12 people charged in $87 million health care fraud conspiracy

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WJAC) — Twelve people, including 10 from western Pennsylvania, have been charged in an alleged extensive health care fraud conspiracy, according to a release from the U.S attorney’s office.

The release said 10 individuals from Pennsylvania, a resident from Georgia and a resident from South Carolina are facing charges related to a yearslong conspiracy to defraud the Pennsylvania Medicaid program.

Arlinda Moriarty, Daynelle Dickens, Julie Wilson, Tamika Adams, Tony Brown, Terry Adams, Terra Dean, Tionne Street, Keith Scoggins and Larita Walls, all living in and around Pittsburgh, along with Larita Walls, of South Carolina, and Luis Columbie-Abrew, of Georgia, are charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

Moriarty, Dickens, Wilson and Tamika Adams are also charged with one count of concealing material facts in relation to a health care matter. Moriarty, Tamika Adams and Columbie-Abrew are also charged with multiple counts of aggravated identity theft, the release said.

According to the release, the suspects owned and operated home health care companies between January 2011 and April 2017 that received more than $87 million in Medicaid payments.

"Home health care programs are critical to the ability of patients with serious physical limitations, especially the elderly, to receive the care they need while remaining independent. Those who provide home health care are expected to deliver services honestly," said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania Scott Brady. "When criminals cheat and steal from these programs, they not only steal from the taxpayers, but they steal from the most vulnerable members of our community."

The defendants are accused of dozens of fraudulent acts, including making false claims for services that were never provided, creating fake employees, improperly using consumers’ personal identifying information, and falsifying documentation during state audits of the companies.

Investigators said that in some cases, defendants were actually working at other jobs or living out of the area, and in other cases, Medicaid claims were submitted for services for people who were actually in the hospital, in jail or dead.

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