Bolingbrook woman accused of filing nearly $2.5 million in false Medicaid claims
CHICAGO (CBS) – A Bolingbrook business owner is facing several years in prison after being charged with theft, fraud, and forgery for allegedly filing $2.46 million in false Medicaid claims.
LaTeena Smith, 37, was charged with four counts of theft, managed health care fraud, and forgery in DuPage County Court, according to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office.
Smith owns Power Positive Youth Development. Raoul's office said that between June 2021 and February 2023, she submitted fraudulent bills for psychotherapy services she did not provide to two Medicaid-managed care organizations, Molina Healthcare and MCO Meridian Health.
Medicaid is a government program aimed at providing health insurance for low-income people.
"I will not tolerate individuals abusing the program and stealing critical funding for their own financial benefit," Raoul said in a statement.