Hartford Substance Abuse Counselor Sentenced For Medicaid Fraud: Feds

HARTFORD, CT — A substance abuse counselor from Hartford was sentenced to prison last week for more than two years for defrauding the U.S. government of Medicaid funds.

Marc H. Silverman, acting U.S. attorney for Connecticut, said Monday that on Jan. 31, Thelma "Wendy" Epps, 60, of Hartford, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 27 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for health care fraud.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Epps was a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADC) with an office located at 330 Main St. in Hartford.

Silverman said, in April 2013, she enrolled as a participating provider in the Connecticut Medicaid Program, along with an entity affiliated with Epps called Miracles to Destiny LLC.

In July 2018, he said, the Medicaid program suspended Epps from participating as a provider in the program based on a finding of a credible allegation of fraud.

Medicaid told Epps any attempt to circumvent her suspension by submitting claims for services performed by Epps or Miracles to Destiny LLC through other agencies or other billing numbers would result in the termination of her provider agreement, Silverman said.

In 2019, Epps entered into an agreement with Dennis Tomczak, a Connecticut LADC who was a participating provider in Medicaid, he said.

According to authorities, Epps and Tomczak agreed Tomczak would bill Medicaid using his Medicaid provider number for psychotherapy counseling services purportedly provided by Epps.

These claims falsely represented that Tomczak had personally provided the services, Silverman said.

In return for Tomczak billing the services, Epps agreed to pay Tomczak 25 percent of the amount Medicaid paid Tomczak, according to officials.

Between approximately April 2019 and November 2022, Medicaid paid Tomczak $330,547.71 for fraudulent claims for services purportedly provided by Epps that were billed under Tomczak’s provider number, Silverman said.

"At some point during their scheme, Tomczak expressed concerns to Epps about the number and frequency of services Epps told Tomczak she was providing," wrote Silverman in a release Monday.

"At about this time, Epps entered into a similar agreement with Shawn Tyson, a LADC in Connecticut, whereby Tyson would use his Medicaid provider number to submit claims to Medicaid for services Epps purportedly provided to Medicaid clients."

In November 2019, Epps assisted Tyson with the process of enrolling Tyson as a participating provider in Medicaid.

In all, Dooley ordered Epps to pay more than $1 million in restitution to the Connecticut Medicaid program.

On Nov. 8, 2024, Epps pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud. Epps, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on March 3.

Tomczak and Tyson pleaded guilty to related charges and await sentencing.

For more information on the sentencing and the fraud scheme, click on this link.

From Nov. 11, 2024: 'Hartford Substance Abuse Counselor Pleads Guilty To Fraud: Feds'