At least $9 billion has been defrauded from Medicaid services in Minnesota since 2018.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, First Assistant Attorney Joe Thompson revealed the shocking figure.

Thompson said 14 Medicaid services in the state are now being audited as "high risk" for fraud. Those programs cost around $18 billion since 2018.

He said a "significant amount" of that total was fraud, but didn't specify an exact total.

"I don't make these generalizations in a hasty way," he later added.

"When I say significant amount, I'm talking on the order of half or more. But we'll see. When I look at the claims data and the providers, I see more red flags than I see legitimate providers."

"The magnitude of fraud in Minnesota cannot be overstated. It's staggering amounts of money that have been lost."