Marrero Mom Pleads Guilty to $536K Healthcare Fraud

Monica Sylvest, a 52-year-old woman from Marrero, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty to health care fraud, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. From August 2014 through September 2016, Sylvest served as the Practice Administrator for a local pediatric clinic and is accused of embezzling approximately $536,724 in medical reimbursements from the Medicaid program.

According to court documents, Sylvest used her position to divert funds into her personal account, making unauthorized charges on an American Express business credit card. These expenditures included luxury items such as a Harley Davidson motorcycle, custom diamond jewelry, and collectible artwork. She then siphoned money from her employer’s bank account to cover the costs, camouflaging these payments as clinic expenses under ‘biologicals’ or ‘vaccinations’.

Sylvest now faces up to ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for September 7, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan.

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans highlighted the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in investigating this fraudulent scheme. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba is leading the prosecution.

This case serves as a stark reminder of the corruption that can fester within health care institutions, exploiting vulnerabilities in the system to perpetrate grand-scale fraud.