(Rocky Hill, CT) - Chief State's Attorney Patrick J. Griffin today announced that the Honorable Kevin C. Doyle on December 4, 2024 sentenced Karen Gaston, age 44, of East Granby, to six years in prison, execution of that time suspended, with five years of probation.
During probation, the defendant was ordered to pay restitution not to exceed $52,648.97. The defendant also was ordered to serve nine months of home confinement subject to electronic monitoring. She must also not be a Medicaid provider, submit to substance abuse evaluation and treatment and mental health evaluation and treatment as deemed appropriate and perform 200 hours of community service.
A Superior Court jury in Hartford on September 26, 2024, found Gaston 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).
By being found guilty of two program-related felonies, the defendant is also subject to mandatory exclusion as a health care provider to certain federally funded health programs pursuant to federal and state regulations. Medicaid is a government program that provides health coverage to low-income, disabled and elderly individuals, and is financed by both the federal and state governments.
These convictions arise out of fraudulent billings to Medicaid for services not provided. Evidence disclosed numerous conflicting claims where the clients were actually being treated elsewhere or otherwise absent on dates billed. 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 $52,648.97 for nine individuals.
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 Greenalch and Assistant State’s Attorney Kyle 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 $2,362,872 for the fiscal year of October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $787,620 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.