Stamford Woman, Florida Couple Accused Of Stealing Over $220K From Medicaid: Officials

STAMFORD, CT — A Stamford woman and a couple from Florida were arrested Wednesday and accused of stealing more than $220,000 in Medicaid funds, according to Connecticut officials.

The Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice said Elizabeth Aliaga, 43, of Stamford, and Alejandro Hochstedler Stipo, 63, and Shelton Hochstedler, 68, both of West Palm Beach, Fla., defrauded Medicaid by billing the government health insurance program for services that were not rendered and for services that were provided by unlicensed individuals.

The trio was arrested by inspectors from the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Office of the Chief State’s Attorney, and charged with one count each of health Insurance fraud, with Hochstedler Stipo receiving an additional charge of first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community.

Hochstedler Stipo, a licensed professional counselor and owner of Stamford Clinical Services (SCS), "had been enrolled in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CMAP) as a billing provider since 2015," officials said in a news release.

She was authorized to operate as a behavioral health clinician and permitted to seek reimbursement only for services that she or any other licensed and CMAP-enrolled clinician performed, officials said.

Since Stamford Clinical Services was registered with CMAP as an “independent practice," SCS was required to supervise any employed unlicensed therapist and/or intern working with patients, according to officials.

Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that provides health care benefits for certain groups of persons, including the indigent, disabled and the elderly.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, between 2019 and 2023, all three defendants participated in a scheme to defraud the program, officials said.

"An investigation showed the co-defendant Aliaga, along with other unlicensed individuals under Hochstedler Stipo’s employment, would meet with Medicaid clients and perform behavioral health services, despite not being licensed and supervised, and therefore qualified," officials noted.

"The investigation also revealed that claims were submitted for services that were not rendered at all. Hochstedler Stipo’s husband, Shelton Hochstedler, would operate as a biller and submit claims for payment. During the investigation, the co-defendants fabricated and back-dated medical records to give the appearance that services were, in fact, provided and supervised."

As a result, officials said, Hochstedler Stipo received $220,792.31 in fraudulent funds from the Department of Social Services for the fraudulent billings.

All three arrestees were released on $250,000 non-surety bonds, officials said. They're scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on June 5.

Anyone with knowledge of suspected fraud or abuse in the public healthcare system is asked to contact the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office at 860-258-5986.