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Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro arrested and filed charges against 15 people in seven counties for defrauding the Medicaid program. The action was the result of a nationwide health care fraud initiative this week. The AG’s office conducted 12 investigations and found that the defendants committed fraudulent reimbursements worth $237,000 paid by the state’s Medicaid program. In a statement, AG Shapiro said the defendants lied and falsified records for personal gain. According to him, “Medicaid provides essential medical care to low-income Pennsylvanians and children with serious medical conditions. Criminals who defraud Medicaid are stealing from our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians. I’m holding them accountable.”

Defendants tampered public records submitted to Medicaid

The AG’s Office identified the following defendants:

• Peter Jarbo of Philadelphia defrauded $37,933 from the Medicaid program. He tampered public records and billed Medicaid for overlapping services to different children at three child theraphy agencies
• Kenya Miller of Williamsport tampered public records and billed Medicaid $39,0606 for 2,037 fraudulent hours. She served as a personal care attendant for her father.
• Darryl Payne of Williamsport forged and tampered public records of billing for services that were not provided to clients. Medicaid paid Payne $100,13.
• Sarah Sibel, a mobile therapist at Blue Bell defrauded Medicaid $1,746 for services not provided to adolescent clients.
• Lenor Grier of Long Pond defrauded Medicaid $3,100 for services she did not provide to mentally-handicapped clients.
• Katherine Baldwin of New Holland defrauded Medicaid $6,300 by inflating the number of hours provided to mentally-handicapped clients.
• Laura Dunn and Diane Espenshade of Elizabethtown conspired in filing fraudulent claims to Medicaid. They received $10,400 payment from the program.
• Lori Ketcham, a certified peer specialist of Newburg billed Medicaid $7,000 for overlapping services.
• Tyler R.J. Mausteller, a direct care worker in Willimsport defrauded Medicaid $9,775 for services he did not provide for his mother.
• Monet Guidry and Tameia Cooper of Pittsburgh submitted fraudulent claims worth $4,708 to Medicaid. Cooper provided personal care to Guidry’s grandmother but billed Medicaid for time she worked at other jobs.
• Stephanie Nichols of Pittsburgh defrauded Medicaid $4,347 by billing time as a personal care attendant for a patient receiving dialysis.
• James Page, a personal care attendant in Pittsburgh submitted false time sheets to Medicaid. She was paid $13,179 for fraudulent claims.