CASE UPDATE: Behavioral Health Worker Charged with over $210K in Medicaid Fraud Will Face Trial

February 22, 2018 | Topic: Criminal

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced that a Philadelphia-based Behavioral Specialist and Mobile Therapist charged with Medicaid fraud of more than $210,000 waived her preliminary hearing and will face trial on the charges.

LaGracia Burnett, 59, of Philadelphia, worked for three different behavioral health providers and billed for fabricated, overlapping services between January 2013 and May 2016. During this time, she was also employed as a per-diem substitute teacher for the Philadelphia School District and S4Teachers. Burnett faces charges of Medicaid fraud, theft by deception and tampering with public records for falsely submitting time sheets for over $211,942 in services that she did not provide to children, many of whom have been diagnosed with autism.

“Medicaid fraud is a serious crime that harms taxpayers,” Attorney General Shapiro said. “When people commit Medicaid fraud, they’re stealing tax dollars from people who are in real need of these services.  These charges are part of a renewed focus by my office on this kind of criminal activity. Our Medicaid Fraud Control Section is focused every day on detecting and prosecuting these kinds of cases.”

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