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Nikkita Chesney, 46, of Bridgeport, Conn.
Nikkita Chesney, 46, of Bridgeport, Conn.
Photo: Contributed Photo / Connecticut State Police
Nikkita Chesney, 46, of Bridgeport, Conn.
Nikkita Chesney, 46, of Bridgeport, Conn.
Photo: Contributed Photo / Connecticut State Police
BRIDGEPORT — A city woman was sentenced Friday to seven months in prison for her role in a Medicaid fraud scheme, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut John Durham.
Nikkita Chesney, 46, of Bridgeport, will serve seven months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Chesney was employed by a health care provider that offers substance abuse treatment in May 2012. The treatment options included a detoxification program in Bridgeport. During her employment, she was trained by Toshirea Jackson.
Jackson and Juliet Jacob ran two businesses — Transitional Development and Training and It Takes A Promise, which provided social and psychotherapy services. The facilities are both located at 360 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport.
At Jackson’s suggestion, Durham said, Chesney started to steal personal identification information of Medicaid clients who were patients of her employer.
Durham said Chesney, Jackson and Jacob used the stolen information to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services provided by TDAT and ITAP, when those clients never received the services.
“Chesney has admitted that she stole the identity information of more than 150 Medicaid clients, and that she and her co-conspirators successfully billed Medicaid for approximately half of those clients,” Durham’s news release said. “Chesney further admitted that she and her co-conspirators also billed Medicaid for services to other clients that were never provided to those clients.”
Chesney has been ordered by a judge to pay $1,369,654.57 in restitution.
She pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft on Oct. 23, 2018. She is released on a $25,000 bond and was told to report to prison on Sept. 20.
Chesney also has pending state charges stemming from a fraud scheme she was a part of while employed by a state contractor that provided services to those transitioning to the community after completing substance abuse treatment, Durham said. In 2017, Chesney and others submitted fraudulent claims for child care services to a state program, he said. Durham said Chesney filed 20 fake claims that led to a loss of more than $35,000 to the state program.
Jackson and Jacob each pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud for their roles in this scheme and a separate Medicaid fraud scheme, Durham said.
On May 30, Jackson — an employee of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services — was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,496,618 in restitution.
Jacob awaits sentencing.
Five other individuals have been charged and convicted of health care fraud offenses as a result of this investigation and other related ones, Durham said.
Anyone who suspects health care fraud can report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.