TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with the assistance of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, today arrested a business owner for stealing thousands of dollars from the Florida Medicaid program. Rasheia James owned a home health care service company that provided services for Medicaid recipients. According to the investigation, James knowingly created and submitted falsified documents to Medicaid for services not rendered. James allegedly billed Medicaid more than $9,600 for services never provided to customers that needed health and personal support care.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Owning and operating a company that cares for patients is a noble endeavor—but abusing that ownership to defraud the Medicaid program out of thousands of dollars is shameless. Not only did James lie and falsify documents, but she intentionally stole taxpayer funds for personal benefit. I am thankful for my Medicaid Fraud Control Unit stopping this scheme and our statewide prosecutors will now hold her accountable.”
In an ongoing scheme, James benefited from willfully and intentionally defrauding the Florida Medicaid program by creating false billing information and progress notes used to obtain reimbursement from Medicaid. As an authorized Medicaid provider for respite care services, James’s company is supposed to help consumers be active in the community and provide a home-like environment for consumers living in group homes, assisted-living facilities or adult-family care homes and help them make personal choices. However, when James’s company discontinued work with a client, James continued to bill Medicaid for services not provided and lied to employees about the claims.
James is being charged with one count of Medicaid provider fraud, a third-degree felony, and scheme to defraud, another third-degree felony. If convicted, James faces up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 in fines. Attorney General Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution will prosecute this case.
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The Florida Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates and prosecutes providers that intentionally defraud the state’s Medicaid program through fraudulent billing practices. Medicaid fraud essentially steals from Florida’s taxpayers. From January 2019 to the present, Attorney General Moody’s MFCU has obtained more than $74 million in settlements and judgments.
The Florida MFCU is funded through a grant totaling $27,734,297 for Federal Fiscal Year 2022, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The Federal Share of these funds is 75% totaling $20,800,724. The State Matching Share of these funds is 25% totaling $6,933,573 and is funded by Florida.
