from September 17, 2022, to October 31, 2022. Defendant's and Co-Defendant's eligibility for public assistance programs was determined based on oral and written statements provided to Economic Assistance (EA). In their applications for assistance, Defendant and Co-Defendant were required to accurately report their household income and assets and were appropriately advised of these requirements.
However, during numerous fillings and interviews with DHS, Defendant and Co-Defendant falsely claimed that no one in the household was self-employed and failed to report other income and assets, declaring under penalty of perjury that all parts of the forms were true and correct. For example, a Medical Assistance Renewal form from received on October 8, 2019, shows no income for Defendant. A personal statement provided in 2020 and signed by both Defendant and Co-Defendant, indicated their only assets were a checking account with $200 and a single vehicle.
During an interview with DHS on January 31, 2022, it was reported that no one in the household was self- employed. Due to the false reporting and fraudulent filings, an estimated $861,304.03 of Medical Assistance overpayments were made between August 1, 2018, and November 30, 2025. In total, approximately 18 different forms of filings were received and interviews conducted, and all have been found to contain false information. During a comprehensive investigation, it was learned that Defendant, during the time period at issue, was self-employed and the sole owner of a business, Elshazli, Inc.
Business bank records were obtained that showed a checking account owned by Defendant's business, Elshazli Inc., with an average cash balance of $30,626.73 between June 2018 and May of 2024. Defendant was listed as a 100% owner of this business and Co-Defendant is an authorized signer on the account. Numerous deposits into and payments from the business accounts were noted, including international wire transfers out of the business account totaling $2,220,753.13 from September 2021 through July of 2025. Bank records also showed that significant personal expenses were paid directly out of the business account, including payments to personal credit cards.
Investigations determined that Co-Defendant is the sole owner of their residence on the 1500 block of Wyldwood Ln NE, city of Spring Lake Park, county of Anoka; purchased in 2011 for $125,000. A total of 17 vehicles were determined to be registered to Defendant and Co-Defendant, most of which were never disclosed. Bank records were obtained for numerous accounts, including several that were never disclosed to DHS. Credit card statements obtained showed significant spending activity, including $54,375.38 spent at one jewelry store between 2020 and 2024 and over $7,000 on travel to Egypt in 2019. A total of 109 checks were written from a business owned by Defendant, Elshazli Inc., to their personal accounts, totaling $93,590. In March of 2026, investigators made numerous attempts to interview Defendant and Co-Defendant but received no response.
