Indianapolis — Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office took decisive action as part of a nationwide crackdown on health care fraud, targeting licensed medical professionals and providers suspected of engaging in fraudulent schemes and drug diversion.
The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted 13 criminal investigations into suspected Medicaid fraud, leading to charges against 12 people, including one in LaGrange County and two in Allen County.
“Medicaid is a critical lifeline for Hoosiers, and we have zero tolerance for those who abuse it for personal gain,” Rokita told the crowd. “Our committed team tirelessly pursues accountability for those who defraud the system, ensuring justice for our taxpayers, preserving essential resources and ensuring the proper use of controlled substances to protect patients.”
In these 13 cases, the Indiana Attorney General’s MFCU investigated licensed health care professionals and Medicaid providers suspected of engaging in illegal activity.
These investigations are part of a larger national effort led by the US Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services.
The following are summaries of cases involving Indiana’s MFCU investigations. In each case, the fact that a person has been charged with a crime is only an accusation, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Cases In Local Counties
Sheri Hapner, 53, of Middlebury, has been charged with level 6 felonies in LaGrange County for failing to make, keep, or furnish a record, providing false or fraudulent information, and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit. It is claimed that while working at the Waters of LaGrange, Hapner diverted medication from patients, failed to properly document medication administration, documented false information, or obtained controlled substances for personal use. Robin Gillman, Deputy Attorney General of the Indiana MFCU, is prosecuting this case.
Jennifer Anne Brant, 62, of New Haven, has been charged in Allen County with fraud and theft, both level 6 felonies. Brant, a licensed home health aide, is accused of submitting false claims for personal attendant care services provided to a patient in her home. Georgeanna Teipen, Deputy Attorney General for the Indiana MFCU, is prosecuting this case.
Tara Tiara Brown, 43, of Fort Wayne, has been charged in Allen County with fraud and theft, both level 6 felonies. Brown, an in-home personal care attendant, is accused of submitting false claims for personal attendant care services provided to a number of in-home patients. Teipen is prosecuting this case.
MCFU Cases Prosecuted Across Indiana
The following cases are being prosecuted across various counties in Indiana:
There are two cases against registered nurse Nathaniel Stimpson, 34, Decatur. In Adams and Wells Counties, it is alleged that Stimpson, while working for Eleos Hospice Care, stole medication from patients and obtained controlled substances for his own use.
In Hancock County, it is alleged that RN Billy Guthrie, 48, Knightstown, while working for Greenfield Healthcare Center, diverted medication from patients and obtained controlled substances for his own use.
In Howard County, Lindsay Plake, 40, Elwood, a qualified medical aide, is alleged to have stolen prescribed medications from multiple residents of an assisted living facility where she worked.
In Jefferson County, RN Christy A. Orwig, 58, Madison, is alleged to have dispensed patient narcotics for her own personal use on various occasions while working at a nursing home.
In Marion County, it is alleged that RN Dezarae Polinske, 30, Elkhart, Wis., diverted medication from a patient and obtained a controlled substance for her own use while working at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital.
In Marion County, RN Catherine Grimes, 66, Greencastle, is alleged to have acquired multiple types of prescribed controlled substances from multiple inpatients of an Indianapolis recovery center.
In Marion County, RN Patrice R. Amos, 44, Avon, is alleged to have diverted narcotic drugs intended for facility patients for her own personal use while working at a nursing home.
In Vanderburgh County, QMA Jenny F. Byrd, 41, Oakland City, is alleged to have diverted narcotic drugs intended for patients for her own personal use while working at a nursing home. She admitted to the diversion during the investigation.
In Vanderburgh County, LPN Kayla R. Bell, 35, Newburgh, is alleged to have diverted patient narcotics for her own use, including signing out drugs for a patient without an active prescription while working at a nursing home. She admitted to the diversion during the investigation.
Rokita commended the investigators and attorneys of his Indiana MFCU team for their tireless efforts in these cases.
The Indiana MFCU receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of HHS under a federal grant. The remaining 25% is funded by the state of Indiana.
