Press Releases
12/06/2023
Stamford Woman Charged in Scheme to Defraud Medicaid
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Rocky Hill, CT) - A Stamford woman who worked as personal care service staff was arrested today and charged with billing Medicaid for personal care services while the client was incarcerated or inpatient.
Latasia Robertson, age 30, of Lafayette Street, Stamford, was arrested Wednesday by Inspectors from the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney. She was charged with one count each of Larceny in the First Degree by Defrauding a Public Community and Health Insurance Fraud.
Robertson was employed as Personal Support Service Staff under the Individual and Family Support Waiver through the Department of Development Services, which is overseen by the Department of Social Services. Personal Support Service Staff provide necessary assistance to meet an individual’s day-to-day activity and daily needs and assure adequate support at home and in the community.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, between August 2021 and March 2022, Robertson billed for support services she did not provide. Evidence acquired through the investigation revealed that Robertson was submitting claims for services while the client was actually incarcerated and/or inpatient. The investigation concluded that Robertson fraudulently billed Medicaid and received an amount of $14,965.29 in Medicaid payments she was not entitled to.
The money profited by her in the amount of $14,965.29 constitutes the crime of Larceny in the First Degree by Defrauding a Public Community. The submission of claims to the Department of Social Services provided by Robertson contained false, incomplete, deceptive or misleading information which constitutes Health Insurance Fraud.
Robertson was released on a $20,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court, G.A. No. 1, on December 13, 2023. The charges are merely accusations and she is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Larceny in the First Degree by Defrauding a Public Community and Health Insurance Fraud are each classified as a B felony and punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The case will be prosecuted by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The Unit is grateful for the assistance it received in this investigation from the state’s Department of Social Services’ Office of Quality Assurance, Department of Developmental Services, Department of Corrections and the Stamford Police Department.
The Connecticut Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $2,988,308 for the fiscal year of October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $996,099 for the same fiscal year, is funded by the State of Connecticut.
Anyone with knowledge of suspected fraud or abuse in the public healthcare system is asked to contact the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney at (860) 258-5986.