Danville Woman Bilks Medicaid Out of $116K

DANVILLE, VA – Jacquelyn Farrish, 62, of Danville, Virginia, has been sentenced to five years’ probation, including 12 months of home detention, for a brazen health care fraud scheme that cost Virginia’s Medicaid program over $116,000. Farrish admitted to falsely claiming nearly 10,000 hours of personal care services she never received, a calculated attempt to siphon funds from a system designed to help those in need.

The sentence, handed down today, also includes an order for Farrish to pay $116,536 in restitution to the Virginia Medicaid program. She’s also been slapped with 200 hours of community service – a small price to pay for a theft that exploited a vital public resource. Farrish pled guilty in February 2025 to one count of health care fraud, finally facing the consequences of her deception.

Court documents reveal a tangled web of lies. Farrish was married to A.L., a Medicaid recipient receiving Agency Directed Care Services. While Farrish relocated to Danville around 2017, A.L. remained in Northern Virginia, and later moved to Richmond. Despite the geographic distance, Farrish brazenly applied to the Consumer Directed Care Program in October 2018, listing A.L. as her personal care attendant.

For over four years, from October 2018 through February 2023, Farrish systematically submitted and approved fraudulent timesheets, using A.L.’s personal information to falsely claim services that were never provided. She claimed 9,819 hours of personal care attendant services were rendered – a staggering number, and a complete fabrication. The scheme was simple in its audacity: claim the hours, collect the money, and leave taxpayers to foot the bill.

“This case demonstrates our commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars and holding accountable those who attempt to defraud the Medicaid program,” stated Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding public funds. The investigation was a joint effort between the Department of Health and Human Services- Office of the Inspector General and the Virginia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlene Day and Special Assistant United States Attorney and Assistant Attorney General Nicole Terry prosecuted the case, painstakingly unraveling the fraud and bringing Farrish to justice. This conviction serves as a warning: exploiting the Medicaid system will not be tolerated, and those who attempt to do so will face the full force of the law. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on further developments in the fight against healthcare fraud.