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.

GIBNEY, NNEKA DIX, ARIELL
(Photographs courtesy of the Department of Corrections and Las Vegas
Metropolitan Police Department)
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