Brenda Faye Mason, 50, of Madison, has been arrested and faces charges for Medicaid fraud and identity theft, announced Attorney General Jim Hood today.
Mason turned herself in Tuesday to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office following the indictment by a Madison County Grand Jury on multiple counts of Medicaid Fraud and one count of identity theft.
Mason is accused of willfully, unlawfully and feloniously presenting or causing to be presented, claims to Medicaid on behalf of Life Choices Community Health Services, knowing those claims to be false, fictitious or fraudulent. She is also accused of obtaining the personal identity information of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and using the information to make fraudulent claims to Medicaid for services that were false, fictitious and fraudulent. Claims were in excess of $60,000 for a period from March 2, 2015, through March 31, 2105 (sic).
Mason was booked into the Madison County Detention Center and is awaiting her initial appearance. If convicted of the Medicaid Fraud charges, she faces up to five years per count and 15 years for Identity theft behind bars. Additionally, Mason faces a total of $350,000 in fines for the Medicaid Fraud charges and a $10,000 fine for Identity Theft. As with all cases, a charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated by Daniel Thomas, George Ferguson, Barrick Fortune, Auditor Gilda Reyes, Tina Bennett, RN, and Program Specialist Richard Cameron, all of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Prosecution will be handled by Special Assistant Attorney General Sue Perry.
SOURCE: Mississippi Attorney General’s Office