COLUMBUS, Ohio—After YouTuber Nick Shirley’s viral video raised the alarm about fraud at Somali-run day cares in Minnesota late in 2025, independent sleuths turned their focus to Ohio—home of the United States’ second-largest Somali population, behind Minnesota.

Now, Ohio authorities are investigating a spate of videos and internet tips from the public. During a visit to Columbus, where the Ohio Somali population is concentrated, The Epoch Times interviewed a Somali woman who alleges that the day care where she works is committing fraudulent activity.

The worker, who spoke anonymously to avoid retribution, agreed with state officials and members of the Columbus Somali community who say that the scope and nature of fraud in Ohio have not yet become clear. People of other ethnicities are perpetrating fraud, too, she said.

Dan Tierney, spokesman for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, said aggressive anti-fraud efforts predate the current surge of concerns.

“The idea that people might try to defraud government systems is not new to us,” he told The Epoch Times.

“We want to work to fight it hard, and we also acknowledge the role of concerned citizens in the process, and we want their tips.”

Ohio Somalis told The Epoch Times that although they doubt that fraud is widespread, they welcome the investigations and hope violators are punished.

Ohio state Sen. George Lang said that although there is no indication of systemic fraud in Ohio thus far, officials “are still investigating.”

“There is a clear difference between Ohio’s system and the shocking disconnect and disregard in Minnesota,” Lang told The Epoch Times.

Ohio uses an electronic system to verify that children are attending a day care before payments are rendered, and check-ins include a personal identification number from parents. Minnesota requires daily attendance records but hasn’t clamped down enough on providers who failed to comply, a May 2025 federal audit found.

In addition, Minnesota state lawmakers have said that whistleblowers have been punished for voicing concerns about Somalis committing fraud and have been accused of racism or Islamophobia, because Somalis are black Muslims. The Epoch Times was unable to find reports of similar retaliation in Ohio.

Lang and Tierney said the state is committed to investigating fraud concerns and has been doing so for decades.

“We should throw the book at those found to have abused taxpayer funds,” Lang said.

He said that strong consequences will “deter others from doing the same.”

Worker Worries About Children

However, a Somali woman in her 20s—wearing a hijab, the traditional Muslim headscarf for women—told The Epoch Times she thinks fraud is occurring on a large scale.

“It’s actually deeper than you guys think,” she said.

She said that she has been “praying every day” that people would come and investigate.

The Somali woman, who agreed to be called “Miss J,” said she dislikes seeing people take advantage of the system.

“It bothers me. It makes me feel guilty, because I’m not used to lying,” she said.

She also said she worries that children aren’t getting the socialization and education they need.

“They’re starting school [at] like 5 years old ... [and] they don’t even know how to hold the pencil at that age,” she said. “Sometimes, they don’t know their ABCs ... they don’t know the basic things.”

Miss J said she has spoken out against the fraud in her own community, “but none of them listen,” she said.

People’s reactions have almost gotten her to think “that this is normal,” she said.

Many videos posted online show Ohio Somali-run day cares that appear to be devoid of children, raising concerns that the centers could be fraudulently billing government programs for absent or nonexistent children.

However, children were indeed present at the Columbus facility where Miss J works.

Sounds of children laughing, running, and playing could be heard in a hallway outside a secure steel door.

Miss J estimated that about 10 children were inside. Several dozen children once filled the center, but their numbers dwindled, she said, because the center pays kickbacks to parents who keep their children at home.

She lamented meeting children, bonding with them during a couple of visits, and then never seeing them again.

Based on a short interview with Miss J, who spoke hesitantly and was interrupted by women scowling at her as they went in and out of the day care, it was unclear how the alleged offenders may have bypassed the Ohio electronic check-ins to defraud the system.

The Epoch Times is not naming the child care center to avoid disclosing Miss J’s identity. However, online searches revealed that the center has been in operation for more than a decade. It has been repeatedly cited for violations, including recordkeeping issues, improper medication storage, untrained staff, and having too many children under the supervision of a single employee.

Other center employees declined to talk to The Epoch Times.

Somalis Speak Out

About half a dozen other Somalis in Columbus who spoke to The Epoch Times said they, too, want investigators to ferret out the truth. Most, however, said the accusations appear to be aimed at vilifying Somalis as a group.

“It is a smear campaign,” said a man named Mustafa, a 35-year-old hospital professional who spoke to The Epoch Times at Safari Coffee, a popular Somali hangout.

He and other Ohio Somalis said they resent people who have gone into businesses and neighborhoods while recording videos. Many of those who call themselves journalists do not seem to be searching for the truth, he said.

“I just feel like they have a narrative that they want to portray, and they just came to get something that fits their narrative,” Mustafa said.

Although some people have been respectful, other camera-wielding self-styled investigators show up and “just start demanding things,” he said.

“How’s that business supposed to function when there’s people just yelling, right?” he said.

