(Rocky Hill, CT) - Chief State's Attorney Patrick J. Griffin today announced that a jury in Hartford Superior Court on September 26, 2024, found Karen Gaston, 43, of East Granby, guilty of Larceny in the First Degree by Defrauding a Public Community, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-122(a)(4) and Health Insurance Fraud in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53-442(1). The Honorable Kevin C. Doyle presided over the trial.
According to the evidence introduced at trial, Gaston, who formerly used the last name of Lapienski, billed Medicaid for services that were not provided. Evidence disclosed numerous conflicting claims where the client was actually being treated elsewhere or otherwise absent on dates billed by Elegant Clinical Corporation. Additionally, most of the services billed by Elegant Clinical were supported by erroneous or blank documentation. Gaston served at the time as CEO of Elegant Clinical Corporation, a vocational program for disabled adults, formerly based in East Windsor. Medicaid was falsely billed for $52,648.75 in fraudulent billings for nine individuals.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 25, 2024 in Hartford Superior Court.
The case was investigated and prosecuted by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the Office of the Chief State's Attorney. The trial attorneys were Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Richard K. Greenalch, Jr. and Assistant State’s Attorney Kyle J. LaBuff, who were assisted by Inspector David Zaweski. The Unit is grateful for the assistance it received in this investigation from the Connecticut Department of Social Services - Office of Quality Assurance, the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services and the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office.
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.