JULIET JACOB, Medicaid Fraud, Connecticut 2012

JULIET JACOB, a 49-year-old former Bridgeport resident, has admitted to participating in a Medicaid fraud scheme that defrauded the system of approximately $2.5 million. According to court documents, Jacob operated two businesses, Transitional Development And Training (TDAT), and It Takes A Promise (ITAP), both located at 360 Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport, to provide social and psychotherapy services to the Bridgeport area.

However, an investigation revealed that Jacob and her co-conspirator used ITAP and TDAT to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services that were never provided. The scheme involved using the Medicaid provider numbers of two licensed health care providers who had neither rendered nor supervised any of the psychotherapy services that Jacob and her co-conspirator billed to Medicaid.

Jacob also admitted to conspiring with Ronnette Brown and Beverly Coker to defraud Medicaid of more than $214,000 by fraudulently billing for psychotherapy services that were not provided. The scheme took place in 2010 and 2011.

As part of her guilty plea, Jacob faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. She has also agreed to a restitution order of $2,711,173.

When she is sentenced, Jacob will be released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing. Three other individuals have been charged and convicted of health care fraud offenses stemming from this ongoing investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon and Auditor Susan Spiegel. The investigation was led by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office.

A public awareness campaign is underway to encourage people to report health care fraud. If you suspect health care fraud, you can report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.

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