Family of former Somali dictator linked to $1.8M Medicare business in Ohio

The children of former Somali dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, who was toppled in 1991 after a regime responsible for an estimated 200,000 deaths, have been linked to a Medicare-funded business in Ohio.

Deka Mohamed Siad and her late husband, former ambassador Abdikarim Ali Omar, operated Vanguard Home Health Care, which reportedly collected more than $1.8 million in taxpayer-funded Medicare money. The company filed proper paperwork and appeared legitimate before closing following Omar's death in 2021.

The family resides in the Columbus, Ohio, area, which hosts a Somali community of approximately 70,000 people. The presence of the dictator's children—including Ayanle Mohamed Siad, who reportedly held significant administrative power during his father's final years—has caused tension among local refugees who fled the regime. Some community members are calling for federal authorities to investigate the family's conduct and business dealings.