GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE: Shalandia Suggs, 36, of Oklahoma City, has been handed a 27-month sentence for swindling nearly $210,000 from the Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), better known as food stamps. The judgment comes after an investigation that uncovered a web of deceit involving her fictitious behavioral health counseling agency.
According to Mark A. Yancey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma’s Attorney General, Suggs opened Focus Pointe Counseling, LLC, in 2013. She secured a contract with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) to provide Medicaid-eligible children with behavioral health counseling services. However, instead of hiring actual counselors, Suggs claimed that four nonexistent counselors provided these services, leading to the submission of false claims for reimbursement.
The true extent of her fraud came to light when it was revealed that not only had she billed for non-existent services, but she also received SNAP benefits while falsely claiming unemployment. On April 5, 2016, Suggs was indicted on sixteen counts of health care fraud and one count of theft of government funds.
On June 30, 2016, Suggs pled guilty to two counts of the Indictment. She admitted using Focus Pointe Counseling to submit a fraudulent claim for a counseling session that never took place and receiving SNAP benefits by misrepresenting her income. As part of her sentence, she must pay $204,334.24 in restitution to Medicaid and $4,959.00 to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
This case is a testament to the cooperative efforts of federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, and the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Maxfield Green and Oklahoma Assistant Attorney General Lory Dewey are handling the prosecution.
The sentence handed down sends a clear message that fraudulent activities targeting vital social welfare programs will be met with severe legal consequences. The Grimy Times will continue to monitor this case for any updates on Suggs’s prison term and restitution payments.
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Key Facts
- State: Oklahoma
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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