Shirwa Hosh, 33, said that he loves the United States and that if people are committing fraud against the government, “they should be brought to justice and face the consequences for what they did.”

“In every society, you have bad people,” he said.

He denounced those who are “taking a small group and marginalizing everybody.”

Hosh said he came to the United States at age 6 from Somalia and was naturalized as a U.S. citizen under his parents’ citizenship. He graduated from The Ohio State University and works as a computer systems engineer.

“We are Americans,” Hosh said. “Our parents raised us to be doctors, engineers, lawyers. They make sure we got the education first ... so we can live a better life.”

Hosh said a lot of people have been hurt by rampant allegations and “cyberbullying.”

“At a certain point, this has to stop; it’s getting out of hand,” he said. “Do not just come to [the] conclusion that all the Somalis are bad people.”

Hosh said he is confident that official investigations will reveal the truth about fraud in Ohio.

DeWine, in a Jan. 5 news conference, warned people that they cannot try to barge into day care centers while attempting to document suspicions of fraud.

“It shouldn’t be a shock when someone sees something on social media, and someone is going, ‘I can’t get into this place, no one will let me in,'” DeWine said.

Ohio law prohibits people from entering child care centers unless they are employees, parents or guardians of children at the center, or those who work for investigative agencies. Those laws are designed to protect children, the governor said, and parents should appreciate that fact.

Minnesota Fraud Estimated at Billions

In Minnesota, fraud scandals have been simmering for years. Since 2022, about 90 people—mostly Somalis—have been charged with fraud schemes, including dozens who falsely claimed to provide meals to children in a COVID-19 pandemic program.

Minnesota child care fraud concerns date back a decade or more, but they gained little public attention until Shirley’s video on Dec. 26, 2025. Shirley documented that day care centers raked in large amounts of government cash, yet he found no sign of children at the facilities. The video sparked public outcry and multiple federal probes.

Minnesota’s multifaceted public-aid fraud is estimated at $9 billion or more, federal prosecutors have said.

In recent years, both Ohio and Minnesota have received large increases in federal funds for child care.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2019, Ohio received a little less than $300 million. According to federal data, that figure ballooned to nearly $436 million by 2025, an increase of 45 percent.

During that same six-year period, Minnesota’s child care allocation increased by nearly 51 percent. It now stands at about $185 million.

Jodi Norton Trimble, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, the agency that oversees child care in Ohio, said that the increase in funding came from the Child Care Development Block Grant “as part of reauthorization and congressional appropriations.” It’s formula-based funding, and as a result, Ohio received a larger allocation, she told The Epoch Times.

Ohio, home to nearly 12 million people, is about twice as populous as Minnesota, according to the U.S. Census Bureau; the federal allotment for child care in Ohio is $36.65 per person, outdistancing Minnesota’s $31.92.

In Ohio, less than 0.5 percent of residents are Somali. Somalis constitute about 1 percent of Minnesota’s population, according to World Population Review.

Ohio Lawmakers

In Ohio, some videos and reports from citizens appear to be “credible” and raise concerns about possible schemes, state lawmakers have said, prompting them to seek more information and action.

In a letter to the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, state Rep. Josh Williams said that reports from citizens caused him to suspect that “what’s happening in Minnesota is almost certainly occurring in Columbus.”

“Ohio needs to use every power we have under the law to put a stop to it,” he said.

Williams and dozens of fellow lawmakers also signed a separate letter from state Rep. Tex Fischer, urging Ohio Auditor Keith Faber to delve into not only day care centers but also publicly funded home health care providers.

“After news broke exposing the $10 billion fraud network in Minnesota, we have heard from citizens raising concerns about similar fraud that may be happening in our state,” Fischer wrote in the letter, which was posted to X on Dec. 30, 2025.

Former Major League Baseball pitcher John Rocker, who teamed up with Ohio journalist Jack Windsor to investigate the alleged fraud, said on X that he saw no children after canvassing Columbus day cares for nine hours. His post on that topic drew more than 30 million views.

Ohio Seeks Tips

Ohio officials encourage tipsters to report suspected fraud via an online reporting tool. Although Tierney said dozens of recent reports remain under investigation, officials said some internet claims of fraud have been disproven.

In 2025, the Ohio Department of Children and Youth received 124 referrals from the public; about half “resulted in programs being required to pay back overpayments to the State,” a statement from DeWine’s office said.

In addition, the department closed 12 of the suspected programs.

Trimble said that, since Jan. 1, the Department of Children and Youth’s “Program Integrity team has received more than 80 tips (some are duplicates) regarding potential child care fraud in Ohio.”

As soon as tips are received, the team begins investigating, she said.

“We encourage the public to help us ensure taxpayer dollars are being used appropriately and that children are safe by reporting suspicions of child care fraud,” Trimble said. “However, citizens should not expect to be allowed inside centers unless they are a parent or guardian of a child attending.”

Savannah Pointer contributed to this report.