Four Arrested in Medicaid Fraud Scam Targeting Orlando Homeless
The Florida Attorney General’s Office announced on March 20, 2015 that four people have been arrested for Medicaid fraud. Homeless people were allegedly recruited to pose as patients in the Orlando fraud scheme, frequently in exchange for gas cards and temporary housing.
The defendants in the case are identified as follows:
- Christina Benson, arrested in Georgia
- Demetrious Davis, arrested in Florida
- Harold Harrison, arrested in North Carolina
- Dr. Sabiha Khan, arrested in Florida
Each individual faces at least one count of Medicaid Provider Fraud and one count of Organized Scheme to Defraud.
According to the investigation, Christina Benson, owner of Tranquility Healthcare Solutions in Orlando, billed Medicaid up to $3.2 million for psychosocial rehabilitation services that were neither warranted nor provided in a period of just 18 months. The announcement cited fraudulent payments of $215,000.
The company claimed to have worked with a local doctor, Sabiha Khan, as a treating provider, but many recipients said they had never met her. Additionally, untrained personnel—including some with criminal records—were allegedly used to deliver some services.
Click on the link for the Florida Attorney General announcement.
