File photo 

A Dothan woman convicted of Medicaid fraud was sentenced to federal prison last week.

Catrina R. Copeland, 43, was sentenced to five months in prison and five months of home confinement,  Acting U.S. Attorney A. Clark Morris, Alabama Attorney General Steven T. Marshall, and Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson announced today.

Copeland was charged with defrauding the Alabama Medicaid Agency and the federal government. Records show she owned The Counseling Place, a Dothan company that contracted with Medicaid to provide counseling to at-risk youth.  The business received most of its work through referrals from schools and juvenile court systems, a press release today showed.  Copeland also worked in the business as a counselor.  

An investigation by the AG’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit discovered Copeland was billing Medicaid for counseling services that were never provided, court records showed.

“When you defraud Medicaid, you are stealing from every taxpayer,” Morris said.

 “Medicaid fraud not only targets taxpayers, but also victimizes the most vulnerable of our state who rely on Medicaid services for their well-being,” Marshall said. “…Medicaid fraud will not be tolerated and those who commit such crimes will be held to account.”

The Program Integrity Division of the Alabama Medicaid agency referred this case to the AG’s MFC Unit. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated this case,. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross and Assistant Attorney General Bruce Lieberman are prosecuting. 

Go to Source

Woman sentenced to prison for defrauding Medicaid with Dothan company – AL.com