Two Women From Chicago Suburb Charged With Medicaid Fraud

CHICAGO —An owner of a suburban Chicago medical equipment supply company and one of the company's employees were charged Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court with defrauding the state of Illinois out of more than $600,000 in Medicaid funds, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced.

The owner, Doreatha Thomas, 59, and the company's biller, Siobahan Booker, 37, both of Olympia Fields, were charged with two counts of theft -punishable by six to 30 years in prison - one count of vendor fraud -punishable by four to 15 years in prison - and one count of forgery - punishable by up to two to five years in prison, according to authorities.

Thomas owns Olympia Fields-based Integrity Medical & Physician Supply, which sells medical supplies for diabetes patients, like: beds, wheelchairs, canes and urinary incontinence supplies.

In the indictments, Raoul alleges the pair submitted fraudulent claims to Illinois' Medicaid program for diabetic supplies that were not provided. In several instances, Raoul alleges, the company billed Medicaid for more boxes of glucose monitor sensors than patients actually were prescribed.

Raoul's office alleges that Thomas and Booker defrauded Illinois' Medicaid program out of nearly $685,000.

"Thousands of Illinois residents rely on Medicaid for their healthcare, and we will not tolerate individuals abusing this critical program for their own financial benefit," Raoul said in a statement. "My office will continue to work with our state government partners to identify fraud and hold those who engage in Medicaid fraud fully accountable to the people of Illinois."

According to authorities, the investigation into Thomas and Booker's alleged fraudulent billing was conducted by the Illinois State Police and the Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau following a referral by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Office of the Inspector General and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.