Nick Shirley hit the streets of Minneapolis to investigate what is being called the largest fraud scandal in U.S. history. As Apple Lamps reports, the premise of the investigation was simple but devastating: state records show millions of taxpayer dollars flowing into daycare centers that, upon inspection, appear to be completely empty.

The Scene and Numbers

Teaming up with David, a local investigator who has spent years tracking the money, Shirley drove from site to site with state paperwork in hand. At one location, 'Mako Child Care' and 'Mini Child Care Center' were registered at the same address, licensed for 120 children and raking in nearly $3 million in recent fiscal years. When Shirley arrived at 2:00 PM on a Tuesday, the scene was eerie: silence, no parents, just a locked industrial door and blacked-out windows.

The data Shirley and David presented is staggering:

• Future Leaders Early Learning Center: Received over $6.6 million in two years, licensed for 90 children, yet Shirley found none on site.
• Super Kids Daycare Center: Formerly 'Creative Minds' (shut down for violations), it reportedly reopened the next day under a new name to collect $2.45 million this year.
• Quality Learning Center: A storefront that received $1.9 million this year alone, notably misspelling 'Learning' on their front signage.

Confronting the Reality

The investigation took a tense turn when Shirley attempted to enter these facilities. At one location, a man claiming to be the owner refused to answer questions about the missing 74 children, telling Shirley he was "scared" of him because of his color. Shirley also spoke to a neighbor who has lived next to one of these alleged daycares for eight years, who stated: "I've never seen a single child walk in that building. It's disgusting. They're stealing the money."