Attorney General Ford Announces Sentencing of Former Co-Owners of Reno-Based Medicaid Provider Lifetime Assistance LLC


June 23, 2020

Carson City, NV – Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford announced that Ariell Dix, 33, of Chandler, Arizona and Nneka Gibney, 60, of Sparks, Nevada, were sentenced in a fraud case involving the failure to maintain adequate records to substantiate claims submitted to Nevada Medicaid between July 1, 2017 and January 31, 2018.

Second Judicial District Court Judge Connie J. Steinheimer sentenced Dix to 364 days in jail for each of her three counts and Gibney to 364 days in jail for each of her two counts. As part of their sentence, the defendants were ordered to jointly pay full restitution of more than $362,000 to Nevada Medicaid. Individuals or businesses convicted of Medicaid fraud may also be administratively excluded from future Medicaid and Medicare participation.

“Medicaid is a social safety net for those in need, especially during these difficult times,” said AG Ford. “When a member of our community cheats Medicaid, that individual cheats all taxpayers, and my office stands ready to investigate and prosecute.”

The investigation of this case began after the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) identified suspicious billing on the part of Lifetime Assistance LLC, a behavioral health outpatient treatment company co-owned by Dix and Gibney. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that notes submitted to substantiate claims billed to Nevada Medicaid were in fact for services paid for by Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services. No notes were maintained for the services allegedly provided and billed to Nevada Medicaid for Rehabilitative Mental Health (RMH) services.

On behalf of the attorney general and the State, the MFCU investigates and prosecutes financial fraud by those providing healthcare services or goods to Medicaid patients. Persons convicted of Medicaid fraud may also be administratively excluded from future Medicaid and Medicare participation.

Anyone wishing to report suspicious activities regarding any related fraud may contact the MFCU at 702-486-3420 or 775-684-1100.

The criminal Information is attached. To file a complaint with our office, click here.

This case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Amy K. Steelman.

 

     2020-07-01_Gibney, Nneka.png 2020-07-01_Dix, Ariell.png

                                        GIBNEY, NNEKA                                               DIX, ARIELL       

      (Photographs courtesy of the Department of Corrections and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

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