Two of the 15 defendants accused of stealing federal program funds in May have pled guilty to federal fraud charges.
Fahima Egeh Mahamud, 50, of Minneapolis, and Jillaine Mertens, 42, of Hamel, entered guilty pleas on Thursday as part of plea deals with prosecutors.
Prosecutors claim Mertens collected over $400,000 in bogus claims from three childcare institutions in Ramsey, Rochester, and Kasson.
Mahumud is accused of taking $5.5 million from taxpayers through her daycare, Future Leaders.
Both will be sentenced at an undetermined future date.
Top federal authorities visited Minnesota in May to announce the accusations against the 15 defendants.
They claim that fraudsters took advantage of programs intended to help vulnerable populations, such as the now-defunct Housing Stabilization Services program, which was designed to connect homeless Minnesotans with housing, and the Early Intensive Behavioral Development Intervention (EIDBI) program for autistic children.
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