⏱ 2 min read
Marisol Rodriguez, a 49-year-old Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), defrauded Connecticut’s Medicaid program by submitting fraudulent claims for medication management services that were never provided. The scheme, which took place in Connecticut, involved Rodriguez billing Medicaid for services she never rendered, including to patients who had stopped seeing her, were hospitalized, incarcerated, or deceased. The alleged fraud occurred while Rodriguez was living in Newington, Connecticut, and later in Lehigh Acres, Florida. The exact motives behind the scam are unclear, but the complaint alleges that Rodriguez repeatedly billed Medicaid for fake services between approximately January and an unknown end date.
Rodriguez, who was licensed to prescribe controlled substances to Medicaid recipients, used her position to exploit the system, submitting claims for services that were never provided. The complaint alleges that she billed Medicaid for services while working full-time at a different employer, while collecting unemployment benefits, and even after patients had stopped seeing her. The alleged fraud was uncovered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
Following her arrest, Rodriguez appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and was released on a $100,000 bond. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, with assistance from the HHS and FBI. If convicted, Rodriguez faces serious penalties, including fines and imprisonment, for her role in defrauding the Medicaid program.
The investigation and prosecution of Rodriguez’s case demonstrate the government’s commitment to combating healthcare fraud and protecting the integrity of the Medicaid program. The case serves as a reminder that healthcare professionals who engage in fraudulent activities will be held accountable for their actions.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Defendant: Connecticut
- Location: CT
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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