Las Vegas, NV - Today, Nevada Attorney General Aaron D.
Ford announced that Brandy Latoya Williams, 34, of Las Vegas, was sentenced in
a Medicaid fraud case involving false billing for Medicaid services allegedly
provided to Medicaid recipients. The fraud occurred between January 2015 and
February 2017.
District
Court Judge Jacqueline Bluth sentenced Williams to 12-36 months in prison,
suspended, and placed her on probation for five years for a felony offense of
Submitting False Claims. As part of the sentence, Williams was also ordered to
pay $100,000 in restitution. Individuals or businesses convicted of Medicaid
fraud may also be administratively excluded from future Medicaid and Medicare
participation.
“Fraudulently
billing for services that were never provided is calculated theft from a
government program designed to help Nevadans get access to necessary and
affordable health care," said AG Ford. “In our mission to protect the health and safety of
Nevadans, we will continue to hold provider businesses that commit fraud
accountable. This sentence will recover what has been stolen from Nevada’s
taxpayers.”
The
investigation of this case began during the course of another investigation
where the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) received an allegation that Busy
Bee Behavioral Health LLC (Busy Bee) was not providing services to Medicaid
recipients. The findings revealed that Williams, Busy Bee’s owner, submitted
false claims for services that were never actually provided, and for services
that did not have any documentation or the documentation was not sufficient to
substantiate the claim billed to Medicaid. The Medicaid recipient for which
Busy Bee submitted claims for payment denied services being rendered as were
billed. Busy Bee continued to receive payment for these claimed services.
The MFCU
investigates and prosecutes financial fraud by those providing health care
services or goods to Medicaid patients. The MFCU also investigates and
prosecutes instances of elder abuse or neglect. Anyone wishing to report
suspicions regarding any of these concerns may contact the MFCU at 702-486-3420
or 775-684-1100.
This
case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit,
and was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Behnaz F. Salimian.
To view
the criminal Information against Brandy Latoya Williams, click here. To file a
complaint with the Office of the Nevada Attorney General, click here.